6 Ways Social Media Is Beneficial for Businesses

Social media has become an integral part of daily life for most people. Some use it as a job, others as an escape, but social platforms aren't only for individuals. They're for businesses, too.Whether you're a part of a small business or a large company, having an online presence can make all the difference for your brand.Let's go over some of the more meaningful benefits social media can bring to the table for your business.

1. You Can Engage Your Clients Directly

One of the biggest benefits of having an online presence as a brand is that you can directly engage with your audience.

Whether people have complaints, praise, or simply choose to holler at you, you're there to holler back. That shows that your business is there, actively listening to its customers.

Some companies go a step further and invest in a social media manager to manage all the social accounts. That allows the brand to cement its online presence by having someone whose job it is to be there and post.

When you consider brands making a splash online, the Wendy's Twitter account comes to mind. The business has managed to make a reputation for itself on Twitter, joining in on meme culture, roasting other brands, people in general, and sometimes even its own customers. But it works for them.

Finding out what works for you and engaging with your customers via an online medium is the way forward for businesses.

2. Communication With Customers Is Instant

Social media gives you an outlet to communicate with your clients easily and quickly.

For instance, as an airline business, you can warn travelers of storms or major delays. Or you can present a new addition to the menu if you're a fast-food joint. If you're a small business, you can let customers know if you have a sale starting, whether shipping delays may occur, anything and everything.

Most people have access to social media today, so don't be afraid to use it.

3. Easy Access to Direct Customer Feedback

Social media apps make tagging brands and people an easy process. Once that tag is in place, the company will surely see it at some point. Knowing this, many customers use it to share their issues.

Maybe they were unhappy with service or felt scammed. Whatever incurred their displeasure, social media is their outlet. When your brand is online, it invites criticism. But the good thing is, you can then use said criticism to improve.

Yes, it can be tiring having to go through tags sifting between troll posts and people with actual issues, but it can be worth it in the end.

The social media apps people know and use most frequently come for free. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc., are all free to use.

Given that, why not take advantage of these free tools that can benefit your business completely free of cost?

It's free marketing for your brand. Well, that is, unless you choose to hire a brand manager or pay for advertising on these platforms. But that's not something you have to do. It's something you can choose to do.

If you're a small business attempting to increase your customer base, it's probably better to begin your online presence yourself since you're the one who knows most about your business.

Also, you'll be free to find your footing online—you can explore and see what works for your brand, what the client base resonates with most, and so on.

Take advantage of the fact that social media platforms are free to use and establish an online presence for your business without paying a penny. You can use your budget for something else your business needs.

5. You Can Build a Community

Access to social media allows your customers to showcase their love for your brand. If you're absent from social media, you can neither see nor benefit from that love.

By taking your business online, you have the opportunity to build a community—the people who genuinely care about your brand and wish to see it grow.

There are countless hashtags on Instagram whose explicit purpose is to showcase customers displaying their beloved brand in one way or another.

For example, the ShowMeYourMumu hashtag has over 89 thousand posts associated with the brand. Similarly, the NovaBabe hashtag, attributed to Fashion Nova fans, has over 1.6 million posts.

Get your business online and watch as a community around it forms and grows.

6. An Online Presence Increases Brand Recognition

Your brand's online presence shouldn't be limited to a single social media platform. You should sign up on as many social networking sites as possible to boost your brand recognition.

Being on different social media platforms allows you to tap into various audiences. For example, Facebook generally attracts older demographics, whereas most young people flock to YouTube. And while Gen Z seems to prefer TikTok, millennials appear to prefer Instagram. Twitter's core audience is all over the place as it seems to attract all sorts of ages.

When people see your brand on every platform they go to, they become familiar with it. This puts your business in a significantly better position than others that are not active on these platforms.

Take the brand Manscaped, for example. It's on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. They frequently do YouTube sponsorships, as well. Manscaped has amassed a ton of brand recognition thanks to consistency and expanding its reach across platforms. The brand is everywhere and has even been the official sponsor of the USA Triathlon.

Post regularly and everywhere. Diversify your online presence and increase your brand recognition.

Social media is a free tool that offers excellent benefits. So, why not use them to your business's advantage?

You can utilize social media to engage with your clients, create a community around your brand, and pretty much profit off of some free marketing. Not to sound like a made-for-TV ad, but there's more.

Most well-known social media platforms have aspects specifically designed to help you and your business. For instance, Facebook allows you to create a business page that centers around your brand. Instagram offers a new feature called Professional Dashboard that caters to the benefits of both businesses and creators. There's also WhatsApp Business, and the list continues.

Look beyond shitposting and meme culture, and social media platforms can open many doors to you. Utilize them properly to boost your brand recognition and grow your business.