Yes, you really do need a social media presence

We’ve all seen one from time to time: the neglected social media channel. It’s the electronic equivalent of an abandoned prairie town with tumbleweeds rolling past.  

And the experience is all too common. You look for a business on, say, Facebook, only to find a near-desolate page whose most recent post is a six-month-old birthday wish. How does that make a prospective customer feel?

One impression it should convey is that the company isn’t staying current with the latest marketing. Another is that it lacks attention to detail. Still another: The company in question doesn’t appear overly concerned with its public face.

None of these red flags is necessarily a deal-breaker, of course. But the net effect is a loss of credibility.

Social media helps you position yourself as an expert. It creates legitimacy by showing that your organization stays current in the industry. It keeps you engaged with the marketplace.

“But why do I need a presence on social media?” the skeptical businessperson may ask. “Nobody ever walks into my establishment and makes a sale based on a Facebook post.”

True. It’s unlikely that anyone buys your product or service because of your logo, either. But you need a logo, regardless. You need branding. Social media should be part of your overall branding strategy. And as we all know, the effect of branding is cumulative. 

It’s not one marketing “lightning bolt” that makes the difference for a business, not usually. But invest in raising your public profile, and the sum total of your many efforts will result in sales over time (assuming it’s a product people want or need). Social media is simply a component of that overall branding strategy.

So, take advantage of it. If you need help from the social media experts, contact ZCorp PR & Digital.