If You Post It, They Will Click: Why Social Media Marketing Is a Must for Small Biz

When I started my business, NutraBella, in 2005, social media wasn’t ubiquitous and omnipotent like it is today. In those days, our marketing strategy consisted of word of mouth (for lack of advertising funds!) and dabbling in targeted Facebook promotions. Back then, simply having a website could be enough for small business owners to let the world know they were open for business.

Of course, things are very different today. As we all know, a savvy, robust social media marketing campaign can turn a fledgling business into a household name. It’s happened to someone I know. Maybe you’ve heard of Little Passports?

My friend co-founded this kids’ educational subscription box business in 2009 with zero startup funds. Eventually, Little Passports got some capital, but it wasn’t until the company began a Facebook marketing campaign that their success went through the roof. After investing $500 in their first year on social media, the company is now estimated to earn between $25-$30M in annual revenue. And, yes, Little Passports still advertises on Facebook, but now the ad budget is a little bigger … at $1M per year.

In case you’re not entirely convinced about the power of marketing on social media, consider this: According to research by Global Web Index, the average internet user has eight (!) social media accounts. With 94% of small businesses relying on digital marketing to get their brand into the world, it’s no wonder this hot topic comes up again and again in our QuickBooks Community -- and that’s why we’re focusing on social media marketing all month long.

One of the things we’ll be exploring is how businesses can use digital marketing to help build trust with current and potential customers. Social media lets people know their friends and acquaintances are fans of a particular brand, and that information directly influences consumer behavior. Close to half (43%) of 16-24-year-old consumers research products online before they buy, as do 38% of consumers ages 25-34. Combine the two age groups, and one quarter of those shoppers say seeing a social media “like” on a product or brand is a “purchase driver.” According to the 2016 The State of Social Marketing Report, 40% of consumers say they bought a product after seeing it on Instagram, YouTube or Twitter.

Darin White, co-owner of creative-design firm Hava Studios, shares in QB Community his own observations about marketing on social media. “If someone contacts us through our website, we have a 10% chance of a sale, whereas through social media this increases to 50%. Instagram and Facebook have been key for us.”

Darin’s hardly alone in realizing the power of digital marketing, and we speak with seven other entrepreneurs in our community who rely on Instagram to drive their sales. One of them, Benjamin Steele, owner of Sir Wylde, a men’s accessories business says, “We usually receive five times more people to our website after we’ve posted content out on our social media channels.”

So how do you make sure you’re posting, snapping, pinning and ‘gramming a social media presence that’s powerful, persuasive and memorable? We’ll be exploring this question and many others as we get the low-down from social media marketers and entrepreneurs on doing business in the age of “likes” (and RTs, @ mentions, shares and comments).

Speaking of likes, you can like QuickBooks Community on Facebook to easily keep up with what we’re up to. And speaking of comments, let us know below how you’re leveraging social media to build and market your brand!

Warmly,

Leslie