New features like transitory content by SnapChat, live feature by Facebook, are helping a brand to connect with their customers more effectively.

The reality today is that customers do research online before making buying decisions.  Where do they look?  Obviously, Google is one of the top sites to search, but many are also turning to Facebook and other social media networks to see if a company is established there and they are trustworthy or not.

There are 3 likely outcomes when buyers look for you online:

1.They don’t find anything and immediately lose trust.

2.They find your social media profiles, but they aren’t active.  Again, you’ve lost a few trust points.

3.They find your social media profiles, see that you’re active, and learn more about the culture and values of your business.  This leads to expanded trust and more brand recognition because social media gives you the opportunity to connect with prospects on a deeper level.

As mentioned above, your prospects are already searching in Google to find information about your business.  One of the benefits of setting up profiles in social media is that it allows you to blanket the first page of Google with webpages you control.

For example, let search your company name and review the first page of Google.  If you have a Facebook page build up then chances are good that page is ranking on the first page.  If you also have a LinkedIn and Twitter page then those will also ranking.  The more pages you control in the search results the better because it enhances the chances a prospect will click on one of your pages.

Plus, social media marketing can help boost your website’s search engine rankings for other non-brand keywords.  Social media gives your website more publicity, which leads to more links from other websites, which in turn can advance your rankings.

But social media marketing is not just about driving organic traffic to your website…

I already mentioned above how social media marketing allows your brand to connect with customers on a deeper level than other channels like advertising.  In other words, social media delivers your business a personality, which can naturally lead to more brand loyalty and higher sales conversion rates in your business.

Plus, isn’t social media by default social proof?  When users follow, like, comment and share your updates, then that is social proof that other people know you, like, and trust your business.

Finally, social media is a great tool to check out with prospects and customers to keep your business top of mind.  We all know the usefulness of follow-up in the sales process and social media is another channel to stay in touch with prospects.

Of course, let’s not forget about the importance of following up with our customers!

By using social media to stand top of mind with customers, you’ll naturally enhance retention, repeat purchases, referrals, and online reviews.  Need I say more? :)

First, I already mentioned the fact that your prospects are researching your business online.  Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that potential partners are doing the same thing…

Therefore, social media can either help or damage your chances of forming referral partnerships.

Second, probable partners are more receptive to the idea of sharing content (articles, webinars, videos) than forming a referral partnership.  It’s just a lot easier and less risky to share content.  Then once you’re working together it’s a more natural conversion to discuss referrals.

Of course, this strategy entrusts on content, but that’s no problem if you’re already active on social media.

Last but not least, businesses need to use social media marketing as a way to diversify.  If your business is currently relying on just one or two marketing tactics, then you’re extremely vulnerable!

We all have heard stories of Google updates that eliminate a business that used to be ranking high in the search results.  Advertising will continue to get more and more overpriced as new competitors with deep pockets enter the market.  Email marketing isn’t getting any easier with all the spam filters and Gmail automatically sorting emails.

My point is that no tactic is safe.  The only path to long-term success is by diversifying your marketing strategy to introduce tactics like social media.