The total number of social media users is projected to cross 3 billion by 2020. We currently stand at 2.7 billion already. Since the total population of the world is 7.7 billion, social media accounts for roughly half the population of the entire planet.
The increasing size and impact of social media have made it the most effective marketing channel. Here are 10 reasons your business needs social media marketing to reach unimaginable growth.
Social media is where everyone is. It is the most popular part of the cybersphere. On average, every user spends more than three hours on social media, i.e., around one-third of their total internet time in a day.
What’s even more fascinating is that the time spent on social media is only rising. With more platforms added to the list, we can only expect a further increase. And people are checking their social media while they are eating, shopping, or commuting to work.
Social media marketing puts you right where your prospects are. It can positively influence your brand’s presence and visibility.
Customers’ behaviour and expectations have changed. They are no longer interested in just the product or service; they are more interested in the brand. They are likely to trust brands that can connect to them on a very personal level.
Voila! That is what social media is all about – connections. It is the best platform to engage in a one on one conversation with your customers. It is where brands don’t just speak; they also listen and act accordingly. You don’t have to predict your customers’ likes or dislikes; ask and listen.
It is also a great place to forge B2B relationships and improve your networking. For instance, an online leather jacket store can find the right people to choose as influencers on Instagram or SnapChat.
Speaking of demographics, social media interests people of all ages. In the US, a vast majority of users aged from 18 to 30. That is a massive part of the US population in general. Also, nearly 35 per cent of social media users are aged 65 and above.
For most businesses, these are the two critical demographics to target. Even if you make products for younger kids, their parents are the ones who make the decision to purchase.
And we cannot overlook the fact that social media has a global outreach. With the right content and marketing strategy, your page and posts can attract prospects from all over the world.
With social media, it is easier to target and retarget your ideal customers. The ads serve to fuel organic campaigns on your social media. Platforms such as Facebook have an ingenious algorithm to find and target ideal buyers. People who are more interested in the product or service that you offer are most likely to respond to your ads.
However, it isn’t limited to targeting, and you can also use social media marketing for retargeting. It is the best platform to remind your existing customers about you and your new products that they can check on your website. That is why the traffic directed to your website through social media is more relevant than traffic coming from other channels.
How many social media platforms can you think of?
At the top of our heads, we have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. If you are asked to create a rough profile of users who prefer each of them, that won’t be much of an issue.
This is an excellent opportunity for marketers and businesses. You can use your knowledge of different platforms to target different demographics strategically. Plus, you can approach different prospects more effectively. For instance, a professional logo design agency can focus businesses on LinkedIn and individuals on other platforms.
Social media marketing goes hand in hand with other traditional forms of digital marketing such as email marketing. You can share your email newsletters with your social media followers and generate more traffic out of it.
Facebook even gives businesses the option to ask followers to join their mailing list from the page. By using such features, you can improve your email marketing conversion rate.
We all know that visual content tends to be more engaging and impactful. It is the kind of content, social media thrives on. This is the reason that it is the best platform to utilize the capability of good visual content fully. From simple images to infographics and videos, users are more likely to engage and interact with all such kind of content on social media.
Using videos, you can create more awareness, improve brand recognition, and increase your following. All of it ultimately improves your ROI.
People check their social media accounts more than their emails. On average, a user checks their social media accounts 17 times a day. Ask someone younger, and they would tell you it is more frequent than this.
For businesses that are actively engaged in social media marketing, all of this translates into bigger visibility with lesser efforts.
Social media has developed into one of the most preferred platforms for costumers to discuss a brand. This is true; they will post a review without even being asked for it. And every review can spark a conversation. The conversation can take both positive and negative turn. And the good news is, businesses can control the way the conversation ends.
Through social media, you can provide real-time customer service and answer customers’ grievances most adequately. You can rise up to bad reviews and become a hero while everyone is watching.
There is no denying the fact that social media marketing is profitable. Think about it; just creating a social media page is enough to bring you some exposure without even spending a penny. There are millions of opportunities to generate more engagement and improve conversion organically.
Not to mention, the rates for paid SMM are also somewhat lower than the rate of traditional digital marketing such as PPC.
Social Media Marketing is no longer a choice to ponder over. If you are missing out, you are letting your competitors take the edge. Every business needs a proper SMM strategy to leverage the power of social media for growth and success.