Most business owners know social media is important but struggle to generate a return on their marketing dollars. Social sites are filled with political noise, memes, and countless advertisements, making it increasingly difficult to stand out.

Business owners who try to stand out by bombarding users with sales messages can expect little to no return on your investment in 2019 and beyond. People don’t get on Facebook or Instagram to be sold to; they get on to connect with other people. It’s no wonder that businesses who beg their customers to “visit our website”, “Check out our new products”, and “Stop by our showroom today!” feel like social media doesn’t work. These strategies don’t work.

Now, you may be wondering, “Can social media actually help my sales?”. The answer is “Yes!”, if you creatively tell a story and know how to engage your audience. Don’t think of it as talking to your audience. Think of it as talking with them.

Building Trust 

If you post engaging, personalized content on social media, people will start to feel like they know you, and therefore can trust you. Because they feel like they can trust you, you’ll be the first person they’ll come to when they need someone in your industry. Additionally, they’ll be more likely to refer their friends and family your way.

Brand Awareness

If you have an active social media filled with fun and engaging posts, more people in your area will start to follow and like your page. The goal is to stick in your potential customer’s mind. Once they’ve seen and engaged with your content a number of times, they will develop name recognition for your brand. This is powerful because when they are in the market for what you sell, your brand will be the first name that pops in their mind. Who is the first company you think of when you think of soda brands? For most, Coca-Cola. They’ve developed powerful brand recognition. For local businesses, this type of brand recognition can be achieved cheaper than you realize if your content is engaging enough and targeted to the right audience.

Personal Connections

Social media is a great way for friends and family who live far away from one another to stay connected. Because of this, social media is perfect for building personal connections with your current and future clients. Posting personal, engaging content is a great way for people to feel like they know you. That’s not to say you have to tell your customers everything about yourself but posting the occasional pet picture with a fun story and a question about your customers’ pets can drive engagement and build those connections.

Social Network Advertising

Along with consistent posting, you can also advertise on social networks. On-going ads run in the background and will often show up on the sides of users’ pages or as sponsored posts in their feeds. These ads will take customers directly to your website and can occasionally drive leads but are more for brand awareness. You can also boost posts for a minimum of $1 per day to reach more people with a specific post. For instance, if you’re running a promotion or giveaway, you can boost that post to reach more people and gather more followers.
Social media is an ever-changing market, but with how many people use it everyday, it’s important to stay on top of it. At Creekmore Marketing, we can help you create an engaging, relevant content strategy to help you build brand awareness, trust, and personal connections. Contact us today to learn more about our services and what social media can do for your business.