If Facebook and Twitter aren’t a part of your business strategy, you could be losing out big time. Nicole Mangura reports.
Word of mouth has long been identified as the most valuable form of marketing, but what many people don’t realise is that you can actually use your social media channels to nurture this referral based growth. Here’s what you need to know about what social media can do for you.
What can social media do?
The viral nature of the internet means that social media word of mouth allows for potential exponential growth of exposure, as people are more likely to pay attention to content they’re following intentionally. Marketers say it takes up to six times to make an impression, so when community members go to the effort of introducing you to a friend by sharing a link or photo, they’re essentially getting your name out there for free.
Why isn’t it working for me?
Up to 61 per cent of small business owners claim they haven’t seen a single dollar of return on their social media investment. One of the main difficulties with social media is how to continuously create content and connect with all those followers in order to turn likes and shares into business growth.
How can I use social media to drive new business?
As a small business, a key factor to focus on is engaging with your social media communities. You need to be present on your channels, but this doesn’t necessarily mean constantly producing new content. While new content is a great way to begin a conversation about your business, the best social media users also engage with customers and potential clients by responding to queries and using your platform as an extension of your customer service. If you don’t have the time or resources to respond to customers this exact way, you can also use platforms like Recomazing which allow small businesses to set up pages which customers can use to recommend you to their entire network of social contacts in one click.
Social media word of mouth is a powerful tool because the more people that are talking about, recommending and engaging with your business, the more you become recognised as a trustworthy authority in the beauty world, making it more likely that customers will choose your salon the next time they need a beauty service.
Have your say: Do you use social media on a regular basis to promote your salon?