Your business is all set up and running smoothly, and you are making a few dollars here and there. All of the expenses are paid and you are happy with way things are going. But wouldn’t it be better if you were making even more of a profit? Of course it would be. There isn’t a business owner anywhere in the world that wouldn’t want things to be even better than they are. After all, that’s why they got into business in the first place. No one starts a business with the intention of not getting rich.
So you take the business a step farther. You set up a web site with a blog and advertise your products there. You write good content that informs your customers of industry news, new events, sales, product information, and other interesting items for their entertainment. But that is when you realize that there aren’t that many people that even know your site exists. So you begin to feel as though you are wasting your efforts in having that web site. It seems that all of that time and money were spent for nothing. But there is more you can do, and it isn’t costly. And the best thing is, it can be a lot of fun, too. You can use social media to get the word out there, and in record time.
Did you ever notice how fast word of mouth can spread? That is the power of social media. One person buys your product or service and they really like it, so they tell a friend, who tells a friend, and so on. Suddenly, you have a whole network of new customers that visit your website nearly every day, and keep track of your business through their social media sites. Not only have you gained a bigger customer base, but you have had the opportunity to “meet” and get to know your customers. By participating in social media, you have a better idea of what your customers want and you are better able to render service to them. You are also able to add new products and services that they are looking for, creating a loyal following of return customers.
Unlike simply creating a web page for your customers to view, social media allows them to add their own content, telling you how you are doing in the service department, what products or services they would like to see in the future, and ask you questions about your current products and services. And if you’re using social media to your advantage, they also have the opportunity to spread the good word about your company with just a click or two.
Here is the fun part: there are literally hundreds of social media sites on the internet these days, with some having the goal of uniting the general population of the world, while others have more specific targets in mind. Ultimately, the social media sites you use will be determined by the audience you want to target.
