Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, LinkedIn; even if you don’t use them I bet you’ve heard of at least one and know at least 3 people who do use them. Whether we like it or not in business, social media is here to stay and they are one of the biggest marketing tools a business has. Think of it as a big party for all your shopfitting suppliers and retail customers. They are all there to ‘network’, find out who is selling what, to mingle and communicate. Social media is the online version of a networking party! Are you still wondering why you need it?
“If you want to be successful, you need to mix with the successful”
Some famous brands and very successful brands use social media, Heinz, Nike, Adidas, Cadbury; even 20th Century Fox used it to promote their Prometheus movie.
The set-up of using social media for business can be time consuming for businesses; it’s certainly been a steep learning curve for the shopfitting industry, it’s being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
Still not convinced? Perhaps my top 5 reasons why your business NEEDS social media will have you venturing into the unknown.
- CUSTOMERS. It’s where your customers are; and they will already be looking for you. Type into Facebook ‘shop shelving’ and find at least 10 relevant pages. There are even more in Twitter.
- COMPETITION. It’s where your competitors are; use them to find trends and discover more about what is happening within your particular industry.
- WEB TRAFFIC. Social media is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website (for free!) You’ll find past and present customers on there. Connect with them and respect them, make friends with them. Soon they’ll be linking to you and you’ll be getting a whole heap of web traffic to your site which you’ll be converting to sales.
- SPEED. Traditional marketing takes time and money; it’s a slow and usually expensive process. Don’t get me wrong, it still has a place but using social media to get your promotions out to customers is faster, cheaper and more flexible. You can keep your followers up to date with your company, listen and respond quickly to comments, complaints, suggestions and feedback.
- FREE. Yes, it’s free to use. All these social media sites don’t cost a penny; register for free and get started straight away. You may choose to spend money employing a ‘social media expert’ to set up and run them for you but ultimately you can learn to do it yourself and keep it running. There is lots of information on the web, just waiting on you to come along, absorb it and put it into practice.
Mark Zuckerberg summed it up nicely:
“By giving people the power to share, we’re making the world more transparent.”
What? Are you still here? What are you waiting for? Register on Twitter and Facebook now and go for it!
Crown Display offer a full range of top quality shop shelving and retail accessories, including Tegometall shelving and slatwall panels. We can provide you with customised sizes and finishes, bespoke counters and display units, as well as a professional nationwide shopfitting service. Give us a call on Free phone 0800 587 5880 or visit www.crowndisplay.co.uk
