Why social media is an essential part of your website
So, you’ve got yourself a brand new, user friendly website – why do you need to use Social Media? Some people make the mistake of thinking you can do one or the other, but in order to get the most from your website, or indeed the most from social media, you need them to be working together.
- Searchability and SEO – SEO is essential for business – it’s how easy you are to find on the internet, but also how much you appear in related searches. People pay thousands to appear on the first page of google, but you can achieve much of the same results though using social media and your website effectively. Google, the most recognised search engine, regularly changes the goal posts of what it wants from you and your content. It’s no longer enough to regularly update your blog, ensure you have optimised title tags and perfect meta descriptions. Search engines are now recasting their their rankings using social media presence as a significant factor, because they want good content – and if you have it, your social media will be riding high too. Therefore, being active (and effective) on social media could act as a signal to search engines that your brand is legitimate, credible, and trustworthy. You will appear higher in searches you want to be related to and your online brand will grow.
- Higher conversion rates – Click throughs from social media are more likely to buy from your website or use your services than any other route. The trust they build from seeing your page or profile, that you exist, increases your credibility and their confidence in your services. They know your site isn’t fake or a con – you have followers and interesting, relevant content! You know what you are doing and they should hire you!
- More ways to advertise to reach different potential customers – Facebook advertising is incredibly cheap – a good advert might cost you 25p per click, whereas a great one might cost as little as 5p. You can advertise both your page and your website on different types of adverts which can be incredibly bespoke – you can specify age, gender, location up to the nearest mile, millions of interests and even the device they use to get online. Twitter and Linkedin also offer similar services. It’s not logical to remove your business from such an economical way to reach people, especially those who might not even know they need you yet!
- Social listening – You will want your customers to freely review your business online, and your website isn’t always the best place to do it. You can be certain that even if you aren’t on social media, people are talking about you all over it – it might be favourable (and marketable!) or it might be less so – either way, you are going to want to be a part of the picture, to respond, listen and engage with your old, new and potential customers.
- Online personality – Even if you have a blog, your website cannot be a completely interactive and chatty place – that’s not what it’s for. But linking your twitter feed or facebook page to your website lets your customers hear your voice, daily! They will be reminded that you exist and see that you are funny, knowledgeable, still in business and approachable.
So the real question is, why wouldn’t you use social media? It’s free! Contact my Social Media GURU at info@alexmedia.co.uk.