Billions of people worldwide use social media for entertainment, news, and networking. The estimated number of active users will be almost 6 billion by 2027. According to recent research, global daily social media usage comes to an average of 143 minutes per day.
Statistics like these have led to many organizations exploring the role of social networking in businesses. So, if you have not yet incorporated social networking into your business’s repertoire, it’s time you considered it. It may just be what your organization needs to gain a competitive edge.
With Aluminate for Enterprise, you will enjoy the benefits of social networking and much more. Need to know why social networking makes such a difference? These are the eight benefits of social networking in businesses.
Top 8 benefits of social networking in businesses
Internet users spend so much time on social media platforms because of the variety of engagement they find there. They can socialize, be entertained, and stay up-to-date with current world affairs. Many users also use social media to discover new brands, products, and services, or reconnect with their corporate alumni.
Here are some of the top benefits of using social media platforms for businesses.
1. Social media platforms improve awareness and recognition
Having a presence on the most popular social media platforms increases your brand’s exposure and builds brand awareness. It allows you to build relationships between your audience and brand, leading to increased brand recognition.
The key to greater recognition among specific audiences is a steady flow of social media posts. Use a social media management system to schedule posts on your content calendar in advance. Aim for about three to five posts a week to maintain interest.
Relevance is even more important. Keep social media posts relevant to your target audience and consistent with your brand identity. This is as relevant to social media posts designed for customers as it is to social networking sites for your corporate community.
2. A social media presence enhances engagement
Why do internet users spend so much time on meta platforms and other social media networks? They find it engaging. You can enhance your customer engagement by establishing a social media presence for them to interact with your company and brand.
Do they want more entertainment? Create valuable content that keeps them entertained and wanting more. Do they want a news feed or educational content? Offer them your brand’s latest developments and other industry-related information.
Don’t forget that most of your employees, colleagues, business partners, and clients are among these active social media users, too. Offering them the same experience as social media platforms on an enterprise social network is an excellent way to engage with your corporate community.
3. A social media strategy helps with talent acquisition
A social media platform doesn’t just let you connect with your existing and potential customers. Use social networking sites with job boards and you can acquire top talent for your open positions at a fraction of your usual recruiting costs.
However, many of the best candidates are already part of your corporate community. This is where you should start looking for top talent when filling top posts and for your future succession planning. It’s so much simpler when you use Aluminate to build a social network platform of your own.
The ever-changing landing page will show your community members content that is most relevant to them. Our social data sync feature keeps you up-to-date with everything new that’s happening in your corporate community.
4. Cost-effective social media marketing tools
There’s a very good reason why social media marketing skills are in such high demand. Social media marketing works. The advantage of marketing on popular social networking sites is two-fold.
First, social media sites give you access to a wider (and growing by the day) audience for all your marketing, engagement, and networking needs. They enable you to more effectively target customers, boost conversions, and increase sales.
Secondly, they save money. Social media marketing campaigns are extremely cost-effective. Paid advertising on social platforms is much more affordable than traditional advertising channels. Online social networking events for your marketing teams are also more affordable than physical events.
5. Professional networking opportunities
One of the benefits of social networking sites is reconnecting with ex-colleagues and corporate alumni. Platforms like LinkedIn allow your employees and management to broaden the business’s reach through targeted networking events.
You can enjoy the same types of professional networking opportunities by creating a unique social network for your organization and your corporate alumni, with Aluminate for Enterprise.
Aluminate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups. These various groups can be curated to meet different regional needs or specialized, industry-specific interests, just like you would for your external social media presence. This creates a space for networking and collaboration with like-minded individuals.
6. Social media engagement increases interactions
Are you disappointed in your company’s website traffic numbers? External links on your social media accounts will direct traffic to your website. You will attract new customers and boost your web traffic metrics and rankings on search engines.
Monitor which social media posts encourage more interaction and drive more traffic to your site and you’ll gain valuable insights into your audience’s preferences. But just as you use social media to engage customers and increase web traffic, you can engage employees and drive their company-wide interaction.
Keep them engaged with their own social networking site, where they stay more connected to the company culture, learn new skills, and find the perfect mentor. By increasing both your customer and employee engagement, you build a stronger and more resilient business.
7. The competitive advantage
When rival organizations compete for the same target audience, they need a competitive advantage. An effective social commerce or social media marketing strategy that resonates with the target audience gives even small businesses the edge over their competitors.
Unfortunately, the wider internet-using public can be fickle. To retain their attention takes hard work and a mix of brand and user-generated content and various media. But get it right, and you get the lion’s share of the market.
It’s the same for your corporate social networking. The more variety the better. Social networking lets you create the type of content that captures and holds your corporate community’s interest.
8. Business development and partnerships
Social networking is about building strong connections. You’ll enjoy the same sense of connection in the business world with a corporate alumni network like Aluminate. Community connection is how you develop strong partnerships and maintain relationships that help your business grow.
The best way to create partnerships is to include not only your employees, alumni, and clients on your corporate community platform, but also external stakeholders. This will lead to an increase in partnerships among all your corporate connections, as well as enhanced brand recognition.
Aluminate for Enterprise makes social networking easy for your business
Social networking provides a cost-effective marketing platform where you can boost customer engagement with your new and existing clients. A social media presence also affords you opportunities for professional networking to source top talent and build better partnerships. And these are just a few of the benefits.
That’s why companies and brands worldwide are tapping into the many benefits of social networking in businesses. Isn’t it time for your organization to do the same?
Aluminate for Enterprise makes this easy, with a customizable corporate community platform that you can adapt to suit your needs. Harness the power of social networking in businesses, with the world’s most customizable online community platform. Request a demo today.
