To be honest, you probably don't. Now, you might just be thinking...
Wait just a minute... is this a marketer saying I might not really need social media?! What parallel universe have I fallen into?!
But you're still in the same place, and yes, I don't think everyone needs social accounts to make sales. I want to be clear on the why though...
It's all about what you can put into it. If you have spare resources, use your time well or are exclusively selling online, then social media will be a huge help for your business. It takes a strategy though, don't fool yourself into thinking you can just wing it!
If traditional or digital advertising is available, spend some money there. The ad space is becoming a cluttered place, but that doesn't mean it can't be a productive use of your time and money. Compared to social media (and if done with purpose) paid ads can be a much more efficient use of your resources too.
Marketing your business on social media isn't a friendly landscape. It's cluttered, loud, and takes an extensive amount of resources to be successful in. Additionally, if you've set-up as a business account, your reach is limited, meaning you need to buy ads to reach enough people to matter. If you're using a personal account, you have less tools for reaching your audience, but it's a lot easier to reach them organically. Notice how I didn't say you might need to? It's because, unless you have a great group of followers, well-known brand, and incredibly engaging content, you're not going to reach many people organically anyway.
It's designed to sell products, not services, but that doesn't mean it's the wrong platform. Products typically sell rapidly here (even for small B2B sellers like photo tools to new photographers), while services tend to struggle a bit. Larger companies like L'Oreal have the budgets to reach everyone through ads, which can lead to more organic leads, but most businesses just can't justify hundreds to thousands of dollars a day per campaign.
You really need a dedicated, in-house personality to do it. There are so many social media managers out there, and ya some can achieve success even if their remote. However, the majority of out-of-house people just really don't get your business like your teams do, which means they miss the mark on your customers too.
So if you've gotten this far you've probably already got the idea. It's definitely useful, but if you're not using it or trying to drive people to your website, or have other great options, it's better to just stick to what you know.
But that's not to say it isn't worth it! With the right strategy, and enough time and skill to implement it, social media can be your biggest tool. Let's talk and see if a social media strategy can help your business! Contact Emily
What do you find more effective than social media for reaching your audience? Do you use social media?
About the Author
Emily Gust | B.B.A.
I'm the brains behind Bluetines, a dream of mine since I was 11 years old. I'm passionate about efficiency, effectiveness, but most of all loving what you do!