OVER HALF OF UKS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS DON’T USE ANY SOCIAL MEDIA TO MARKET THEIR BUSINESS
Social media can be a powerful marketing tool for small businesses if they know how to use it. But according to a poll, over half of small business owners aren’t currently using social media at all to market their business.
In an age where consumers expect businesses to interact with them online, this is a concerning find.
Instagram is arguably the most popular social media platform right now, but the research found that 76 per cent of small business owners don’t use the app to market their companies. Given Instagram has over 400 million users, it’s time for small business to leverage the platform to elevate their brands
The recent poll of small business owners found that there is unfamiliarity surrounding Instagram, many granting their lack of knowledge on how to use the app as their reason for not using it for business. 33 per cent don’t use any social media marketing at all.
Of those using Instagram, the majority of small business owners at 92 per cent, aim to attract new customers. Another 41 per cent cite “support my community” and “show my company’s values or personality” as their goals for business posts on Instagram.
Facebook is the most widely-used social media platform among small businesses, with 39 per cent of small business owners saying they use Facebook to market their company, while 7 per cent use Twitter and just 4 per cent actively post on Instagram.
Sara Oberst, VP of Marketing at Manta commented: “There’s no denying that Instagram is highly popular among today’s consumers. With over 500 million monthly viewers on Instagram, small businesses have a unique opportunity to capture new customers. But as our poll found, small business owners aren’t taking full advantage of Instagram for business use – only 24 percent of small business owners actively use Instagram in their social media marketing.”
“To effectively use Instagram, small business owners should first determine their goals and budget to develop an Instagram strategy. With the right goals in place, small businesses can begin connecting with their customers in a visual way. Instagram is an especially powerful tool for businesses with visually appealing products as customers are able to see photos on their news feeds and ask questions or interact with the brand before making a purchase.”
Source: http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/