Let’s face it – if you don’t have an active social media presence in this day and age, you may as well not even exist. As a business, your goal is to reach out to as many people as possible, and there is hardly any medium of communication that is as easy and as far-reaching as social media.

Still skeptical?

Here are a few reasons why you should definitely be using social media!

1. It Has a Wide Outreach

People from all age groups, genders, and geographical locations use some form of social media. This means that you have access to people from across the globe and in most cases – it’s absolutely free! The iconic global brand ‘Happy Socks’ became a sensation purely due to their smart social media marketing, which created a demand for its colorful, funky socks like never before.

If you are smart about using the analytics that are made available to you, and have a sound marketing strategy in place, social media will only help boost your outreach.

2. It is Interactive

Most traditional mediums of communication like print media or even emails are restricted in the amount of interaction that happens between you as a business and your consumers. Social media is interactive by its very nature. This opens up channels of communications that are quick, easy, and effective.

From hosting competitions to creating polls on public opinion – social media allows you to express your creativity to expand the way you’re interacting with your consumers.

3. It Allows Multimedia Marketing

The ability to share text, pictures, videos, and gifs allow you greater creativity with the kind of content you post. Studies have shown that consumers are more likely to respond to advertisements that have some multimedia in them. If you are not jumping the bandwagon quite yet, you’re seriously missing out!

4. Crisis Management

Even if you are not using social media as a brand, the chances of your consumers using it are pretty high. In the event of any kind of crisis where your brand’s reputation is at stake, social media allows you to respond quickly and efficiently before the matter gets out of hand.

Not only does this serve to save defamation of your brand, but it can also increase brand appreciation because people will come to view your business as one that has good customer service and value.

What Social Media Platforms Are Available?

Facebook

Probably the most popular option for businesses to use is the social media giant, Facebook. It allows businesses to create ‘pages’ that are open to all users to follow. Facebook also gives you the option to ‘boost’ your posts through paid promotion or use sponsored content to drive relevant traffic to your website.

Twitter

Twitter is a great platform to create a brand voice and interact with fellow brands and consumers. It is a less detailed medium than Facebook; however, it is a great place to keep your consumers updated about your business.

Instagram

A very visual medium makes Instagram ideal for businesses that have a lot of creative content to post. It is also a great place to use visual storytelling and get your point across.

Youtube  

Youtube is a classic option for posting video content. However, Youtube presence alone will not be enough. It is best to use this platform in conjunction with others for the best possible result.

The platform you choose can vary on any number of factors from the demographic you are targeting to the kind of tone you want to set for your brand. There’s no fixed formula! You can play around until you find the platform and strategy that suits you! Print and Web Design can help you with deciding which platforms are best for you, contact us today for a free consultation.