10 Critical Reasons Why You Need Social Presence
The internet is responsible, of course, for containing an astonishing amount of data and information.
More than this, though, the internet presents a means to draw targeted attention to any website, idea, group, company, cause, and/or professional which is a part of this information pool.
Prior to the internet’s creation and rise, pre-selected marketing to individuals who were known to be interested in a particular idea, product, or service was a pipe dream—something that even the most efficient and successful of marketing professionals couldn’t even imagine.
But today, the idea of pre-targeting potential customers is one which is very real, and can be integrated based upon user searches, website visits, demographic information, geographic location, and a number of other, helpful factors.
Still, though, those who can benefit from these marketing and promotional opportunities the most—small business owners—are often hesitant to do so.
The reasons behind this hesitation are plentiful in quantity and wide-ranging in nature, but are universally damaging; making use of online marketing can lead to an explosion in business and transactions, while neglecting it altogether can cause one’s company to go under.
Needless to say, those who try and explain the benefits of online marketing and the internet are probably frustrated with the resistance of many business owners.
It really is in every small business owner’s best interest not to ignore the internet, but to utilize it.
This doesn’t have to take the form of complex marketing and advertising campaigns (although these can also help), as even a simple and easy-to-design website can increase business impressively—especially in coordination with social media.
If you fall into this category of those small business owners who currently have what appears to be zero interest in making use of the internet to improve the sales and overall financial outlook of their company, then you need to pay attention.
The first step towards successfully helping your business integrate into the digital age, to maximize opportunities and success, is to understand the source of your resistance and hesitation.
So let’s take a look at some of the main reasons why some small business owners are still reluctant to fully utilize the power of the Internet.
10. “I don’t have enough money.”
Often the first and most common reason given by business owners who are resistant to developing an online presence, “I don’t have enough money” can be quite relevant, especially when they consider that business is hurting for the owner at the moment.
These concerns are entirely misplaced, and it’s important to reflect upon two significant ideas.
First, digital marketing and website development were much more expensive years ago, probably when owners first inquired about integrating their business online.
This one isn’t a misplaced fear or a bad dream—web development really did cost quite a bit more in the past.
If this is one of the main reasons why you haven’t embraced the Internet for your business then you need to understand that web development and online marketing aren’t nearly as expensive as they once were.
The other idea that should be noted is that most business will see an increase in customers and transactions as a result of their online marketing, which means having an effective social media presence for your business isn’t really a cost for your business, it’s an investment in your business.
Having a social media presence that effectively markets your products and services to interested people online, can dramatically increase the amount of customers you have coming into your business.
Having an effective social media presence that effectively markets your products and services to interested people online, can dramatically increase the amount of customers you have coming into your business.
A social media manager is like your brand rep, someone who manages and monitors what people are saying about your business online, and at the same time projecting the ideal image of your business to others.
9. “I don’t understand how it will work for me.”
One of the major reasons why some business owners are reluctant to develop an effective social media strategy for their business is they just don’t understand how it all works.
How does posting comments on Facebook help their business? Why would anybody want to listen to what they have to say about their business?
And what are they even going to post anyway?
For people who aren’t aware of the power of social media, the thought of posting and engaging with others online can be pretty daunting.
The thing is, you don’t need to know how it all works. You don’t need to know all the psychological and technical aspects of social media that can benefit your business.
All you need is someone who understands how social media works, and how to develop a unique plan for your social media presence.
As the business owner, you should be focused on running the business, while you leave the “tech” and “web” stuff to a professional.
8. “I’ll just do it myself.”
Another common objection small business owners have about using social media for their business is they don’t want to hire a professional to do it.
Instead, they want to try and do it themselves.
This might be fine if you’ve already got a social media following that is producing great results for you, and you just need to tweak a few things here and there.
But if you want an effective social media presence that will attract more visitors and help convert those visitors into customers, then you need to hire a professional.
There’s no point wasting your time on something that you don’t actually know will create any benefits for your business.
You could end up just posting content for the sake of posting content, without that actually reaping any rewards for you.
Hire a professional, and get the job done right.
7. ”We already have a website.”
Some small business owners are reluctant to get into social media for their business because they’ve already got a website.
Just because they’ve got a website with some details about their business, they think that’s enough online marketing to get customers coming through their doors.
If you’ve got a website, but you’re not engaging with potential customers and clients through social media, then you’re missing out on a massive opportunity to convert more visitors into customers.
It’s not that social media should replace your website, but they should complement each other.
If you already have a following on social media, then you can take advantage of that by sending them to your website where they can find out more, and contact you directly.
6. “Our customers don’t use the internet to find us.”
Another key objection a lot of small business owners have when it comes to using social media for their business is they think their consumers aren’t searching for them online.
They think that the Internet doesn’t influence their prospects and customers, and they don’t see the need to invest into online marketing.
The reality is over 90% of consumers will search online for a local business before they even think about calling them or visiting them.
Regardless of how things have worked in the past or how they’re working currently, the fact of the matter is almost everybody is searching online for a local business before they do anything else.
And if you’re ignoring this fact, then you’re also ignoring all the potential customers you’re missing out on right now.
5. “I don’t have time to manage it.”
A major reason why some small business owners object to using social media for their business is because they don’t want to take the time to manage their profiles.
If you’re holding off for the same reason, then you should realize that it really doesn’t take a huge time investment for you to see big returns from social media.
You don’t need to be online all day, actively managing your profiles, or posting and replying all the time.
You just need to post valuable content, and engage with your followers.
You could also simply get one of your staff or someone you trust to do it for you.
Most people are on social media and understand how to effectively gain a following online.
4. “We already have social media, and it does nothing for us.”
If you’ve already started using social media for your business, but you’re not really seeing any results from it, then it might be time to get the pros in.
A lot of business owners aren’t really sure what they should be posting on social media to keep customers engaged with their business, so they often don’t post much, or post things that just aren’t interesting enough to keep people engaged.
What you want to be doing is keeping people updated with what’s happening with your business, what’s happening in the general industry, and also in the local area.
You might even want to offer special deals for people who are connecting with you on social media.
Social media is all about engagement and connection.
The more engaging you are with the people you are connected with online, the more they will want to hear from you.
3. “We see great results from TV, newspaper, and radio advertisements.”
Some small business owners seem to think that because they see great results from their existing marketing they don’t need to invest in social media marketing as well.
After all, if you’re getting a consistent stream of customers through newspaper ads, or radio ads, then why would you need to look into marketing on social media?
The thing is, it’s not about your social media strategy, or any other aspect of online marketing, replacing what you’re currently doing.
It’s about social media complementing your current marketing, and adding to the results you see now.
Your social media profiles allow your potential customers to find more information about what you have to offer, and allows them to stay up to date with your latest news.
It’s also important to note that online advertising and an online presence will attract many additional customers who don’t read the newspaper, listen to the radio, or watch the TV station on which you’re advertising.
That means you can see much greater success by adding Internet marketing to your current business, rather than replacing what you’re currently doing.
2. “We don’t sell anything online.”
One of the most common reasons small business owners think they don’t need a social media presence is because they think their business isn’t suitable for selling products or services online.
That might be the case with businesses like restaurants, mechanics or plumbers, where the business is location-dependent, but even then, these businesses could incorporate a social media strategy where they continue to engage their customers for future business, or even for referrals.
A lot of times having a social media strategy for your business isn’t just about selling things online; it’s also about promoting your business and getting people to know about you.
Your social media strategy is another piece of the marketing puzzle that helps to get your business in front of people who are interested in what you have to offer.
Not all sales will occur online, but most of them start there.
Whether a potential customer is looking for business hours, a phone number, pricing figures, and/or general information relating to your company, there’s an excellent chance that the first part of the sale—considering a specific company for a transaction—will be initiated online.
Of course, the best part of this initial component of the sale is that it will be completed automatically, without any required effort from you.
1. “We just don’t think we’re interested right now.”
Having a social media presence that effectively promotes your business online is crucial for your success, but a lot of people still don’t think they need to be on social media.
They just don’t see the value the Internet can provide to their business, and just don’t get how much it can help their business.
They don’t get that the first thing most people do is search online for a business’ website to find out more about them, and to find out how they can contact them.
If your business doesn’t have a social media presence, you’re letting a lot of potential customers slip through your hands, and into the hands of your competitors.
So as you can see there are quite a few reasons why some small business owners are still reluctant to have an effective social media presence built for their business, but in most cases investing in a social media strategy is going to bring in more customers, more traffic, and more business than if you continue to ignore the Internet.
Your social media profiles and any form of internet marketing isn’t going to replace anything you’re currently doing, and it’s not going to significantly add to the amount of work you’re doing now.
Once you have a social media presence, it will be like your own sales person, working around the clock to promote your business.
And you will be able to reap the benefits for many years to come.
So if you’re interested in getting a professional, effective social media presence built for your business, then contact us today.
