If you’re like most small businesses, you know social media is important. But what you may not realize is just how crucial social media can be to your inbound marketing efforts.
Inbound marketing is all about getting found by your ideal customers, and social media is one of the best ways to do that. By creating and sharing engaging content on social media, you can attract more visitors to your website, generate leads, and ultimately drive more sales. So, if you’re not yet using social media as part of your inbound marketing strategy, you’re missing out on a big opportunity. But it’s never too late to start! In this blog post, we’ll discuss why social media is important for your inbound marketing strategy and give you some tips for getting started.
In today’s world, everyone has access to social media and many use their favorite platform multiple times each day. As a business owner, it’s important to understand how best to promote your business and increase sales or customer count. NLA Media utilizes proven data-driven strategies, so we know what works, what doesn’t, and how to pivot to get you the most ROI.
Did you know inbound marketing tactics can generate 54% more leads than traditional paid marketing methods? (Source: Hubspot) If your social media presence is managed effectively, social media can help you gain new customers and remind your existing customer base of the products and services you have to offer. By sharing content that is informative, entertaining, and aesthetically pleasing, you can build your social following on the most popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube – everywhere your customers are already shopping and spending time! The key to a successful inbound strategy using social media is to make your customers WANT to visit your profile – social media is not simply a bulletin board to post your sales or ask for business. The more social, fun, and authentic you can make your posts, the more business you will generate!
You can use social media to drive traffic to your website, where potential customers can learn more about you, your business, and what you have to offer. As we all know, people do business with those that they feel they know, like, and trust, so telling a story is key. Why would someone want to do business with you as opposed to someone else? Social media is a powerful tool that can help you express your brand voice and become so much more than just a logo. Consistency and authenticity is key with your inbound social media marketing campaign, and the experts at NLA Media can help to craft a winning strategy to help you achieve your goals – whether that is gaining new followers, driving traffic to your website, or even raising funds as a nonprofit! We recommend creating a content calendar 2-4 weeks in advance, highlighting your sales/promotions, your team (even if you’re a team of one), your services, and even holidays or fun “Days of the Year”. By creating a content mix of high-value posts, posts that showcase your personality and X-factors, and posts that promote your business, you’ll see your social following grow, which in turn means more people are seeing your content, and you are casting a wider net to potential new customers. Don’t have time to take pictures, write copy, and plan in advance? Our Meta-certified social media team can do all of this for you, allowing you to focus on running your business.
Social media marketing is a great way to connect with your customers while building long-term relationships and trust. But it also serves as a valuable (and often underutilized) way to communicate directly with your customers. You can use social media as a customer service tool, answering questions and helping to resolve potential issues. Did you know that before potential customers decide to buy something, up to 63% of them begin their buying journeys online, looking for positive reviews and how you address them? (Source: Terakeet) Asking for and responding to reviews, both good and bad, on social media is another effective way to use the platforms to be seen as a business someone would want to purchase from or do business with. This contributes to “Social Proof” – what others see on social media and how it impacts what they ultimately do. As consumers, we trust reviews and feedback about businesses, and utilizing your social media platforms as a customer service tool can serve as a valuable arm of your social media marketing strategy.
Some larger accounts even use their social media platforms to perform market research – asking their followers what they think of a new idea, product, or service. The more you give into social media, the more you get. That’s why we also recommend engagement as part of your inbound social media marketing strategy. Engagement means going into other accounts that you love, that you do business with, that you’d like to partner with, and liking, sharing, and commenting on their social media feeds. All it takes is 30 minutes a day, and you will see that your engagement and following will grow even more quickly than just posting alone.
Social media has become one of the most popular ways for people to spend time. The days of social media being a small part in marketing are long gone. In 2022, the average daily usage worldwide of social media was a whopping 147 minutes! (Source: Statista) And with over 270 million social media users in the United States, it’s clear that this medium will continue to influence consumers’ decisions. (Source: DataReportal)
As you can see, adding a social media plan to your inbound marketing strategy is key in today’s digital world. Social media will allow you to reach new customers, build customer relationships, and increase sales. Remember to be consistent, be authentic, share engaging content, and engage with your online community for maximum impact. If you’re not quite sure where to start, or you’d like an expert to take a look over your current profiles and strategy, NLA Media can help! We offer Consultations, Social Media Marketing Audits, and Fully-Managed Social Media Marketing for businesses large and small, all across the country. Give us a ring for a free, 30-minute call to discuss your goals and see if we’re a great fit!
