Are you a 25-year old multinational label with over a hundred employees? Or perhaps a startup that kicked off a few months ago? How about a small hawker stall selling our favourite curry puffs? Well, I bet you’ve heard it: your competitors are jumping on the social media bandwagon. And it’s time for you to do so too.

There are 2.3 billion active social media users in the world. Southeast Asia ranks the highest in the penetration of social network usage among internet users over the world. You’re missing out if you’re not on the same platforms as these users who could potentially be your loyal customers. Not a good enough reason to create a social media presence? Here are five more that could convince you:

1. Get your name out there

Ever seen a video advertisement so many times you can practically recite the exchange between the involved parties? Same theory: you want your brand to be everywhere. You want your audience to be familiar with your brand character. Better yet, you want them to think of your brand when they need what you specialise in. It doesn’t matter if you’re a long-standing business or an ambitious, fresh startup. Social media gives your brand great exposure because of the large number of users and easy sharing capabilities.

2. Wow your audience

Here’s the opportunity to capture your audience with engaging content! The ultimate goal is for your content to reach a wider audience through clicks, likes, comments, and shares. This creates even more buzz for your brand as your content is seen by those beyond your targeted audience. Your engagement with social media users can lead to the creation of a group of loyal customers. Here’s the best part: it’s free!

3. Building brand loyalty

In other words, maintain long-lasting relationships. Social media allows you to interact personally with individuals. If you’re new to the industry, take this opportunity to increase your customers’ lifetime values. Understand your customers better and engage with them on a more personal level by replying to their comments. This enhances customer satisfaction and strengthens the bond between your audience and your brand.

4. Get instant feedback

You’ve been providing customers with products or services for 20 years but you never know what they’re saying about you. Here’s the chance for you to understand what they really feel. Social media provides businesses with an invaluable tool for online listening. What you hear about your brand may be good or bad but it gives you the opportunity to take the appropriate action. Suddenly, communication is two-way instead of you merely broadcasting to your audience.

5. Influence

Consumers look to other consumers’ decisions before they make a purchase. Today, they look at their favourite personalities who are amassing a huge following on social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. A social media presence increases your chances of having the right influencer on your feed who may share your content. This further stretches your content beyond your intended target audience and increases your digital exposure.

Social media should take the centre stage of your marketing strategy today no matter the size of your business. But when I say create a social media presence, I don’t mean putting yourself out there on every single available platform. You need to have a purpose for being on social media. Assess the platforms most suited to your business and start getting your content out there!