If you have a home business, the chances are that you’re looking to get your brand on people’s radar. Traditionally, this was a huge problem for small companies as they had to compete with their much larger counterparts. Basically, the larger the business, the more it could invest in its marketing budget.
It meant more nationwide billboards, TV, radio, and magazine commercials, which, in turn, resulted in more customers overall. Small companies, on the other hand, had to rely mostly on the local newspaper and radio advertising as well as some good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth to get their business off the ground. And even under the best circumstances, they were generally restricted to their local area.
But with the arrival of the internet and social media, all of that has changed. Today, home businesses can advertise their services to a broad audience, bringing them on an equal footing with large corporations. Some experts even go as far as saying that social media is working better for small companies than it does for larger ones. Why?
Social Media Engagement
For social media to work for a business, no matter its size, the critical ingredient is engagement. If companies don’t engage with their customers, they will eventually become disincentivized and lose interest in that particular organization.
Engaging with customers and potential customers on social media was shown to boost brand awareness and reputation as well to increase the customer base as a whole. Over 90% of marketers are particularly interested in finding out the best ways to master the art of engaging with customers on social media.
Home Businesses are Generally Better at Social Media Engagement
On average, small businesses are better suited for social media engagement than large companies. It is something that comes more naturally with a small or home business, as these types of companies can better connect with their audience online. It is because the number of comments and reactions from customers is generally smaller and you can reach more of them. The key is to answer them as quickly as possible and keep the conversation active.
You can do this by encouraging people to post reviews, questions, comments, concerns, or even pictures of them using your product. In general, home businesses can create better and more lasting relationships with their customers as long as they provide timely responses.
Personalized Customer Care
Another aspect of social media engagement comes in the form of customer care. Again, small businesses are naturally more inclined to offer better customer care over social media since they can take the time to connect with individuals.
This sort of personalized attention is something where large companies are somewhat struggling. They often turn to various forms of automation, but it doesn’t compare to what a real person can achieve if they take the time to do so. Home business owners can write genuine responses and address the customer’s situation directly.
These are some of the reasons why social media is an excellent way for home businesses to take the lead in comparison to their larger counterparts.