Why Every Small Business Needs a Social Media Presence in 2016

Any opportunity you have to increase your company’s visibility is valuable. Social media takes this basic marketing concept and expands it, increasing visibility exponentially in an era when the internet has become a primary source for information. Add the fact that most social media accounts are free, and you have an ideal marketing opportunity.

To date, the largest social media network is Facebook, where the average user has 230 friends. Companies who have active Facebook pages give their customers an opportunity to compliment or brag in front of approximately 230 people per post, thus increasing the authority of your brand. Promotion doesn’t stop there, however. Social media influences search engine rankings, meaning that promotion will extend beyond Facebook and into search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo—and these engines are often the first place potential customers will go to find the products and services that you can offer. Extend your social media presence beyond Facebook for maximum benefits. LinkedIn is ideal for promoting yourself on a professional level, while Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, and YouTube are ideal for “humanizing” your business and interacting directly with customers.

Lastly, while the majority of companies do not maintain a blog, the social platform of blogging is an ideal way to promote and reinforce your reputation as an industry expert. Discussing key points and industry issues may not be the most appropriate approach to Facebook or Twitter, but a company blog is the perfect platform to exercise your expertise and dive deeply into unique product features or service offerings. Visitors to your website will see your web presence as engaging and thoughtful—a nice surprise when many companies are still struggling to flesh out their social media presence.