If you operate a B2B firm, you may be wondering why should you spend time and effort in managing social media pages. The fact is that you get clients through your business network. So, why should you get started on social media? Why even have a social media page? Here are 5 benefits of social media for businesses and why your business should have one.

1. Brand Awareness

Source: wikimedia.org

The first step in any sales funnel is brand awareness. Customers have first to be aware of your brand to hire you. Having a social media page is a small price to pay to create that awareness. A social media page is an online window which anyone on the web can peak into.

It’s virtually free to create.

2. Market Expectation

When I hear about a new brand, and I’m interested in the business services – one of the first things I do is Google the name. What do I expect? I expect to see a website and at least a Facebook or Twitter social media page.

This is an expectation set by the market. In today’s world, even a road-side food stall like Shreeji’s – The Fusion Kitchen has a Facebook page. Having a social media page tells customers that your business is modern and up-to-date.

3. Credibility

Along with a website, a social media page adds credibility to your brand. By today’s standards, if a business does not have a social media page, it might not exist. A social media page simply lends credibility to your brand for the many who have yet to hear about it.

4. Relationship Building

You create a social media page and it gains followers. You have an opportunity to build a relationship with your followers so that they hire your business. Here’s what you can do:

• Regularly share interesting posts related to your industry. This could be news or industry insights.
• Comment and interact with users.

Social media interaction builds recall value with your followers – which increases the chances of a sale.

5. Branding  

People don’t buy products, they brands. Take a look at Apple and Tesla and you’ll realize that many customers are huge fans of the brand.

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/festivefrog/2676549498

So much so, that fans of Apple are called Apple Fan Boys.

Social media is a platform where you can create a brand personality for your followers. This is vital for your business to build a community of loyal followers.

These are just some of the many benefits of social media for businesses. Content marketing plays a key role in ensuring that they leverage social media to get the best results. There are many examples of companies using content marketing and social media you can learn from.