Small businesses play a role of some consequence in the economy. Nearly half of all workers are employed by small businesses in the U.S.
More noteworthy is the fact that 62% of new jobs over the past 25 years were created by and for small businesses. Combine those outfits with social media, and you have a big reach and high-impact presence in the economy and society at large.
Use of Social Media in Business
In 2006 Facebook became available to the public, and immediately began to place advertisements across its space. As other social media sites came on the scene – including Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok – the monetization game shifted and adapted over the years.
More than a decade ago, when Instagram made its debut, companies were still unsure how to respond and take the best advantage of social media. These misgivings changed, though, and businesses soon learned to use social media to increase brand awareness, generate viable leads, convert leads into sales, develop trustworthy relationships with consumers, and assess the competition.
How Social Media Affects Business
Today, since the emergence of Tik Tok, small companies can occasionally go viral overnight with one well-placed promotion by an influencer. This is known as influencer marketing.
More than 97% of businesses utilize social media as part of their marketing campaigns. Unless a firm is well equipped to handle a sudden increase in orders and traffic on its site, this marketing tool can be overwhelming for the ill-prepared.
As small firms attempt to build their business, expansion of their social media presence – though essential – is only a small facet of all the necessary components they will need to be successful. Your social media presence is merely the face of the company, but as any business owner or manager knows, unless you can deliver on the back end, any influence will go for naught.
You will only retain and augment your customer base with solid products and timely delivery.
Tools Required to Grow
The tools that are necessary for growth come in the back office. By implementing the proper systems, technology, and resources to deliver on your promises, whatever customers you obtain via social media will be more apt to participate in promoting your business, products, and services.
The tools you need to grow can be developed, automated, and integrated into your operations with companies like Cetaris. This firm works with a wide range of industries, including transportation, distribution, grocery, utilities, government, construction, and schools.
Cetaris seeks to remedy and streamline its clients’ services through a range of applications and software programs. When these tools get implemented, they help the company gain a timely return on investment, digitize the maintenance process, and collect real-time data insights to make you aware of deficiencies and breakthroughs.
Some of their products include: inventory management, purchase order approvals, fleet maintenance software, and work orders. Business owners who use these services and software will be more organized and prepared to grow their activities and maintain a high level of efficiency as they build a customer portfolio via their social media campaigns.
Conclusion
Social media will continue to develop, and create new experiences and opportunities for all who choose to adapt with the changes. In the past 17 years, social media has become a major power player in most markets and fields, capturing and captivating audiences as they seek to learn information, find product reviews, and build relationships online.
As companies continue to utilize and foster the trust of their clients, and support those relationships appropriately, they will continue to be successful.
