As we all know, technology has turned this vast and populous world into a small village which goes a long way to prove that a person can reach a large audience via social media than physical contact. Social media apps which have gradually become part and parcel of our daily lives have even made it easier for us to communicate with a reasonable and productive audience that could be beneficial to us or our business. You will agree with me that social media has long transitioned from an instrument for fun and linking up with loved ones to an indispensable tool for business growth and development.
Amongst the several social media apps that abound in the world today, our focus will be on three(3) widely-used platforms namely; WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. These apps have attained significant relevance in society and have become part of what makes life worth living to some. It is due to this relevance that we shall illuminate how they could be used to enhance and grow an individual’s business.
First, Facebook; Launched in 2004, Facebook remains the oldest of them all and is considered one of the most widely-used social media platforms with billions of active users. Over the years, Facebook has innovated several ways to aid an individual to grow his or her businesses on the app. One of the simplest ways of promoting your business on Facebook is by regularly posting your products or services on your timeline which would definitely reach your friends and followers. A person could extend his or her influence on the app by having a large number of friends or followers, by this, immediately you share a post, you would be assured of reaching a large audience and if their needs at the moment correlate with what you have to offer then you should get ready for patronage.
Apart from the above-mentioned strategy, another method of using Facebook to grow your business and make profitable sales is by targeting groups with a large audience. The Facebook app allows its users to create groups of various interests, users whose interest matches that of the group could join, thereby creating a conglomerate of like-minded people in a single space. As a business owner, you could spot these groups and utilize them by sharing the products and services you offer there, you never can tell where your customers may come from. There are two types of groups on Facebook; Public and Private groups. Also, it is important to note that some groups are open for members to freely share their posts while some are being controlled by group administrators who control and decide what can be posted, in this case, you’ll have to contact the administrator and negotiate terms before your post can be approved.
Lastly, you can also create a page and run good ads to make people aware of what you specialize in. Running effective ads is one indispensable way to grow your business on Facebook. You’ll be required to pay Facebook some amount of money and in turn, they boost your post or page to reach more individuals.
Second, WhatsApp: Launched in 2009, WhatsApp has turned out to become one of the widely-used messaging apps in the world today. I know a lot of people who make profitable sales via WhatsApp which serves as a big boost to their business. With the introduction of the WhatsApp Status feature, WhatsApp became an indispensable tool for advertising your products for your contacts to see. Although WhatsApp is a bit limited as it involves mobile numbers only, you can also expand your tentacles by storming several groups and urging them to add you to their contact list, by this, when you share a post or item on your status, a larger number of people get to see it. The good thing about social media is the ability to reach a large number of people which may be impossible through physical meetings or contact. As a leading messaging app, you could also use it to inform people about your business, pitch your ideas and so on.
Third, Instagram: the video and photo-sharing app came into existence in 2010 and has speedily become the favourite app of a lot of netizens owing to its amazing features and interface. You could promote your business on Instagram by making video and photo content about your business and sharing them on your page after gaining significant followers. Gaining followers on Instagram requires basic tactics, which may connote putting up content that interest your audience. No doubt, Instagram remains one of the social media platforms where people gain followers faster and this is a great instrument for promoting your business. You could also run advertisements on Instagram to reach a significant audience, and drop comments as regards your products or services on buzzing posts of celebrities and IG blogs. I’ve seen people who made their brand(s) widely known by dropping comments on every post with massive engagement; this is also a smart strategy as it saves the cost of running ads.
In conclusion, social media apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram have aided businesses in several ways, a person who doesn’t have a large audience can even contact a user with large followers and negotiate terms for running advertisements on his or her page which could aid your business massively. These applications have not only spiced up our social lives, but they are there to also enhance our businesses if used appropriately. I have just highlighted a few ways of promoting your business on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. There are other master techniques I will highlight subsequently, just follow my blog for more updates.
Remember to drop your comments and questions if you have any.
