Gone are the days when face to face interaction was the premier means of gaining a customer’s business. No longer is there a need for people to go door to door selling products or even via tele-marketing. This is not to say it does not happen anymore but it has significantly decreased because of the use of technology. Technology has given birth to new ways for business owners (especially small businesses) to gain and maintain customers and the most notable way is via Social Media. For that reason, Social Media is a must in today’s small business.
Social Media, simply put, is a means of communicating socially online. With that being said, it creates an informal and friendly interactive platform between businesses and their customers. And why is Social Media so important to the small business owner? Well, let’s examine the reasons.
Firstly, the most important aim of a small business owner is to understand who the customer is and what pain the customer is suffering from. Social Media allows small businesses to communicate with its customers on a “personal” level, and this increases the small business’ ability to satisfy the customer needs using the customer’s key word and phrases. This also enhances the level of customer service a client receives as complaints and queries are dealt with within a short period of time. Moreover, Social Media allows a small business to offer detailed information about the background of the company. Often times, a customer is more likely to transact business with a small company only after it has thorough information on it, its owners etc. That is exactly why Social Media is a must in today’s small business.
Secondly and also very important is getting the business’ name out there by effective means so as to generate income. But as the name suggests, a small business may not have sufficient capital to do so via advertisements using traditional media like newspapers, magazines or billboards. That is where Social Media comes in for the small business owner! By this medium, the business is able to receive publicity via information provided on a website, or more popularly on the profile or fan page of a social network such as Facebook and Twitter. There is no doubt that MILLIONS of people use Facebook and Twitter daily and allowing your small business to have its own profile on such a medium can only bring about benefits for your small business.
Importantly, a small business can utilize the platform of Social Media for the release and promotion of new and existing products. Additionally, it can be a great way to offer discounts and contests with prizes to customers who would love the thought of goodies from small businesses. Indeed, just think of a person visiting your swimwear profile on Facebook to see that you have a new collection and the release date of such collection. They would be more likely to visit your small business store if there is one or contact you personally for delivery of swimwear that interests them!
All in all, Social Media offers a great way to monitor the reputation of your small business’ brand. Customers today want to see authenticity and turn away from a rigid corporate stance that was the traditional way of doing business. Social Media is the answer to this as it develops trust between the small business and customer and is the stepping stone to building a strong relationship between buyer and seller.
