A woman – let’s call her Cersei- about 45 years old, is waiting for the subway and in the meantime she checks her phone. If we could get closer and see what she is looking at, we would probably find her using Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram or any other social network. Moreover, it is very likely that Cersei was discussing with her contacts the last meal she had in that downtown restaurant that she loves, or maybe she was talking about where to buy a new mobile phone or where to buy more resistant armour.
A few years ago – social networks have been around less time than we think – hardly anyone would have imagined a situation like this. Moreover, Social Networks are not just something made for fun or for wasting time, but something with economic value; Shopping recommendations or criticisms of commercial establishments are the order of the day in social networks, and the multiplier effect can turn anything into viral so that it reaches thousands of people.
The presence of social networking for business can offer you both advantages and disadvantages; it can make your company a success, but also sink it into a very dark hole. Do not even begin to tremble; today we will see the advantages. Let’s start from the beginning:
1. Your business will be much more visible.
Whether you are really passionate about social networks or you just hate them, the fact is that they are a very important part of modern culture. Do you need some information to convince you? Facebook has over 1.8 billion users around the world, Whatsapp 1.2 billion and Instagram 700 million. With so many users spreading opinions and ideas at full speed, the economic weight of social networks is countless.
Whatever the volume of your business, whether you want it or not, it’s practically impossible to escape social networks, so you’d better use it to your advantage. Social networking for business means that a lot of people will get to know your company and the products and services that it offers, so it will be very important that the image that reaches the social networks is as good as possible.
2. Social Networks are a great tool for free advertising.
There is no better promoter for your company than a satisfied customer. Social networks can be a great way for your clients to share their experiences, and its multiplying effect can make you save a lot of money on advertising. Of course, you will have to do things well to ensure that those comments do not imply negative publicity.
Also, even if people who usually check your social networks are not customers, they could also add value to your company. Often, they will share content that will reach third parties, or they might send messages asking about the features of your products, which will be very good for you to talk about your products.
3. It will generate a lot of traffic for your website.
If you have a company and live in the 21st century, it is very likely that you have a website, and if you do have one, you will usually want it to have as much traffic as possible (if not, what is the point of having a website then?).
Social networking for business can make the content of your website reach a lot of people. Some of that content may even go viral, reaching hundreds of thousands of people. If the content is interesting and attractive, what better way to publicize your products and services? You may be able to get regular visitors for your page, or you may even improve your sales – which is our goal after all – .
4. It improves and broadens the communication between your company and your customers.
Social networks are also great means of communication with your users, and it could even be part of the customer service. You can include surveys to ask for their opinion, include a FAQ section, etc.
5. It strengthens loyalty.
Being in social networks opens a new channel of communication with your customers. By having a more frequent contact with them, the task of trying to keep them loyal to you and to stay with you for years will be easier.
6. New sales channels for your products flourish.
Some social networks not only are used to publicize your business and send traffic to your website, but also offer the possibility of creating virtual shops that, in fact, make them a new sales channel for your products.
7. It opens up the door for new markets.
Social networking for business removes geographic barriers and enables your business to reach places that were impossible to reach just a few years ago. Who would have thought 20 years ago that your design store would receive orders from Tasmania?
8. It is easier to research your competition.
Social networks not only offer valuable information about the customers, but Social networks also facilitate the study of your competitors. You can take a look at their profiles, study what works best for them, what their customers want and how they offer these things to them. Of course, keep in mind that your competition might be doing the same; so be careful with the information you provide through your networks and your website
9. It also opens up the doors to collaborations with other companies.
Social networking for business connects everything, and that goes beyond customers, including companies. Collaborations and synergies can happen in networks and this can help your business, and it is so simple that you can achieve this just by clicking on your computer.
10. Social Networks provide lots of valuable information.
In few places you will get feedback as valuable and easy to get as on social networks. With such information, you can get great things for your business. By knowing the direct opinion of your customers, you will be able to know what aspects of your products or services they like the most, but also what your complaints are. You can anticipate the most frequent problems and solve them before they happen.
Now that you know some of the advantages that social networks can do for your business, you should know that social networks also offer some disadvantages that you must take into account before going for it. We will talk about them very soon in our blog.
Pandora FMS’s editorial team is made up of a group of writers and IT professionals with one thing in common: their passion for computer system monitoring. Pandora FMS’s editorial team is made up of a group of writers and IT professionals with one thing in common: their passion for computer system monitoring.
