Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | It Is Important

I know I am going to have a lot of people out there who don't agree with this statement. Most of them are Baby Boomers and probably didn't grow up with social media. That is fine! But in order for you to have a successful small business in 2019 and in the future, you are going to have to learn to use social media because it has a lot of benefits for your business.

I know some people are going to strongly disagree with me on this. Here some of their reasons why:

"My clients aren't on social media"

"I don't offer a physical product"

"I don't know how to use the platforms"

All of these are incorrect, except maybe the last one. It doesn't matter if your clients are not on social media. See the last section of this blog post for why. It doesn't matter if you don't offer a physical product. Putting your face and your life experiences out into the world will draw people to you. And you can also get more clients you never thought you would have gotten. Example: I run the social media accounts for Goodnight Consulting. This is a consulting business where none of our clients would hire us based on our social media accounts. This last week, we were approached by someone for a project based on LinkedIn activity. I post to that account 3 times a day and it has potentially brought in business. Who knew, right?

When it comes to learning how to use the platforms, you can learn. There are lots of classes out there where you can learn how to use them. Or just type it into YouTube!

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | What Platforms?

So what platforms should you be using? ALL OF THEM!! I know that sounds a little overwhelming, so start off with 2 and grow from there. People always want to know if they should have a Facebook page, Instagram account, LinkedIn Page or Twitter account. The answer to all of these is YES! I can't say it enough. You need to show up on social media consistently, so start with 2 platforms that you are either already comfortable with or can get to know and post on them. If you aren't sure which ones to start with, I would suggest LinkedIn and Facebook. There are lots of tools out there for you to use to help automate this. I will be talking more about this in the future and may be offering something to all of you to help you out with it.

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | Social Proof

One of the things that most consumers look for now before hiring someone or purchasing a product, is social proof. They want to know that other people like your products/services so they know they will too. Social media is the easiest way to do this. You can post pictures of clients, your products, your travels. All without sharing any proprietary information, of course. But by showing up on these platforms consistently, you are showing potential clients/customers that you care about how they perceive you.

Social proof is also needed to show your clients/customers that you are an expert in your industry. If you just post pictures of your kids/dog on your LinkedIn account and nothing about your industry, no one will take you seriously. But when you post about industry news, your own articles and links to your website, you become an expert in your industry that people will come to when they need something. And they will come to you because your content will be showing up in their feed ALL THE TIME.

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | Searchable

You already have a website (I hope) so there is always going to be somewhere that people can find more information about you. But in 2019, a website just isn't enough anymore. People want to know about the people behind the brand. They want to know what your day to day life is like. They want exclusive deals and behind the scenes. By having social media platforms, you are giving your customers/clients more places to find and connect with you. When they type your company's name into Google, your social media accounts will show up in the results as well. This shows your clients/customers that you care and it gives them more places to find you.

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | Want to Learn More?

You have read this blog post and now you want to know how you can set up your social media accounts, get them automated and post the right kind of content. I am working on a course that will walk you through the entire process. You can sign up here to know exactly when the course will be launching!

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | Freebie

This full blog post originally went live on the Adler Stone blog a few weeks ago. I wanted to share it here with you but I also wanted to add something exclusive for my Breezing Through readers! I am sharing with you a freebie today (something I am going to be doing more!) on how to get started with creating a Business Facebook page! You can download it here.