To many business owners, social media marketing is simply the next big thing in marketing. Just another fad that will eventually pass. Other business owners who’ve never given social media marketing a try assume that there’s a steep learning curve. In reality, neither is true. Social media marketing is here to stay and it happens to be one of the easiest marketing channels to use. Best of all, social media marketing is free to get started with and can yield tremendous results.

10 Social Media Marketing benefits

Here’s a look at just ten of the benefits that social media marketing can have for your business:

1. Brand recognition. Social media is a great way to get a greater number of people to recognize your brand. People who may not otherwise have discovered your brand might stumble upon it on Twitter, Facebook, or any number of other social media websites. The more sites you use the more recognizable your brand will be.
2. Brand loyalty. Brands that engage with customers through social media will enjoy greater customer loyalty. Customers that connect with brands on social media are more likely to be loyal to that brand.
3. More opportunities for conversions. Every time you post on social media, you’re creating an opportunity for people to convert. While not every post will necessarily lead to conversions, some of them will.
4. Higher conversion rates. People don’t like to do business, they like to do business with other people. While companies can seem distant, companies on social media seem more human and likeable. Brands that engage with people on social media will experience higher conversion rates as people feel that the brand is personal.
5. Brand authority. When consumers like a new product, they take to social media to brag about it. When they associate your brand with that product, people will be talking about your brand online. The more people are talking about you, the more authority your brand will have within an industry.
6. Increased web traffic. With each social media account you create for your business, you create a new path to your website.
7. Decreased marketing costs. For how effective it is, social media marketing takes very little time. Social media marketing is also free starting out, and very inexpensive should you choose to invest money into it.
8. Better search engine rankings. Google uses a number of things to determine search engine rankings. One of those things is social media presence.
9. Better customer experience. Social media adds a whole new dimension of customer service. It allows you one more way to make a positive impression on consumers.
10. Customer feedback. Social media marketing is a two-way street. Not only can you communicate with your customers but your customers can communicate with you. Social media is a great way to receive customer feedback that you can use to improve your brand.

Source: forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/11/the-top-10-benefits-of-social-media-marketing/