As mentioned above, your prospects are already searching in Google to find information about your business.  One of the benefits of setting up profiles in social media is that it allows you to blanket the first page of Google with web pages you control.

For example, search your company name and review the first page of Google.  If you have a Facebook page set up then chances are good that page is ranking on the first page.  If you also have a LinkedIn and Twitter page then those are also ranking.  The more pages you control in the search results the better because it increases the chances a prospect will click on one of your pages.

Plus, social media marketing can help improve your website’s search engine rankings for other non-brand keywords.  Social media gives your website more exposure, which leads to more links from other websites, which in turn can boost your rankings.

But social media marketing is not just about driving traffic to your website…

We already mentioned above how social media marketing allows your brand to connect with prospects on a deeper level than other channels like advertising.  In other words, social media gives your business a personality, which can naturally lead to more brand loyalty and higher sales conversion rates.

Plus, isn’t social media by default social proof?  When users follow, like, and share your updates, then that is social proof that other people know, like, and trust your business.

Finally, social media is a great tool for following up with prospects and customers to keep your business top of mind.  We all know the importance of follow-up in the sales process and social media is another channel to stay in touch with prospects.

Of course, let’s not forget about the importance of following up with our customers!

By using social media to stay top of mind with customers, you’ll naturally increase retention, repeat purchases, referrals, and online reviews.  Need we say more? 🙂

First, we already mentioned the fact that your prospects are researching your business online.  Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that potential partners are doing the same thing…

Therefore, social media can either help or hurt your chances of forming referral partnerships.

Second, potential partners are more receptive to the idea of sharing content (articles, webinars, videos) than forming a referral partnership.  It’s just a lot easier and less risky to share content.  Then once you’re working together it’s a more natural transition to discuss referrals.

Of course, this strategy relies on content, but that’s no problem if you’re already active on social media.

Last but not least, businesses need to use social media marketing as a way to diversify.  If your business is currently relying on just one or two marketing tactics, then you’re extremely vulnerable!

We all have heard stories of Google updates wiping out a business that used to be ranking high in the search results.  Advertising will continue to get more and more expensive as new competitors with deep pockets enter the market.  Email marketing isn’t getting any easier with all the spam filters and gmail automatically sorting emails.

Our point is that no one tactic is safe.  The only path to long-term success is by diversifying your marketing strategy to include tactics like social media.