There is a common misconception among business owners about social media. It’s one that is often heard by social media professionals and though it is addressed often it still persists. The misconception is that having a social media presence means the business is going to get more sales. As if it’s a magic solution to instantly bringing customers to cash registers.

The short answer to this common belief is no, a social media presence does not in and of itself mean more sales. When some business owners hear that the next common thing to ask is "Then why spend money and time on setting up a social media profile?" That’s a legitimate question. You need to spend your money wisely. Every dollar counts, especially in an economy like the one we are in now. But just because a social media profile doesn’t instantly translate into dollars doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the investment.

One of the most important yet confusing reasons for getting into the social media space is that you are expected to be in the social media space. That is to say, your customers are looking for you there. Your potential customers are looking for you there. And if you aren’t there, well then, somebody else will be. That hardly seems like the best answer for doing something. It’s akin to jumping off a bridge because everyone else is doing it. But there is some sense to it. These days people see social media as having some sort of transparency. Customers like transparency in a company. It makes them feel like there is nothing being hidden. It also helps customers feel like they know you and your business and everyone likes to do business with someone they know.

Think about the last company you visited online. Did you just stop at their website? Did you look for a Facebook or Twitter button on their site? A static website sometimes just doesn’t tell all the story. A lot of times it has you searching for a social media page to check out additional photos, reviews or other customer comments. A social media profile helps the customer connect with you. Without that there is distance or a wall between customer and company. For some customers that’s fine, but for today’s internet savvy customer it’s not acceptable. And if you are going to be in the online space you better be where the customers are.

But does all this effort to build a social media profile and connect and blog have any return on investment? The answer to that is also yes. Just not immediately. In sales it takes time to win over a customer. If you want to sell a customer a house it will take a little relationship building, trust building and a lot of schmoozing. If you are selling a customer a widget on a website chances are they will visit your site several times before buying. Knowing that sales is a people game as well as a numbers game, why would anyone think that social media can instantly reap buyers?

Social media is a relationship building tool. Much like face to face relationship building it can help sales but it isn’t a short term solution. Social media makes it easier to build relationships. But building anything takes time and building relationships through social media that will lead to sales is a slow process. However, social media does make that process a little easier than face to face relationship building. That’s because you can reach so many people with so little effort. So the other reason why social media is a valuable asset to your online presence is that it helps build and solidify those relationships and in time they lead to not only sales but to loyal customers.

Compare it to face to face marketing. The person you are trying to build a relationship with feels they only know the you that you are letting them see. So you are also building trust as well. Online in the world of social media information is too easy to get. People know that if you are a bad company word will get out and they will hear about it. So there is a bit of trust established already and it’s up to you to simply build on that foundation.

Though it’s a powerful tool a social media campaign should be just one element of a complete marketing strategy. It should be just one aspect, but it’s an important one. Make sure you are setting up and managing your social media profiles in the most customer-friendly way possible. Hire us to get your social media profiles set up. We can design your sites; add photos and information about your company. We can make sure your site has the right feel and voice for your online customers. Want to get discussions about your brand started online? We can also add message boards and a forum.

Social media can’t get you instant sales but it can get you loyal clients and we can help you get started. Give us a call for details or Visit our Website http://www.marcogiunta.com .