Role of Social Media for Local Businesses in India

There are various local businesses that have been using social media platforms to brand their products and shove their revenue.

Let’s look at the stats and numbers to judge the situation.

• There is a whopping number of 3.5 billion active users on social media platforms as of December 2019.
• And among them, 97% of users in the age group 18 to 34 read reviews online before actually reaching out to a local business.

Social media marketing has become an important way to reach customers according to demographics that have been helping local businesses in spreading awareness about their brand conveniently.

Let’s understand how the most powerful social media platforms can aid in the growth of local businesses.

Role of social media for the growth of local businesses in India:

1. Showcase Your Products and Services

Social media now days is the fastest media to spread awareness. Every other person is using a smartphone and this promotes the usage of social media platforms even more. Your business should have an account on every social media platform so that you can introduce and detail about your products and services to your user domain.

Also, when you are on social media, it makes it very easy for your customers to recommend your business to others.

Facebook, Instagram, and even Google offer the option to give their recommendations of businesses around them. Started by a single user asking for a recommendation regarding something; through answered comments, your business can be found out.

2. Helps in Connecting to Customers

The first and foremost benefit of social media is that your products and services get direct feedback from users, whether good or bad; it’s another battle. But you are aware of what is being said about your business. And it’s better if it’s on your page.

If its complaint or dissatisfaction then handle the situation calmly and professionally. Show them that you care about your clients and will definitely listen and help them in case of dissatisfaction. Research of Harvard Business Review shows that a person will be willing to spend more and again if their query has been answered fast.

Be consistently active and answer all comments on your business-related posts or as much as you can.

Use the praises and satisfactory customer reviews as a ladder for others to climb up to you.

Monitoring services can help you keep watch on what is being said across the web.

A not attended negative comment can be harmful to a local business as your clients belong to a small community and hence one’s opinion will affect others too.

3. Word of Mouth and Local Influencers

Social media marketing is a very efficient way to market local businesses as it does not need your constant attention. It runs continuously. Your happy customers are sharing your products and business with like-minded people and bring you more customers.

Also, happy customers will willingly post your products on their accounts indirectly promoting it while bringing you more customers.

Every local neighborhood has its own celebrity influencers and bloggers.  Tie up with them and promote your business through them.

These influencers have huge followers who trust their opinions and bring a great increase in business.

4. Showcase Your Products

Social media gives you a platform to showcase your products in the best possible way. With images, videos, or live launch, you can easily introduce your services to your customers. Looking at the product in live action from different angles aids another trust factor.

5. Show Your Product’s Reliability

Share ideas of uses and functionality of your product by two means. First share the ideas of your customers on platforms like Pinterest, blogger, DeviantArt, etc, and secondly, join up with artists or professionals to give ideas or live video using your products. Introduce a challenge for people to post their work tagging your business and ensure to reward the most unique ones(by your products of course).

Doing a giveaway when you reach a particular milestone in sales or followers will also create a buzz about your product.

Build a community. It strengthens your brand. Find ways to help people connect with each other via your products.

Organize meet-ups, discussions, or promote your product by joining forces with other local businesses around you and rise together.

6. Gives You Control Over Your Reputation

When a negative comment or mishap happens and the incidence gains attention, you have the ability to do damage control. Do not let people bond over your mistake. Use the situation to show that your clients are important to you and handle the backlash with professionalism. This situation can be used by your competitors. Pay your regrets and rectify the problem establishing that you are a responsible business.

7. Helps You be up to Date On the Competition

Now another benefit of social media marketing is it keeps you in the loop. Having a good knowledge of how your competitor is doing, what is their marketing strategy, and what new products are they launching is something too important to stay ahead of your competitors. What is happening around the market? What new is being put out and what is your competition, doing both right and wrong. So to take inspiration and also not repeat their mistakes.

It also helps to see who are your common customers and what are their responses. It also helps to keep a check at straying customers and look for improvement.

8. There is More Than You Think

Knowledge of all social media platforms is very important. Social media is not only Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.

There are many social media platforms out there which you are probably not aware of simply because they have targeted audience but it can help your business to grow if you find a place for your business on these platforms too. It will get you acknowledged as a strong brand. Pinterest, Tumblr, and Medium are platforms that can benefit your business.

9. Humanize Your Brand

A lot of businesses try to show or put a show for their followers. Do not do that. Share the inspiration and struggle behind your business. It will create a connection between you and your clients. If your customers would have needed a big corporation they wouldn’t be on your account so do not try to feed them that. Show your business values. And bind loyal customers to yourself.

A Tip to Takeaway:

Social Media Marketing can be really cost-effective and impactful for local businesses. They help in gaining more visibility for your local business and aids to your brand value.

If you are a newly established local business and want your business to grow on social media platforms, you can reach us anytime.