Social Media As Search Engines

Today we are lucky enough to have social media as a tool for purposes ranging from direct selling to customer relationship management but there’s also one very simple and vital reason to have a social media presence – to help would-be customers find you.
Do you know what the second largest search engine in the world is? It’s YouTube. YouTube is the most used search engine after Google. The popularity of video is one contributor to its popularity but another is that many of us have come to rely on social media websites as methods of search. Social media has continuously transformed and it has definitely evolved into something that goes much further than social interaction. Online users utilize social media for everything from studying to shopping and these platforms have now become a major resource for research and information.
This is a testament to the power of having a social media presence today. How many people still use Yellow Pages (in paper form or online)? How many people in your target market? While Google still leads for search, people love to look for companies on social media for a number of reasons. They can research the credibility of your business or brand, read customer feedback and reviews, research the level of customer service you offer based on your responses to customers questions and concerns, seek timely customer service, look up your products and services, look up your address and contact information and much more by simply looking up your Facebook page, Twitter account, Google+ account or others.
With these considerations, it’s not enough to have a social media presence. Each social media account should include all of your essential contact information. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, including photos of your business and even a map would be beneficial for potential customers. Thought and care should be put into every post you share to ensure that they represent your brand in the way you intend and the same applies to every customer interaction you have online.
Social media as a search engine can help to improve your bottom line or it can serve to stagnate your brand. Don’t lose out to competitors. It is not uncommon for savvy online users today to choose one business over another due to a lackluster or abandoned social media page or the altogether lack of a social media presence. Social businesses are seen as more trustworthy and more transparent. How healthy is your presence online?