4 Ways Social Media Marketing Can Help Your Business

In Ireland, the number of social media users stands at 4.28 million (Statista, 2023). That’s 85% of the population. Couple these figures with the fact that people in Ireland spend 2 hours per day on average on these platforms, and the power that social media can yield for food and drink businesses is clear. In 2023, marketing through these networks is vital for selling your products and services locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Benefits of Social Media Marketing For Food & Drink Businesses

1. Brand Awareness

In Ireland, a whopping 68.5% of people use social media to research businesses before spending their money so making the right impression online is vital!

The bottom line is that if you are not there for your customers to find, you are not there for them to shop with. Similar to shutting your shop door on the busiest day of the year - by not showing up online, you're simply directing your customers towards your competitors.

Part of the research Irish consumers conduct involves getting to know who you are as a brand and what it is you stand for. So while your primary goal is to promote your products and services so you can grow your sales, the goal of your social media strategy needs to be more customer-centric.

Instead of using your social media presence as a shop window where you merely show off your products or services, invite them “inside” by giving them a stronger sense of the personality and ethos of your brand. Use social media to share your business story, give an insight into why it is you do what you do or what it is that makes your business so unique to create an online sense of community.

By taking a more personal approach and speaking to your customers the same way you would if they were standing in front of you (because that's who these social media users are after all), you can strengthen your brand identity, create connections and ultimately convert these online window shoppers into paying customers to make your business more sustainable in the long-term.

2. Builds Connections With Customers

One of the remarkable benefits of social media for small Irish businesses is that it allows us to talk directly to our customers and followers. With Ireland voted as one of the World's Friendliest Places on Earth, it's important for businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector particularly to build on the famous Irish welcome. By applying this same welcoming feeling to their social platforms, they can create an all-round experience for their customers.

A study from Sprout Social shows that 71% of people are more likely to buy from the businesses whom they have had a positive experience on social media with (2019). The key takeaway from this is simple; when people engage with your content, it's a great idea to engage back as this helps to build trust, allowing you to nurture relationships which can develop sales over time.

There are no secret formulas or quick fixes to engaging with your customers and building relationships with them. The best ways you can do this are by providing them with content they will want to connect with, responding quickly to their queries and comments, personalising your interactions showing there is a real person behind the comments or even by simply re-sharing the content they post about your business.

3. Keeps Your Business Top Of Mind

With a myriad of tasks upon which your attention needs to be focused when running a business, it is easy to allow social media to descend from 'Priority' to 'Whenever-I-Get-A-Chance' on your ever growing to-do list. However, we're all heard the old adage 'It's a lot less expensive to keep a customer than to acquire a new one'. Social media is the perfect tool to help keep your business stay top of mind with existing customers.

4. Targeted Advertising

With 3.45 million Facebook users (Statista, 2022) and 2.4 million Instagram (Dare Portal, 2022) in Ireland, social media advertising is an extremely powerful tool which allows small Irish food and drink businesses to promote their products or services to a specifically targeted audience, and at a much lower cost than traditional media advertising.

It's reported that 70% of businesses generate leads on social media. Meanwhile, 58% of marketers said that social media channels have helped them boost sales for their clients or companies. These are figures which greatly demonstrate the potential that social media advertising yields for food and drink businesses who are ready to allocate a social media marketing spend.

In order to manage a successful social media advertising campaign, food and drink businesses should consider the budget they have available to them for the year. If you are unsure how to determine a budget, take into consideration how a particular campaign aligns with your overall goals for the year. Once you have been able to place a value of importance on the campaign, you'll be better equipped to decide how much you are comfortable spending, as well as the worth of the return you are likely to get from this particular campaign.

It's crucial that when running a social media advertisement, you consider your audiences' interests in order to make your ad as relevant as possible to them. The more engaging, and eye-catching your ad is, the more likely it is to capture the attention of your prospective customers. However, the language you use is just as important as the visuals. By keeping your customer in mind, you can better tailor your messaging to clearly communicate your value proposition. The last step is simply to remember to include a call to action in your advertisement and ask your customers to take an action, be that to sign up, reserve a table, buy a product or simply comment on your post.

If you are a food or drink business or leader looking for assistance with your Social Media Marketing then Conquer Digital may be the right choice for you. We are passionate about helping businesses leverage the power of storytelling online. Email ciara@conquerdigital.ie to learn more.