Social media is quickly turning out to be an essential platform for startup businesses. According to recent research, nearly 71% of Australians exist as active social media users. This translates to around 18 million social media accounts. 71% of these users prefer Facebook as the most suitable social media platform. If your customer resides in Australia, then Facebook is the platform for you.

Facebook has been ideal in generating two types of leads, namely:

DIRECT LEADS

Businesses share content that links the reader directly to a form on the company website. Visitors can share information in exchange for a reward, such as coupons, e-books, or other offers.

INDIRECT LEADS

Business owners use Facebook to influence sales conversions. This is by sharing posts with a call to action, leading customers to the company landing page.

Here are five reasons why social media platforms are a must for startup businesses, particularly during this COVID-19 period.

1. Ripe Audience

Today, more people are using their computers and smartphones than ever before. Employees and students are now at home, practicing social distancing, and no longer connecting with friends physically. The primary way of interaction and connection is virtually. Social media platforms have been the most popular facilitator for people looking to connect and make new friends during this pandemic.

Besides interactions, people are searching for the latest fashion styles, recipes, DIY home projects, among other things. The Coronavirus pandemic is not finishing up anytime soon, so we can expect a significant number of people continue to join social media platforms.

If you are looking to promote your startup brand through social media, this is the time. There is a ready audience to receive your business news NOW. Who knows whether people will have the same kind of time and inclination to be social media after the lapse of this pandemic? Now really is the time.

2. Generate Leads

Generating business leads are among the main reasons why startup businesses and marketers are incorporating social media into their digital marketing strategy. It’s all about attracting and engaging potential clients to take action.  The competition is tough with well-known companies in your industry, also looking for new clients, so providing value is the key.

Start by creating a personalized social media account for your business.  Potential customers want to know more about your new business. Ensure your business contact information is complete and that you include a brief about your business. Include link backs to your website, so if they want to do more research about you and your business, it’s only a click away. Then think about whether you will be implementing free and/or paid business lead campaigns.

Social media platforms such as Facebook can help you create a business lead for a given demographic region and interest group. Utilise the step by step guide that Facebook offers when you create a lead generation campaign.

Besides Facebook, other social media platforms that you can also use to generate leads include: Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest

3. Increase Brand Awareness

Creating brand awareness is a critical step in promoting a new product or reviving an older brand.  Ideally, brand awareness means your brand is reputable in the market and is easily distinguishable from its competitors.

With such a significant number of the population using social media today, what better time to let your brand be known. Your brand needs to be found by your potential customers when they are searching for possible solutions to their existing problems.

The use of visual content on social media platforms will improve your brand awareness as well as consistent branding on all of your marketing collateral. Creating visually appealing content about your product or service and making to shareable on social sites will add to the credibility and brand awareness.  Remember, online buyers will buy what their colleagues or friends recommend on these platforms, so ensure a review campaign is part of your overall social strategy. Social media will help you transform your brand awareness in the market. Use it!

4. Customer Engagement

Social media offers the best platform to interact with and engage existing and potential clients. Customers want more than a product or service. They are looking to create a relationship with the companies they are buying from.

The more you make time to communicate with your customers, the more the chances you have of making a long-lasting business and referral connection with them.

Time spent consistently engaging with customers on social media promises a higher conversion rate. Relevant blog posts that allow feedback from the readers is another way of boosting customer interaction, and it contributes towards website traffic.

Start engaging with your customers on social media today, and see the difference it makes to your business.

5. Performance Analytics

One of the things we love most about social media and running campaigns on these platforms is the sophisticated reporting tools available. 

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest all offer a thorough analysis of your social media activity.  Your goal might be to increase your page likes, your post engagement, or get people to visit your website, redeem a promotion, or join a mailing list.

Each platform delivers both a campaign overview and, for the stats geek in you, an in-depth analysis of the relevant measurables.  Being able to reference this kind of information means with each campaign, you can learn about how your prospective customers are responding, adjust the next campaign, and scale up or down accordingly. 

Any campaign decisions are informed, and results can be monitored to ensure you get the very best “bang for your buck.”  In these COVID-19 times, those kinds of business decisions are more critical than ever before.

In Closing…

There are many benefits to ensuring social media strategy is front and centre in your digital marketing strategy during this period.   In the absence of funds for a digital marketing partner to support you in this space, there are things you can get started with on your own that are easy to implement and don’t require a huge outlay.   

The help and support features on all of the platforms mentioned above are great. It’s rare that you won’t find the answer you are looking for and if that is the case, search YouTube and you will be sure to find what you are looking for. 

If you’d like to take advantage of the FREE digital marketing review including some tailored tips and helpful hints that we are offering, then be sure to click here and we’ll be in touch.

There is plenty of opportunity in the current situation to ensure your digital presence, social media in particular is in front of your customers when and where they need it. 

Now is the time to create a social media presence for your startup business.

Don’t wait any longer!!