There are some 24 million active Facebook user accounts in the UK alone, which demonstrates just how huge a potential audience it can bring to your business. When you consider the relatively low costs of creating a social media presence, it’s a no-brainer – you definitely need to incorporate social media into your online marketing.
However, a presence on social media in itself does not generate any income or create new business – simply having a profile set up is not enough; you’ll need to invest a little time and effort to use it to its full advantage and reap the rewards for your business. It’s perfectly possible to generate business and income by using social media, but the key is in how you understand the channel and how you use it.
Facebook, and to an extent Twitter, should be considered as being platforms for showcasing products and services, rather than forums for buying and selling them. The best way to illustrate this is to ask you to think about a TV or radio commercial. That TV advert or radio slot does not in itself make the company any money directly, and does not instantly create new clients for them. It does, however, create brand and product awareness, and directs potential customers towards what they offer. They also give the company the chance to show off their individual personalities. Social media should be thought of, and used, in the same way, but with the added bonus that it allows you to communicate directly with your clients and potential clients.
People tend to use social networks for social reasons, not commercial or retail ones. It is the case, however, that people are inclined to click on interesting, engaging and relevant links which appear in social media and make use of the products and services they offer.
Just as with any advertising channel, using social media to reach a target audience requires expertise, knowledge and planning. Whilst literally anyone with a Facebook or Twitter account can put out a message that has the potential to reach millions of people, you’ll need a professional and planned strategy to get your message to those who are likely to respond in the way you want.
Here at Web Consultancy we have a dedicated social media team to help you effectively manage your online presence. We’ve been able to make the most efficient use of social media networks for many businesses from many different industries, making their products and services visible to the exact target market they need to reach.
Is it possible to make money from a social media presence? As we’ve shown with our services, the answer is yes, so long as you understand what social media can do and how to use that to its strengths for your benefit. Our team can help you to achieve this with a useful and effective strategy.