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Understanding The Use of Social Media

Understanding the Impact of Social Media on Your Retail Business

For many business owners, social media websites are simply a nuisance that distracts workers from getting on with their ‘real work’ during the course of the day. However, what they are missing out on is the fact that when used in the right way, these sites can be harnessed to great effect by the companies themselves. Once you understand why and how you can use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to increase your market presence, drive traffic onto your website, and increase sales, it will seem crazy not to invest a little time setting up a profile and connecting with people.

How It Works

The bottom line is that hundreds of millions of people log on to social media sites every single day, and you have the opportunity to get your name out there, connect with potential new customers, and boost sales. Once you have set up a page and have begun to build a fan base, you effectively have a free marketing platform that has an exponential reach of people. If you post up and interesting link to an article on your website, or details of a current deal you are putting on, everyone on your page will know about it instantly, and then everyone who is friends with them may also find out about it. This means that even if you only had 1,000 friends on the site, your posts, messages, and links, could be seen by 5-10 times that many people. There is no better way of getting yourself noticed for free, so it really is a no brainer when you think about it. Social media now plays an important role in the marketing strategy of many businesses, and this is because it is so effective.

Building Your Brand

Social media sites are an ideal opportunity for you to build your brand and get your name out to a mass audience without having to spend out large amounts of money. You have the opportunity to send out a strong and consistent message to potential customers about your brand, and this builds brand recognition. The more familiar people become with your name the more trusting they will be of your company and its products or services. People who follow you on these sites are likely to share information with friends if they like your page or products etc.

Increasing Website Hits

One of the main tangible effects that social media activity can have on your business is driving traffic to your website and increasing relevant and interested visitors. A business with thousands of followers on Facebook could post a link to their website along with an interesting comment or a special deal offer and then literally watch the traffic increase over the next few hours. There is no easier and cheaper way to directly reach out to a large number of potential customers with a sales pitch or marketing campaign.  As well as this, constant sharing of links and creation of new back links will increase your websites page ranking. Almost all top businesses use social media sites to boost their web presence, and this is because it is extremely effective.

Every Business Can Benefit

Whether you are dealing with investment trusts, a small local business or online retailing, social media sites can be beneficial to you.  Apart from the obvious advantages that come with the free advertising and marketing opportunities on these sites, there are lots of other positive effects. They offer a superb opportunity for you to develop a personable and relaxed public profile, which in turn leads people to become more trusting of your brand, which is an extremely useful tool for many businesses that rely on long term interaction and repeat contact for their success. Gaining new customers without spending out on marketing campaigns is surely every businesses’ dream? Well here is your opportunity to get on board and take advantage of what is out there. If your business is already on social media sites, but is not seeing many positive results from the interactions, it may be a good idea to consult with someone who is well versed in how best to utilize the platform.  If you have not yet tapped into this fantastic resource, it is time to get started.

For small business advice and information visit money.co.uk.. Retailers Forum magazine, the leader in wholesale merchandise is delighted to share this article with you.