Having a presence on social media websites will help to increase brand awareness, which will help you to reach new customers that might not have found your products/services previously.

Social media platforms can rank in organic search alongside your website allowing you to dominate the first page of search engine results. This will mean that those looking for your product or service will be more likely to be drawn to your website, either directly, or via one of your social media profiles.

Both Google and Bing have recently announced that social signals benefit a websites ranking in organic search. By making it easy for people to share your content with like, tweet or +1 buttons, you will boost your chances of getting onto the coveted first page of search results. Again, this will increase the likelihood of those looking for your products or services coming to your website.

If you run paid search ads then take advantage of social ad extensions, these allow your Google+ page to feature prominently at the top of the search results along with your ad. This will encourage people both to; +1 (share) the link to your website, which will boost your organic rankings, as well encourage them to follow your Google+ page, which means they are more likely to see content from you again.

Facebook is the second most popular website in the UK, with users spending more time on it than anywhere else. By having a presence on Facebook, you can create engaging content to drive them from Facebook to your website.

Active engagement on social media platforms will also increase your visibility to potential customers and position your brand as a thought leader within your sector. Twitter offers the perfect platform to allow you to search for people talking about your brand, your competitors or your industry.

Join in the conversation by offering value or insight. If someone is tweeting about a problem with a competitor, offer to rectify it. Search for industry terms and see who needs advice in your area of expertise and engage with them.

See also: SMEs tune in to social media

Related topics: Social media