So, you’ve just made the switch to self-employed life. Amidst finding new clients and getting to grips with doing your taxes, you might not be ready to throw your all at social media just yet.
However, social media is a powerful tool, even if you’ve only just launched your small business. It’s one of the most effective forms of marketing and could help you find clients, get your name out there, and improve your reputation.
Here are five reasons you should start investing in your social media now.
1. Build your brand personality
Social media is a great way to build a strong brand personality, as it allows you to be creative, personable, and human in your interactions with potential customers.
People can see exactly who you are on an Instagram page, as opposed to a business card or seller’s website, and they will find it easier to connect with your mission and purpose.
2. Connect with potential customers
73% of people in the UK use social media every day, making it a more powerful way of connecting with customers than face-to-face selling or maintaining a website.
Because social media thrives on engagements and connections, you’ll be able to build meaningful relationships with each of your followers through comments and conversations, increasing the likelihood that they want to buy from you.
3. Gather feedback easily
As a new business owner, you always hope for positive customer or client feedback. But negative feedback is vital – it will help you refine your product offering and realise what your audience really wants.
Social media is the easiest place to gather feedback as it puts you in direct communication with people interested in your business.
4. Cost-effective advertising
Every social media site has advertising options for businesses, and you’ll find that these are much more affordable than other forms of ads.
You’ll also find it easy to gather data on your audience through your social media profiles, enabling you to refine the audience for your ads and increase the likelihood of their success.
5. Drive people to your website
For many businesses, your website is where you want people to land, and social media is an excellent way of driving people to your website if that’s your priority.
An engaged, interested, and loyal social media audience is more likely to visit your website than a random Google searcher, so spending time cultivating that audience is even more critical.
Our Advice
Social media is vital for small businesses, and social media accounts should be one of the very first things you set up when launching your brand.
Your ultimate success on social media will depend on choosing the most powerful sites for your business. There are many social media sites out there, but each has a very different audience and format style. For example, Instagram is helpful for people working in creative industries, while LinkedIn is useful for connecting with potential clients in professional sectors.