Ever since the pandemic, more people have increasingly decided to follow the freelancing path and become their own boss. Starting your own business is easier than before, provided you have a thorough plan and a desirable product.
However, for a startup to succeed, you must be able to reach your customers. Social media can be a great asset for that, and this article will explain why.
How Can Social Media Help Your Startup?
Online platforms can provide several benefits for your startup, bringing you closer to where your audience is. Here are the advantages you can reap:
- Improves Brand Visibility
As a new business owner, your chances of success are directly proportional to how easy it is for individuals to find you. SEO can be beneficial, but considering that about 5 billion people are on social media, your best bet is to go there. After all, that’s where your audience is.
Also, the average person spends about 161 minutes daily on social media, so you’re more likely to improve your brand visibility by activating there. If you manage to capture the attention of a social media user, that can be your first chance to leave a good impression on your brand.
- Encourages Audience Engagement
When you own a business, you probably start your presentation efforts by creating a website, allowing people to get in touch with you. There, you can create and monetize content that improves your visibility for search engines, bringing you to those who need your product. Certain features, such as testimonial pages, build a bond between you and the buyers, which can improve your reliability.
The problem is that while efficient, simply owning a website does not help prospective buyers engage with your brand. This is where social media proves efficient. There, users leave reactions, comment, and share your product, improving overall engagement. As individuals familiarize themselves with your brand, they will be more likely to buy from you.
- Prompts Lead Generation
Besides increasing your visibility, social media can also help improve lead generation. When people look for a specific service, they type keywords on search engines, finding what they already know they need. When it comes to social media, users discover your services before they even know they need them.
Imagine: people react to a specific post that can lead to the necessity for your product. Social media uses those cookies to deliver sponsored content to users. Then, suppose you drive their curiosity; there is a good chance those individuals will visit your website, creating traffic. This further increases your chances of making a sale.
Things to Remember when Using Social Media
Social media can be a handy tool to bring profit to your business, but you need to use it right. Here are a few tips:
- Consistency Is Key
Social media algorithms make it easy for you to become lost at the bottom of the feed if you are not careful. To stay at the top, you need visitors to interact with you. And for that, you must be active. Try posting something at least every few days to obtain interaction opportunities and reply to comments as quickly as possible.
- Create a People-First Presence
This might be a no-brainer, but many companies take a business-like approach, focusing on product presentation. Still, social media is a place where people go to relax, not to read stuck-up text. Your captions and comments should have the end user in mind, offering human-like responses to help the person in front of the screen.
- Focus on Security
Considering that a high percentage of social media accounts get hacked (or at least attempted to), security should also be a significant concern. This is especially important if you are handling transactions and buyer information, which is required for any cashless payment method. Use encryption and strong security systems, and practice online safety to prevent breaches.
Also, don’t skip various security tools that are easy and cheap to have but can pay off in the long run. For example, a good tip would be to install a VPN to hide your IP from potential hackers when logging in to sensitive-info-containing platforms. Remember to examine the possible tool selections in such places as Reddit, where users create helpful security-related content, like this VPN comparison table.
The Bottom Line
Social media can do wonders for your brand awareness and lead creation. Building a solid presence can improve your visibility and increase your sales, making your startup successful. So focus your attention here, and don’t skimp on security along the way!
