Written by ContentPowered.com
Social networking is a modern day practice that appears to be growing at full speed. While most companies recognize the value in using a website as an advertising tool, many still overlook the tremendous benefits of linking social media accounts to their business site.
Setting up and linking social media accounts to a company website are tasks that are relatively easily accomplished, yet they offer great potential in terms of growing business and forming better client relationships.
The following four concepts are compelling reasons for businesses that choose to have an online presence to incorporate links to their social media accounts.
Customer Engagement
Providing social media links enables businesses to invite their customers to interact with the company and participate in an active discussion. In the course of their everyday lives, customer naturally find themselves discussing a company’s products and services, personal experiences with the company, or other aspects of the related industry on social media outlets.
This pattern is a powerful phenomenon businesses may tap into and use to take part in ongoing discussions, introduce new ones, and ultimately direct potential and existing customers’ perception of the brand. Including a social media link also creates the impression that the business is more approachable, personable, and actually desires interaction with the customer.
In instances in which a customer may have had a negative experience with a business, the customer may be more inclined to use the social media link to post about their experience. This in turn alerts the business that a problem exists and creates an opportunity for the business to resolve the issue and publicly express its commitment to providing high-quality products and services and building customer relationships by ensuring satisfaction. Customers who have a positive experience with a business and/or its products may use the company’s social media link to publicly share the positive experience, which may motivate others to support the business by purchasing its products or services.
From an informational standpoint, social media links may be used to direct website visitors to a medium that is updated more frequently than the website and can, therefore, deliver the latest pertinent news and information to customers.
Overall, linking to a social media account facilitates a potentially ongoing exchange that can very easily lead to an increase in positive publicity and a stronger, more interactive relationship with the consumer.
Search Engine Optimization
Social media has a direct impact on a website’s search engine optimization. Link building is not a new practice when it comes to establishing a website as a valuable information source. However, social networking has become a major driver of link building today.
Basically, links are built by creating engaging content that is innovative and entertaining.
The content is then shared across social media as it reaches a larger audience. Therefore, providing links to specific content on a website can help search engines determine credibility and improve a site’s rankings. The more a link is shared and re-posted, the higher the link will appear in search engine listings based on the assumption that information that is shared more frequently has higher value. Having multiple social media links on a website may also speed up the indexing process.
As information is shared and re-shared on social media sites within a short period of time, search engines will assume that the information is gaining social traction and is, therefore, of great importance. In turn, the search engines will make retrieving the information faster and easier through indexing. In addition to the number of times a link has been shared, other factors that affect indexing speed include the influence of those who re-post the link and the length of time within which the link has been shared. The amount of social media connections and followers also has a significant impact of search engine optimization.
By including links that invite customers and website visitors to connect via social media sites enables businesses to build their social media following and, therefore, their website’s search engine ranking. While it may be tempting to simply focus on the number of people who connect with the business via social media, the quality and influence of social media connections and followers is also important.
Thought Leadership
Social media is an excellent platform by which companies may establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Maintaining a blog is an effective way to convey new and innovative ideas to an audience. Companies that are already established as trusted producers are service providers can leverage their reputation and assume the role as an industry adviser by regularly posting articles and other thought pieces on their social media accounts, which are then linked to the company’s website to maximize readership.
New industry players may promote their ideas by establishing a blog and regularly providing links to new entries on the website in addition to cross-linking with other social media accounts. Inviting industry experts and other reputable guest bloggers may add a sense of legitimacy to the company’s overall message and to its social media presence.
Creating Brand Loyalty
Working to build brand loyalty is a worthwhile investment.
Social media is often the perfect vehicle through which this goal may be accomplished in today’s market. Including a link to social media accounts enables companies to provide an online meeting place for those who are existing satisfied customers as well as those who would like more information. Social media can be used to generate brand interest and introduce customers to products by promoting discounts, specials, and giveaways.
Companies are able to connect with their community by informing their audience about community-themed events and service projects in which the company participates. Social media is also a useful tool for businesses that wish to raise funds for charitable causes. Engaging the online community also creates a sense of transparency that potential customers are likely to appreciate when deciding which brands to choose.
Fully Leveraging Social Media Resources
Overall, the benefits of providing links to social media accounts on a business website far outweigh the disadvantages.
Customer behavior has evolved to place a higher emphasis on social networking; therefore, businesses should consider adapting to the trend if they wish to continue to grow. Furthermore, social media offers numerous opportunities for businesses to shape their public image, relate to consumers in a more direct fashion, and to showcase their industry knowledge and expertise. Social media may even level the playing field for new entrants to the marketplace that may not have the longstanding reputation of older companies.
New players may grow their customer base through innovation and understanding the role social media now plays in the consumer decision-making process. The pattern of consumers utilizing social media to find information, share their experiences, and interact with businesses is a trend that shows no sign of slowing. Listing social media links on the official website is a major step in connecting the more static, well-composed, existing message companies would like to convey through their websites to the dynamic, interactive social network, which enables them to cater to consumers in real-time and further foster a growing, changing relationship with potential customers and the social media public at large.
Although incorporating social media into a business strategy may be a change for many companies, tried and true principles such as delivering excellent customer service and providing reliable information to consumers still apply.
