Having a presence on these five websites, which are the most popular and influential due to their massive user bases, allows most of the consumers out there to search and interact with local businesses. Ignore them and you are missing out on the vast majority of consumers online.
Texas Publishing introduced a new social media marketing tool this month that will give even the smallest business a dynamic online presence geared toward generating new customers and establishing brand authority.
“Social media marketing has become a potent tool for small-business owners wanting to expand their brand and increase customer interaction and, ultimately, sales,” said Darius Thompson, Texas Publishing’s new social media manager. Thompson has five years’ experience promoting musicians, artists and, more recently, small businesses in the Austin market. He comes to the Corpus Christi Area-Wide Telephone Directory from Main Street Hub, a national social media marketing firm headquartered in the capitol city.
As a tech-savvy millennial, Thompson understands the competitive edge a strong social media presence can give a business. Like his young peers, he doesn’t do much without first consulting his smartphone or tablet. As a relatively new phenomenon, social media marketing is a powerful promotional tool a lot of small businesses don’t understand, he said.
“A lot of small-business owners don’t realize how heavily dependent consumers are on these sites,” Thompson explained. “This allows you to distinguish yourself amongst the competition in ways other types of marketing don’t allow.”
Using the 101Scan, an analyzing software designed for Texas Publishing advertisers, a sales representative can rate the online presence of any business with a phone number and an address. What most discover about their online presence is that information is highly inconsistent and mostly displayed in a confusing manner that discourages consumers rather than bringing them in.
“Our goal is to simplify the customer’s journey and make it easier to find the businesses they are looking for the minute they are ready to spend money,” Thompson said. “These social media profiles are a consumer’s first impression of a business. That first impression matters.”
Unlike a static website, which many businesses tend to launch and never look at again, social media pages are open channels of two-way communication between businesses and consumers. While a website establishes that a business brand exists, social media brings that brand alive, Thompson noted.
“Properly managing these conversations leads to long-term relationships with customers,” Thompson said. “Unfortunately, most business owners don’t have the time to effectively communicate with their customers online. That’s where we come in.”
Texas Publishing offers several affordable packages that make sure the information on 57 of the most popular search engines and social media sites is accurate. The company also produces engaging and attractive content and manages the social interaction designed to bring in new and returning customers.
“Our new service will allow business owners to focus on what they do best, while our social media professionals concentrate on growing each online interaction into a profitable long-term relationship with customers,” Thompson said.
Research proves Thompson’s point. According to Ballihoo, a provider of local marketing automation, 63 percent of consumers who search for local businesses online are more likely to use the ones they find on social media. Research by Adroit Digital, an online marketing research firm, found 75 percent of online Americans say social media influences their shopping behavior and enhances their loyalty to businesses.
Small businesses especially benefit from the advantages of using social media. According to Relevanza, a content marketing innovator, 78 percent of small businesses attract new customers through social media.
“101 Social Media will strategically manage your online presence to create clear and open passages for consumers that will translate into tangible revenue,” Thompson said. “We leverage a business’ social media profile to reach an entirely new audience, boosting potential and growing the business. We know how to do that, quickly, easily and affordably.”
For more information about how to use social media to grow your business, call 361-991-1306.
