www.shopsafe.co.uk, the UK's leading safer shopping directory, is emphasising the benefits that well executed social media by small businesses can have on building a company's online presence following the announcement of recent statistics.
The web portal says small businesses should not be afraid to use ‘global' social media sites as there is huge focus on applications that enable users to pin-point their exact location, allowing companies to tailor and aim their services at their local consumers with ease.
For many, social networking sites are the first port of call when they go online and a user survey of social media sites found that 51% of Facebook users and 64% of Twitter users are more like to buy and endorse the brands they follow or are a fan of.
www.shopsafe.co.uk is encouraging small businesses, which are not nationally recognised, to exploit these statistics by building an online portfolio through the medium of social networking sites and blogs.
Simon Crisp, Director of www.shopsafe.co.uk, said: “Successful social media marketing strategies can enhance the overall e-commerce development effort of a company dramatically.
“It's all about developing trust with your target market and a good reputation. Proper use of social media is a cost effective way to establish relationships with customers and provides a great source of free, open and invaluable feedback. It creates an environment in which customer opinions, relevant content and product information can be freely distributed and discussed.
“Social media is all about sharing and collaboration therefore working to the strengths of it can effectively influence brand reputation and increase brand awareness.”
www.shopsafe.co.uk lists more than 4,000 online retailers, including such names as Amazon, Nike and Next, all of which have been vetted for safety and customer service.
Simon added: “We want shoppers to be safe online, but we also want to be able to help high-street retailers establish a strong and positive online reputation to ensure that they maximise their sales.
“Making use of social media sites such as creating a 'fan page' on Facebook can enhance search engine optimisation as the pages are all indexed in search engines which increases the likelihood of potential customers finding your organisation.
“They create the opportunity and ability to send messages and updates to all of your 'fans' or 'followers' all at once. Exclusive
offers and deals can be spread and shared virally using these social media sites.
“Research shows that fans and followers of branded social media pages are actually more likely to buy from that company and recommend it to others. However, companies need to be careful that they don't mistake social networks for advertising networks and flood potential customers with continuous sale pitches. Business should ensure that they publish well-written, unique and concise content that will be of interest to their target readers and that they will want to share.”