Small business owners have taken note of the necessity of social media marketing in their business efforts. It’s no longer optional. If you want to be successful across all channels, you have to grow online as well. Many people jumping into the social media marketing game are expecting a huge boost in sales and increased revenue. In reality, many small business owners are realizing that increased exposure may be social media’s top benefit.
This is obviously something that varies across business types. However, even if a business is receiving a huge increase in revenue due to social media –it is due to the increased exposure brought on by social media. It’s all tied back to the same thing. Increased exposure is obviously a difficult metric to track. For me, exposure includes: creating an online storefront for customers, increasing social channel engagement, increased traffic to websites fed through social media platforms, increased overall interaction, and more. The exposure is helping businesses to grow or at the very least to stay relevant and in the conversation.
Social media marketing exposure also includes customers reviewing and sharing how they found businesses and what their experiences with those businesses have been. It is putting businesses in front of a wider audience. Small operations that may have had no added exposure in the past are blossoming even further due to glowing online reviews on platforms like Yelp and Facebook.
People are online. People are searching for places to go, things to buy, and services to try –online. Just having a strong online presence allows your exposure to continue to grow organically. When someone is searching for a specific product, service, or business –they are going to go with the ones they can find and research. If you have no online presence, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.
Social media marketing may not double your sales, but it will keep you relevant. It will increase your exposure. It will make you visible to customers and make you available to new business and opportunity. It’s like keeping your door open and your fridge stocked. People can see that you are active, welcoming, and prepared for business. Take that increased exposure and run with it.
