Most businesses know that they need a social media strategy, but they are not always sure about what value social media brings to a company. Here are five ways in which social media benefits your business:

Increased brand awareness

A business is a brand and the more people recognise your brand the better chance you have of converting them to customers.
Often people first hear about your company on a social media site, rather than your main web site, so a better impression via social media will likely lead to more people visiting your profile being converted into customers and clients.

Improved loyalty

Your Twitter followers and your Facebook friends are a community. Providing quality information will increase their loyalty to your brand.

More conversions

The goal of marketing is to convert interested people to customers. On social media you are building a relationship with your followers. They may not convert to customers straight away, but the more interaction they have with you, the more likely they are to purchase your product or service.
Each social media activity is a chance for people to react and this increases the chances of conversion.

Increased website traffic

Visitors to your web site are usually people already familiar with your company or perhaps they have found you through the search engines. All social media content that contains a link to your site is an opportunity to attract visitors to your web site.

An added benefit is that these inbound links will help your website rankings.

Improve perceptions of customer service

Social media sites are communication channels, where people can comment on your business. They are also the means by which you can promptly address issues or concerns. This will demonstrate your commitment to quality customer service.

These are just a few of the many reasons how social media can benefit your business.

Tom Evans