More and more businesses are turning to Social Media to help drive sales and many are finding it a very valuable tool. Some may wonder just how effective social media is when it comes to driving sales. A few businesses believe that social media is so effective, that they no longer need websites any more. A recent article published by the
Chicago Tribune talks about the best ways to utilize social media to help bring in customers and keep costs down as well.
One of the main benefits is the cost factor. Most major social media platforms do not charge like some web hosting companies do and in most cases they offer more benefits than a traditional website. Not only does the business have control over the content that is being shared, the platform itself is created in a way that allows for that content to be shared in a more viral way that allows the message to spread faster than a traditional web page. However, the article does explain that if a company is to truly benefit, they should consider having both a social media presence and a website. The article states that, "To secure new sales leads or traffic requires search engine optimization for your particular products or services. Even though your business page on a social media site may show up high in a Google Search, that doesn't necessarily translate to converting those visitors to your social media business page." (Hoagland-Smith, 2018) It is pretty important for a business to have both avenues to really have the best shot at connecting with customers.
Another
article goes into more details about the importance of a website. The article states that, "People expect businesses to have their own websites, just as they used to expect businesses to have a real physical business address." (Ward, 2017) The main marketing focus of a business should be to gain conversions; to get people to become your customer. Why would you limit yourself when it comes to marketing avenues. A website is just as important as a social media platform and if you can establish both, the business can be very successful.
References:
Hoagland-Smith, L. (2018). Expert use of social media can bring sales. In The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/ct-ptb-hoaglnad-smith-feb5-st-0206-20180204-story.html
Ward, S. (2017). 6 Reasons Every Small Business Should Have a Website. In The Balance. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/reasons-small-business-website-2948414
Dan, nice post, I found this interesting because social media is becoming more and more important to digital marketers in terms of connecting with consumers. Through social media companies are able to engage consumers on more of a personal level and interact with them, while also creating awareness for their product and brand recognition. When advertising via social media companies can expect their message to get more exposure than a normal website. Although social media has become more popular than traditional websites, it is still important to have a website in which consumers can visit for more information about the different products or services your company offer.
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