Regional Companies Can Shorten & Tighten Their Sales Cycle with Social Media

Smaller specific groups of consumers prove to be more effective for regional and mid-market size companies than large noisy social.

By now, most regional companies understand the importance of having a social presence. Between Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and the many other social channels, there is a place for any business to find a place on social media. With consumer advertising moving to a social, “conversational model”, it’s easy to understand why utilizing several of these social pages is important. However, what does it do for a company’s bottom line? Is it even possible to attach sales results to people who “follow” a business’s page or “like” their posts?

The truth is, there aren’t many ways to prove a direct correlation in sales, except for certain business sectors, however, the advertising industry is finding that a concentrated social media presence can shorten a business’s sales cycle for their products and services and save on their media investments.

Social marketing is something every business knows they must use to create excitement, enticement and need. Most companies believe they know how many touches a consumer needs before a consumer is aware of a product or service. But partnered with traditional advertising, where a company can appeal to the masses with their messaging, social media allows businesses to engage directly with consumers in real time and focus a more concentrated effort on a smaller group, thus creating more frequent touch points with a group more engaged than the average consumer. This engagement brings the benefit of connecting on a personal level and making consumers more comfortable with a brand.

This connection is even more important for a regional business since most consumers prefer to relate and support on a local level. By engaging with them directly through social media, the level of trust an audience has for a brand can rise significantly. Social media engagement not only introduces a brand to an audience but if done properly creates this feeling of comfort, familiarity and trust. It invites them directly into the conversation.

In addition, businesses can create an additional layer of brand trust with “Social Influencers.” These opinion leaders are already known and trusted within their community. A regional company should court and deploy the correct local influencers to expand the brand’s message and sex appeal. Connecting with local journalist, radio personalities, bloggers and vloggers within a community are an excellent way to promote a brand.

Awareness is created through many forms of advertising and businesses still need to invest in traditional media to ensure that their brand is exposed to the masses however, social media, if done correctly will connect with people more frequently on a personal level allowing for many creative changes. This engagement is much more inclusive for consumers, making purchasing decisions more personal and emotional, and thus easier for them. Faster conversions can allow a company to shorten their sales and media cycles and should not be discounted.