Small business owners have a lot on their plate, and adding social media management into the mix can seem like a daunting task. If you don’t understand the big deal when it comes to social media, Team Focus has got your back.  For the second part of this three-part series, we’ll focus on why small businesses should use social media to sell a product.

Product exposure

Before social media, the best way to advertise your company’s product or service was through television or newspaper advertisements.   Those are still great methods of exposing your product (depending on your audience), yet TV and newspapers are far less prevalent nowadays.

Have you noticed how more and more people are using streaming sites like Netflix or Hulu instead of watching live TV? And a large number of people record the shows they want to watch and fast-forward through commercials.

These changing trends are also found in newspapers. Stateofthemedia.org recently found, “Rapidly declining advertising revenues continue to be the industry’s core problem. The losses in 2011 were slightly worse than those of 2010 – 7.3% compared to 6.3%. Ad revenues are now less than half what they were in 2006.” As times are changing, so should your advertising methods.  How will consumers be interested in buying your product if they don’t know it even exists?

Constantly engage consumers

Social media provides a never-ending news feed for users. The chart below demonstrates research from the Pew Research Center on surveyors’ social media usage. A staggering 70 percent of surveyors check Facebook daily. This means many Facebook users are almost constantly engaging with content.  What better place to meet potential customers than where they’re constantly [virtually] going?

Even if your business has a website, it’s beneficial to keep social media accounts as well. Websites seem to be useful for customers’ specific shopping needs. For example, if I’m looking to buy a GoPro, I’d browse the website and order one. Social media, on the other hand, is ideal for directing potential customers to your products so they realize they should buy it. Although managing accounts can be time consuming, allowing a wide array of people to see what products/services you have to offer is highly beneficial.

These are just a few reasons why small businesses should use social media to sell a product.  The final edition to the three-part series will focus on why small businesses should use social media to be socially relevant in the community.

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If you are a small business owner and a member of Jackson County Chamber of Commerce or the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce – you may be a prime candidate for our Digital DIY program. For more information, read about the program here – or email Perry Brunson (pbrunson@focusgroupms.com) to enroll!