Why you can’t ‘just dabble’ with social media for your business

It still shocks me that businesses are willing to spend thousands on advertising whether it is print or digital and yet they are unwilling to invest in their social media channels.

Even for those businesses with small marketing budgets, they spend their dosh on travel to see potential leads, trade shows and signage for their vehicles, shop or offices yet investing in social media seems to be off their radar.

For the majority of small to medium businesses (SME's) who have embraced social media they are more than likely posting inconsistently and failing to drive traffic to their website. Most are 'just dabbling'

Why you can't 'just dabble'

Social media should be a considerable part of your marketing efforts. If you are 'just dabbling' you will not be achieving the results your competitors are, or are about to. Whether you employ a social media specialist or you outsource the services of a specialised agency, you need a good social media presence.

• Social Media is part of a marketing strategy – if you are 'just dabbling', it is unlikely that you will be connecting all the dots in your marketing strategy. Social media is part of the sales funnel, it should be connected to any advertising you do. You can use it to remarket to your website visitors. It affects how your website is optimised for Google and other search engines and it portrays your business personality.

• Social Media connects with your customers – advertising however subtle is selling to your customers. If you are giving value to your followers, you are connecting with your fans and customers. If you 'just dabble' you are likely to be without a social media strategy. You are more likely to lose the customers you have to your competitors and as you know selling to your customers is far easier and cheaper than gaining new customers. Brands who engage on social media have improved loyalty from their customers.

• Social Media is the cheapest form of marketing – You can grow audiences, gain valuable insights into your followers and fans and benefit from viral posts spreading your messages speedily around the globe. If you are 'just dabbling', you are unlikely to be creating quality content which will engage your fans and customers and bring new potential customers and fans knocking on your door.

• Social Media increases your visibility – Reach more people and be seen and heard. If you are 'just dabbling' you are unlikely to be increasing awareness of your brand. You need to view your social channels as a way to get your visual content seen and your voice heard. This has a snowball effect in that the more you are seen, the more likely it is that others will share your content and messages. Your brand will become more recognisable to even more people. Rather than just attracting visitors who are looking for your products or services you will be bringing new visitors to your site. Ones which may not have even thought about buying your goods.

• Social Media gives more opportunities for visitors to convert to customers – Every time you post you are increasing the opportunities for customers to visit your site and buy your services or products. Every blog post, image, video or shared content could lead to a website visit. Call To Actions should be driving traffic to your website. If you are 'just dabbling' in social media you will have less conversions and therefore the likelihood of fewer sales.

• Social Media will improve your Search Engine Rankings (SEO) – The algorithms for success on Google and other search engines is constantly changing. However, it is a certain that having a good social media strategy helps with your SEO. If you are 'just dabbling', you are probably not giving the search engines the information they need to improve your ranking. Being active, having thousands of followers, having good reviews and having optimised profiles sends signals to the major search engines (as well as your customers) saying you are credible, legitimate and trustworthy. Also, the content you share can help you rank for key search terms.

The message is loud and clear... Don't 'Just Dabble'! Your competition is already reaping the rewards and trying to poach your customers. The sooner you start the sooner you will start to feel the benefits. What have you to lose as the risks are low? The longer you leave it, the more you have to lose.

Why when you are good at selling your products or managing your business would you want to 'just dabble' yourself? Do you do the accounts, clean the office, design your marketing materials, order the stationery or fly the plane when you go on business trips? NO you don't, so why do you think it is a good use of your time to 'dabble' with social media? For a relatively small sum that will save you at least 6 hours a week of your time, you can outsource your social media management. Outsource to a specialist agency which knows your market, keeps up to date with marketing trends, is able to create engaging content, grow your followers, increase your reach, cross-market with other clients and has access to all the software applications which you don't.

At SPC Marine Marketing, we like to think we become a part of your team. We work with you, advise you and move forward with your identity to increase your brand awareness whilst driving traffic to your website. If you would like a 'no strings' FREE consultation we are more than happy to take a look at your website and your social channels. We will give you our thoughts on how you can improve so that you can make an informed decision as to whether you want to make those improvements or outsource us to help you move forward. Get in touch now! You have nothing to lose but everything to gain.