Why social media is essential for local businesses

Social media is a high-effective, cost-efficient method to generate visibility for your local business. It allows you to market your brand to a target demographic, engaging with current customers and attracting new ones. Social media strategy is more important for small, local businesses than it is for large-scale, multi-national conglomerates. In the upcoming article, we are going to address why this is, discussing how your local business can benefit from a savvy social media strategy.

Why social media is more important for local business?

1). Extremely Cost-Efficient

Though users can pay for targetted advertising, social media channels are fundamentally free tools. A social media page costs nothing to set up, with its success dependent on effort and strategy as opposed to funding. Social media allows you to keep in touch with your current customer base, but also generate new leads. Through posting promotions, sales and informational articles, your business can interact with potential customers. You can post pictures of your product, customer reviews and client surveys to generate trust and authenticity with potential buyers.

2). Community Focussed

A large number of local businesses are embedded in the history of their community. As a rule of thumb, local businesses tend to be more community focussed than large-scale chain stores. This sense of community allows local businesses to harbour personal connections with customers both in-person and online. Local businesses can use this to their advantage, understanding their customer base, including personal reviews and marketing to the locality's needs. Through nurturing individual connections with customers, you'll benefit from 'word of mouth' advertising whilst simultaneously building trust with your customer base.

3). Individualisation

It's simply not possible for big companies to give individual responses to customers. If a customer buys a product from your local business, you can send a personal message on social media thanking them for their custom and politely ask them to review the product. Through taking the time to connect with your customer's, you can ensure repeat custom whilst gaining an understanding of the marketplace. At a time where online mega-store shopping is at a premium, customers are crying out for a bespoke, individual shopping experience.

4). Increased website traffic

Very few people discover Tesco on social media and think 'I have to check out their website.' Local businesses offer individual, bespoke services, which are of interest to people in the community. You can use social media to guide local customers to your website. Through posting offers, sales and content, you are giving customers a snapshot of your website, encouraging them to visit the website to find out more.

Social Media Tips for Local Businesses

• Strategise- Understand what social media platforms are best for your business
• Competition- Research your competitors, explore which platforms they're using and what content they're posting
• Audience- Understand your target market and discover what content they interact with the most
• Inform- Don't solely use social media to promote your product, include informative content to keep customers engaged
• Consistency- Schedule posts and consistently keep your audience informed
• Relationships- Build relationships by replying to customers and harbour individual connections
• Quality- Post relevant, quality content and reiterate your brand's commitment to quality
• Track- Keep an eye on what content harbours optimum engagement with your audience
• Analyse- Use social media management tools to analyse your audience, engagement and analytics

Get in touch

For more information, please get in touch with our Customer Services Team. Our team of devoted staff will be happy to discuss local social media management with you further. Fruitcake Media offers social media services to Cheshire based businesses. We specialise in local social media services, offering social media management to companies in Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Poynton, Alderley Edge and Prestbury.