All too often, social media enterprises are used ineffectively when it comes to their true marketing potential. As social media continues to receive hype surrounding the benefits that it can offer, millions of brands, businesses and causes have flooded sites such as Facebook with their presences. Most do this in the hopes that an increased social media presence will allow their ventures to flourish. While it can be an incredibly powerful tool, social media must be cultivated and utilized in specific ways to gain the most benefits; posting occasionally to a page or group does not create the level of marketing potential that harnessed social media efforts can provide. What benefits can be achieved through focused social media marketing? Below, we’ll discuss three examples of what you can expect under such circumstances.

Referrals

It has never been easier to obtain a plentiful amount of free or low-cost referrals, thanks in large part to social media. Many brands will use a platform such as a Facebook page to promote a discount or create a giveaway, which can create an ample amount of new referrals through sign-ups and shares. Special incentives can be provided to users who are willing to provide their email or other contact information to you through a Facebook app or similar application. While you may not be pinging for SEO directly through these efforts, you will be able to generate additional social signals (search engines like this) and build an even larger mailing list for your marketing efforts.

Fundraisers

If your small business has an innovative product or your non-profit wishes to drum up dollars for an upcoming project, social media can be an excellent tool for this. Not only are there a variety of crowd-sourced fundraising websites to utilize, but sharing via social media is the primary way that these projects gain steam and attract new followers. The best use of marketing on social media for fundraising is word-of-mouth, but some targeted advertising campaigns may also prove to be successful. With a relevant and interested audience at your disposal, the sky is the limit when it comes to your fundraising potential.

Direct Sales

Social media allows you to appeal directly to the user without an over-saturation of emails, telephone calls or other old-school marketing tactics that can exhaust readers’ attention spans. A resounding call to action via social media may prove to be more beneficial to your bottom line than pinging for SEO through traditional means. A great product or service can in many cases sell itself, but you can augment the chances of this by including a captivating reason why consumers should purchase the product in question. With shares, advertising and updates posted to your walls and feeds, social media presents the opportunity for a multi-pronged marketing campaign.

Conclusion

The three best ways you can use social media to boost your direct marketing potential is through the use of fundraisers, direct sales and the obtainment of referrals. These three elements will help you fund valuable causes and projects, earn revenue and find potential leads for future efforts.