How Social Media Has Changed How Companies Operate

First came the web giving a digital footprint to businesses. Then followed the rise of social media. Many companies rooted in their 'old ways' will argue that it social media has affected them negatively or not at all. If that is the case it is likely that they have not embraced social media and not made changes to adapt to how they market their products/services, communicate with their customers and sell their products.

Large companies have employed teams of social and digital marketing experts to ensure they stay ahead of their competitors. Small to Medium sized businesses choose to outsource their social media marketing to specialists who are also familiar with their market. Up and coming new businesses know that if they want to be successful they can not afford to ignore social media as part of their marketing strategy.

So are all businesses actively using social media to market their business and engage with their customers? NO! Surprisingly in the UK (in 2018) only 60% of businesses were making use of social media and sadly this percentage is even less for small businesses.

So for the 60% which have embraced social media these are some of the ways it will have affected how their company operates...

• A more level playing field for you and your competitors. Small businesses can more easily compete with corporations. Social media is affordable for all businesses unlike television and expensive magazine ads.

• Companies project a social aspect to their business. If you did not have a shop front or a glitzy office you were not seen by your customers. Using social media you can be seen socially whether you work from home or from a container on an industrial estate. Your customers can see what inspires, motivates and entertains you thus fostering a connection with you.

• Marketing strategies have changed. Social media has become a major part of any marketing campaign. Business owners recognise that it is not necessarily a short term solution. It is more of a long term strategy. If carried out by digital marketing experts then it has positive benefits on marketing costs, communication with customers, web site rankings and web search results. Also, it will create a community of followers who may purchase products/services or recommend them to others. Ultimately it should increase sales and/or decrease advertising spend.

• Connecting with customers. Businesses with a presence on social media can respond to their customers quickly. For customers' it is easy to give feedback on products and services and for businesses, it is easy to deal with any after sales issues or pre-sales enquiries. There is also a digital trail of these communications.

• It has changed how businesses sell. A combination of eCommerce and social media means a great deal of the sale can be done via social media. Images of products, offers, descriptions, videos of the products and reviews can all be posted on social channels with a link taking the consumer to the checkout page of an eCommerce website. Social media is instant but posts can be scheduled in advance.

• Reaching a greater audience and markets. One of my clients in the UK told me the other day that someone in China had seen one of their posts and forwarded it to a mate in Australia and this resulted in a sale and a new distributor. Content is still king and if the content is good it will reach more people. The world is truly your oyster with social media. Another of my clients has a following of just over 2,000 on Facebook yet over 7,000 people saw posts from their page last month with nearly 2,000 engaging with a post.

So have you embraced social media? Are you consistently feeding your audiences with relevant, entertaining content which drives traffic to your website and increases your brand awareness? If not you may need to consider outsourcing your social media to someone who knows the marine market and is an expert in social media marketing. Yes that's me! If this is making you sit up and think then why not start with a FREE 'no-strings' attached consultation. No badgering after the consultation, just enough information to start or improve your social media marketing. Assuming you have the time and expertise. If this is of interest please get in touch.