Social networks for SMEs: why they are necessary

In business, and more in medium and small companies, and in this day and age, budget is everything. That is why it is logical that when talking about social media marketing SMEs always take special care before spending money. However, it would be a mistake not to use them, as they are one of the most versatile and profitable tools to sell. Not for nothing 97% of marketing specialists use social networks to reach their audience.

But, what really are the benefits of social media marketing for SMEs ? Let's see some of them:

Customers are on social media

One of the best reasons for a small business to have a presence on social media is that customers spend a significant amount of time on these channels. According to IMS Mobile in LatAm, in 2017, 68% of Argentines already had an internet connection. Of these, 85% used social networks, and spent, in that year, an average of 4.5 hours connected daily. Meanwhile, Statista expects that by 2021 the number of social network users worldwide will exceed 3 billion people .

That is, it is not just a matter of customers having a profile, but the vast majority are actively using it every day . With so many consumers connected every day, social networks present themselves as an immense opportunity for SMEs that want to reach their consumers (that is, all of them).

The Coronavirus Pandemic has resulted in people sitting long hours inside their homes. This has increased the daily time they spent on social media platforms. From researching for buying things to just plain entertainment, consumers are using social media platforms for multiple reasons. Having a proper social media marketing strategy in place can help small businesses reach their target audiences and engage with them for building brand awareness and boosting sales.

Marketing in social networks for SMEs is the smartest for the pocket

One of the most important benefits that social media marketing offers for SMEs is that it allows reducing costs without sacrificing results. A good part of the results comes from spending time creating and publishing content, and generating conversations with the community . Also, a couple of hours is enough to make an impact. According to HubSpot, 84% of marketers were able to generate increased traffic with six hours of effort on social media per week.

In addition, depending on the objectives, implementing paid advertising to the social media marketing strategy is relatively inexpensive. No matter how short the budget is, still and if it's well spent, you can see the impact .

The competition is on social networks

Regardless of the industry or target audience, the odds that our competitors are already present and engaged in social media are quite high. Which means that a part of our potential clients is already talking to the competition and not with us.

If we want to stay competitive in the digital market, then it is vital to start working on a social media presence. This allows, in addition to showing and building an attractive personality for current and potential customers, to have a showcase to display our products and services and, what is better, our knowledge and experience in the industry. Therefore, in addition to being, a very good way to distinguish ourselves from the competition is to stay relevant and create brand loyalty.

Increase conversion rate

According to HubSpot, social media marketing has a 100% higher sales closing rate than outbound marketing (traditional marketing) tactics. This may be because every post you post and every interaction on social media channels is an opportunity to turn an interest into a customer.

And for this, one of the most relevant elements that social networks have to transform interest in sales is the ability to humanize the brand. Since these digital media are a place where customers socialize and network, brands have the possibility to converse with personality, humor and warmth. What also tends to improve the relationship, commitment and identification with the brand.

Provides an opportunity to meet customers

Another great advantage it offers is the invaluable opportunity to get to know our customers better. By interacting with potential and current clients on social networks, it is possible to know what interests, likes and opinions they have.

If we periodically review what our clients are talking about on social networks, the opportunity to know what they are doing is much greater, and allows us to discover what the challenges and concerns they have are, and thus create content around these topics. It is also possible to take advantage of to know what is said about your brand and use this information to make adjustments (or create new products and services) and, thus, have happier customers.

It is clear that today we have at our fingertips excellent tools for selling on the Internet, but using them without a plan does not guarantee doing business. For this reason, if the presence in networks is not giving the expected results, it is time to rethink the strategy because, as we all know, well used these means give results.