How Social Media Marketing Helps Grow Your Business

Social media marketing is one of the most powerful and most efficient ways for both small and large businesses to reach their customers, increase sales, and improve customer service. The effects of social media are so strong that no business should miss the opportunity to speak directly to their audience.

Do you know how many people use social media?

More than 3 billion people across the world use social networks while 80 percent of people follow at least one business on Instagram alone, according to Sherpa Marketing.

If you’re not yet on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, you’re surely missing out on an effective and inexpensive way to reach success faster! A great social media marketing strategy can bring you devoted advocates, drive more leads and sales, and provide exceptional success to your brand or business.

In this article, we will show you how social media marketing can help grow your business and why a great social media strategy is all about the long-term. Learn from real examples and get an inside scoop on the best practices and tips from experts on the social media strategy that will skyrocket your business, regardless of its size.

Social Media Statistics on How People Use Networks 

Just to give you an idea of how huge and important social media is, here are some stats: 

• Social media statistics from 2019 show that there are 3.2 billion social media users worldwide, and this number is only growing. That equates to about 42% of the current population. (Emarsys, 2019)
• 54% of social browsers use social media to research products. (GlobalWebIndex, 2018) 
• 71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend the brand to their friends and family. (Lyfemarketing, 2018)
• 49% of consumers claim that they depend on influencer recommendations on social media to inform their purchasing decision. (Fourcommunications, 2018)
• 91% of all social media users access social channels via mobile devices. (LyfeMarketing, 2018)
• 68% that is roughly two-thirds of U.S. adults now report they are Facebook users. (Pewinternet, 2018)
• An average of 2 hours and 22 minutes per day is spent on social networks and messaging. (GlobalWebIndex, 2018)

The effects of social media are huge — it practically changed the way we live our lives, gather the information we need, and interact with others, whether they are our family, friends, or customers. This is why using social media for business proves smart, logical, and effective.

If you haven’t yet, start planning a social media strategy for your business and learn how to include social media marketing into your overall digital marketing efforts. In case you were already aware of the importance of social media marketing, then learn more about the benefits of social media and how it can help your business grow even more!

Social Media Marketing Case Study — Example to Follow

We have a perfect example of how a well-executed social media strategy can help a business thrive. 

Aqua Kitchen and Bath Design Center located in Wayne, NJ is a kitchen cabinet and countertop showroom. They are also a licensed kitchen countertops fabricator, offering competitive prices and premium quality kitchen materials for homeowners, builders, contractors and designers in and around the New Jersey area. They have been our client since 2015. Social media management has played a huge role in our marketing efforts for Aqua Kitchen and Bath. 

When we first started working together, Aqua Kitchen and Bath didn’t have any social media presence. Their goal was to:

• increase overall website traffic 
• lower the costs of paid advertising 
• improve their SEO rank 
• increase brand visibility and awareness 
• increase leads and sales

Persist Digital team started off with a detailed social media strategy with a plan to use premium social media management tools. Here’s what we did.

Our Social Media Marketing Strategy for Small Business

The strategy we developed for Aqua Kitchen and Bath Social media is threefold:

• Smart content planning and timely delivery

It can be overwhelming to keep up with all the social media channels while managing your business at the same time. This is what our client experienced and we stepped in for them. The first thing we did when we started working with Aqua Kitchen and Bath, was to complete a social media audit. Using social media analytics, we checked which type of content and what social media platforms work best for them. This way, we were able to plan and time everything perfectly for optimal engagement.

Our team uses a plethora of social media management tools that help us create and maintain editorial calendars and schedule posts without missing a beat.

Aqua Kitchen and Bath Design Center has been with us for years, and we have mastered this system with joined forces and to mutual satisfaction. They know they can rely on our social media marketing agency. The employees of Aqua Kitchen and Bath can conduct their business as usual while we keep their social media traffic coming and converting. 

Expert tip

Each month, we discuss the major content and videos that we will create. Then we decide how to schedule it throughout the month and mix with regular daily content. We plan and put it in the social media calendar. All the while, we make sure to promote discounts and specials. We also follow national holidays so you are always in the loop and well informed.

Don’t forget that timing also plays a key role in increasing your content’s visibility and engagement. Make sure you are posting at a time your audience is present on social media. Check out our article about the best time to post on social media. It will be of great help! To create and schedule posts for publishing at targeted times, we recommend Buffer social media management software. This software will help you plan and schedule thumb-stopping content and drive meaningful growth for your business.

• Create and curate imagery that inspires 

One of the common challenges for business owners when it comes to social media marketing is finding the time to create fresh, unique content for all the platforms. Persist Digital social media team together with our graphic designers puts in the effort for our clients. We create stunning graphics, images, and videos while also curating and sharing inspirational content that is relevant to your industry. Aqua Kitchen and Bath Design Center has been an exemplary client, always prepared to accept new ideas and the results are obvious! 

Expert tip

It’s good to test out different versions of posts and (images with quotes, graphics, videos, etc) for different social media platforms. In the case of Aqua Kitchen and Bath, high quality, high-end photos of beautifully designed kitchens with medium length caption seem to work best. Try to use your own photos and create graphics with simple-to-use tools like Canva. We also always include a clear CTA (call to action) and a link to the website in each post. 

• Engage the audience and industry influencers 

There are various tactics and strategies to get your content noticed. The most important thing is to be present and engaged with your audience at times they are on social media.

At Persist Digital, we put quality over quantity and our clients agree! Starting conversations and cultivating meaningful relationships with followers and industry influencers or professionals has proven fruitful for Aqua Kitchen and Bath in many ways. For example, they were featured by a major kitchen cabinets manufacturer — Fabuwood Cabinets — in a Facebook and Instagram post!

A great benefit of social media management services for Aqua Kitchen and Bath is quick and immediate customer services. With automated messages and a manager who will react timely and answer all customer questions, no potential conversions are lost. 

Expert tip

One way to get your content noticed is to include a location you want to target or the address of your business. This works for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also use relevant hashtags. This works on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can reach audiences that have similar interests to your own. A useful tip is to use hashtags in stories as well! 

Results We Achieved

Between June of 2018 and April 2019, we grew our client’s Instagram following by 160%. Their Pinterest monthly views have grown by 117% with a minimum of paid advertising. The Instagram following has grown from 2298 in June 2018 to 6130 in April 2019. Their Pinterest views have grown from 267K in June 2018 to 582K in April 2019. 

This has helped us make strides in organic traffic. Along with our other services, it has proven to be a winning strategy for Aqua Kitchen and Bath Design Center. Not only do clever and high-quality social media posts help with following, but they also have a big influence on SEO. Getting noticed on Google has helped our client increase the overall organic traffic to the website. From its peak of 3000 visits, they went to over 10000 visits. Not only that. They also have had an increase in sales, cultivated meaningful connections and a recognizable brand image. 

Impressive, right? You can see more of our case studies here. 

Benefits of Social Media Marketing

• Cost-Effective Promotion

Promote your special offers, new products, services, discounts, and website content on social media to grow your audience and increase sales. Seize the opportunity to use social media low-cost advertising features and low social media marketing cost. Spend less money to reach more people than you would using traditional advertising channels, and grow your business in an innovative and creative way. Social media advertising is much cheaper than traditional advertising.

Reach Audience of All Ages and Demographics

Long gone are the times when only young people were engaged on social media. Regardless of how old or young your target customers are, they are most likely waiting and expecting to see your business on social media. Don’t waste the opportunity.

Social media platforms are so powerful because they attract people of all ages and successfully brakes age barriers. A Pew Research Center study from 2018 reports that roughly two-thirds of U.S. adults use Facebook and other social media platforms. This audience includes not only people aged from 18 to 29 but also those who are 65 and older.

Provide Stellar Customer Service

Offering excellent customer services is most likely one of your priorities. Why not use one or a couple more channels to offer it to your potential and existing customers. Great social media strategy includes planning and including social media platforms as channels for two-way communication with your audience. Be noticed and remembered by excellent customer care. Step up your game and give superior customer service to your users and target audience through social media platforms.

According to Bain and Company, businesses that engage with their customers via social media and provide help and answers to inquiry requests, earn from 20 to 40 percent more revenue per customer.

Are you missing out on this opportunity?

Manage Crisis Communication and React Fast

Does your business have a plan to deal with a crisis situation? Prevent negative impacts and react fast to any eventual negative situation that can have detrimental consequences for your brand or business. These can happen to businesses of all sizes and social media channels can help you react fast and prevent any negative consequences. Don’t consider silence or ignoring as an option. Social media for business should include a social media strategy that has a plan for managing crisis in place. If it’s well-managed and well-run, you will be able to react in a timely manner when needed.

• Manage Your Reputation

Whether or not you’re present on social media, your customers are already talking about you there. Why aren’t you there to respond? Get on social media and start communicating with your customers. Thank them for the kind words, respond to their comments in a professional and polite manner, ask for customer feedback, use their questions and comments to improve your products and services, and timely address negative comments before they turn into a big issue. Use social media to listen to your customers and step up your game. You can also use social media marketing tools to showcase the best reviews you got and ensure they are exposed to your audience to see.

• Get to Know Your Customers

Use social media analytics tools to gather information about your customers so you can make more informed and smarter business decisions. Demographic information about the age, sex, and interests of people who interact with your business or brand on social media can help you in shape your services and products and creating a better business strategy. You can also ask questions and interact with your audience in real-time to get answers you’re searching for a that are important to you.

Generate Awareness and Drive More Leads

Great social media management strategy will get you more exposure, help you get the word about your business or brand out, and increase awareness about it. Your fans, customers, and the audience will be happy to see you present and active on social media. This is a wonderful opportunity to grow and nurture genuine relationships and connections with your customers who already did business with you and with the future ones. Use social media marketing tools to monitor mentions of your business and interact when appropriate.

• Monitor Your Competition

It’s smart to keep an eye on what others say about your competition on social media. Simply track mentions of your competitors to see what works for them, what are their strong sides, and what are their pain points. Document, analyze, and use this information for your own benefit. Learn from your competitors’ mistakes and offer more superior products and services. Of course, don’t forget to advertise that on social media to get more customers. 🙂

Let Us Grow Your Business with Unique Social Media Management Strategy

Persist Digital team has years of knowledge and expertise. Our wealth of resources and social media marketing tools at our disposal. Persist Digital social media experts will handle your social media management in the best possible way. We realize that each and every business or brand is unique and requires a one-of-a-kind approach and social media strategy. Our social media marketing agency will optimize your social media channels to achieve your marketing objectives and convert your investments in social media into more leads and sales.

We love to craft a unique approach that will nurture a community around your brand and make it a favorite among your customers and their friends!

Learn everything about our Social Media Management Services, PPC Management Services, and explore your options with us.

Let’s talk about your social media strategy. Learn how Persist Digital can help you achieve business success, starting today.