According to a recent study by Pew Research, 62% of people get their news from various social media platforms. Also, 18% of these people do so “very often.” The top social media news source is Facebook with two-thirds of all users reading their news on the actual platform.
That’s pretty impressive, right? But, the question is – what in the world does it have to do with your marketing?
Think about it. At the end of 2016, Facebook had 1.71 billion users (give or take a million). This means that when you use social media platforms for your marketing efforts, you have a huge, virtually unlimited audience.
The question you may still wonder is what attracts these billions of people to social media platforms on a daily basis?
Modern Information Consumption
- Today, social media is the go-to source for news and information. When you understand the key reasons people use social media, you are better equipped to use the platforms yourself, for marketing purposes. Understanding the “how’s” and “whys” of social media is important, since just a decade ago television, radio, and newspapers dominated the scene.
- What makes social media so appealing? There are several theories:
- · It’s the fad. Individuals like to feel they are “part of the crowd.” As a result, they jump on the bandwagon of what everyone else they know is doing.
- · For the sheer purpose of information. There is so much going on today, social media makes it easy to get a comprehensive overview of events in one place.
- · To make new friends.
- · To learn and get to know other people.
- · To remain updated on current events.
- · To share information.
With social media, users can also ask questions and receive answers about what they are interested in. Unlike television, radio and newspapers, which only report the news, rather than answering specific questions from individual readers or consumers. Social media is also updated in real-time. Events that are going on can be broadcast live over social media, while there may be hour’s long delays for television and newspaper reporters.
The Draw of Social Platforms
Just a few decades ago, if you wanted to be included in town events and know what was going on, word of mouth was the best source available. After that came radio and newspapers, followed closely by television. However, all of these communication mediums pale in comparison to what social media has to offer.
With everything having moved online, including businesses, consumers find there are thousands of choices available to them – all while they sit in the comfort of their own home. They no longer have to wait for the sale ad from the local department store or go to town to purchase groceries. While these choices make finding information, shopping, and handling other tasks easier, it also presents a few challenges.
For example, consumers need to know who to trust? Who is providing accurate information backed by facts? Businesses can leverage this need consumers have to find a trustworthy company to help draw potential customers to them.
How Businesses can Gain Attention
Even though the primary theme of social media platforms is to actively connect with others and to share information, it is also crucial to fully understand how social platforms are used specifically.
Those who gain popularity do so by creating posts that are creative, informative, and tell people something they want to know. If your business is constantly spamming news feeds and posting information about something being sold, all you are going to accomplish is driving customers away – in some cases straight to your competition.
However, before you begin creating a social media marketing strategy, you need to learn more about sharing on social media, and what each platform has to offer.
Social Media Platforms: What Do They Offer?
You have likely heard of, and may even be a member of a few social media sites. Facebook, is by far, the largest, reaching 67% of adults in America. Twitter is another big-hitter, reaching 16%. Some sites that deserve an honorable mention include Google +, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and the list goes on and on.
When you are trying to market your business using social media platforms, you have to figure out where your target audience is. This requires an in-depth analysis to figure out who actually wants the product or service you have to offer. While this may seem like quite a bit of unnecessary work, it can really pay off in regard to seeing an ROI on your marketing dollars. When you use the platforms where your potential consumers are, you have a much higher chance of closing a deal.
When you create an account on these social platforms, you can’t just remain stagnant. You have to take action, share information, spur conversations, and ask questions. Are you wondering why sharing is so important? If so, consider the following:
- 84% of users share because they can support issues or causes that matter to them.
- 78% of users share information online so they can stay in touch with people they don’t see every day.
- 69% share because it helps them feel more involved.
The reasons people share online are vast. However, one statistic that matters to businesses is that 25% of users share to make personal recommendations of things they enjoy. If you think about the user base on Facebook alone, 25% is millions of people you could reach with a single recommendation from a satisfied customer. However, if you don’t have a social presence, you are missing out on this huge opportunity.
It is also important to know what people are sharing, which is a reflection of what they are interested in consuming. When you begin sharing on social media, make sure to cater to what your audience wants. Pictures are a huge draw, with 43% of users sharing these, and 26% use the platforms to share articles and news they found useful.
Is the Future of Business Social Selling?
As a business owner, you always have to keep your bottom line in view. If you aren’t actively participating in social marketing, you are losing customers and sales on a daily basis.
However, social media is also a free way to market your business. While there are ads you can pay for, most platforms allow you to create a presence and begin posting right away. While it does take time and effort to build a following, it is time well spent. If your business is going through a hard time regarding capital, social media offers a breath of fresh air. Not only can you continue marketing your business, but at no out of pocket cost.
While taking the leap is often intimidating, social media is an extremely forgiving marketing option. If you make a mistake, have an unsatisfied customer, or some other type of adverse event, you can take care of it with ease.
As stated before, just creating a social media presence isn’t enough to get you noticed. You also have to take the time to gain a following and then keep them engaged. This does not mean you are trying to sell them something with every post. The goal is to get the conversation started. For example, if you run a company offering tutoring services for high school students, ask questions. Questions can include:
- What subjects are most difficult in school?
- Do you want to help your child, but need guidance?
- What do you think a good tutor should cost?
While these questions may not seem like much on the surface, they can help to spur a conversation. Make sure you jump in and provide information (not a sales pitch) about how tutoring is beneficial and how it can help kids and parents who are struggling. This process is the same for any business.
Continued Engagement
Starting a conversation on social media is likely much easier than you may imagine. However, once the chatter dies down, don’t disappear from the scene altogether. The key to social media marketing success is to ensure your readers want to come back to see what you post and what you have to say. If you are only posting once a month, this is never going to happen.
If you can’t find time to post regularly yourself, you may want to hire a social media marketing manager. This person will understand the importance of regularly posting information that people want to see.
The New Communication Norm
There is no question that social media is the new communication norm. It allows people to interact with each other, businesses, and anyone else imaginable. It provides instant access to information and reduces the feeling of being in the dark.
As a business owner, regardless of the size or type of business you have, you need to embrace this new communication norm. You need to harness its power and let it expand your marketing efforts. Smart businesses have been using the power and reach of social media for years. Now is the time to jump on this bandwagon and see how beneficial it can be for you, too. People use social media because it is popular. But it is also powerful. Learning how to harness this power allows you to expand your reach and your marketing success.
Comment please.