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Key Benefits of Social Media for Business

Businesses need to embrace social media if they want to be successful; there is no doubt about it. This article highlights the key benefits that arise from using the top SM platforms for business.

1. Increased online visibility

Useful social media posts can receive links from industry sites; it is known that backlinks from high-quality blogs, local directories, etc. increase website traffic. Furthermore, social signals (likes, shares, retweets, etc.) help build a natural linking profile, boosting website rankings.

While search engines such as Google have stated that social signals won't help sites rank better, several studies have demonstrated a deep correlation between the number of social shares and search rankings. Therefore, viral social media posts have the potential to increase the number of visitors to the company site.

2. Profitable business partnerships

Social media platforms have made it easy for regular people and businesses of all sizes to get in touch with corporations and celebrities, and then forge mutually beneficial relationships. Due to social media, it is easier than ever to make contact with potential business partners and VIPs without having to resort to third parties (agents, etc.).

3. Lead generation

Companies which have a big number of fans and followers will often attract new customers. Social media posts that go viral can be shared and retweeted hundreds of times, allowing that lucky company to be perceived as a thought leader in its industry.

While conversion rates aren't that big on social platforms, it is known that over 50% of people use social media as a tool that helps them take wise purchase decisions. And since most people log into their social media accounts a few times each day, your company's posts should inform and/or entertain them, making you top of mind, and thus their first option when they decide to purchase something you're selling.

4. Brand reputation management

Business success is achieved by creating great products or services, and then providing outstanding customer support for them. Fortunately, social media allows companies to create positive experiences for their clients, which can get shared with thousands of existing and potential customers.

Every company will have to deal with unhappy clients every now and then, of course; nevertheless, by responding wisely to complaints, customer service representatives can improve their company's reputation, showing everyone that the business they're representing has done everything in its power to please those grumpy clients ;)

5. Effective customer support

Due to the public nature of social media, customer service reps tend to reply much faster to inquiries that make use of this channel. Additionally, since customer support is only a tweet away, companies can get detailed feedback - often in real time - from people who are using their products.

As you now know, social media can help increase online visibility, improve your brand, and boost sales. Each platform is different, though, so make sure to explore various types of content until you figure out the one that can deliver your sales message properly.

Don't forget to use social media to keep an eye on your competitors; copy their best strategies and learn to avoid their mistakes. Good luck!