Social media is a powerful tool that pretty much everyone has jumped on, especially in the past few years. It helps you nurture current customers and generate leads, all while doing so in a way that is fun and engaging. This is a versatile way of marketing and by the time you’re done reading this blog, you’ll know exactly why it’s one of the most valuable digital channels.
Why Use Social Media for Business?
Social media is trending up when it comes to growth. More and more people are creating accounts and not just on one platform either. It’s not uncommon to find someone with a handful of social handles from Instagram to TikTok to Facebook to BeReal. On the developer side, social media is not slowing down at all. With new updates, features, and technologies, platforms are running full speed ahead to keep up with users.
Where does that leave marketers? For one, an endless doom scroll through TikTok. On a more serious note, this means we have innovative and diverse ways to access and build relationships with our customer base. With social media, businesses are no longer this mysterious entity. They become multidimensional to customers.
By leveraging a wide variety of platforms we’re able to show customers what we’re really about and keep them in-the-know about what we offer. With social media, companies can offer quick but powerful looks into their thought processes, behind-the-scenes moments, vibrant teams, and passion for their industry.
Benefits of Social Media Marketing
Are you intrigued yet? There’s a million and one reasons why social media can be a boost to your marketing strategy. It’s an effective way to reach new and old audiences with content that excites everyone across the board. Here’s how it benefits you:
Social media is where everyone is at. This is the most basic of reasons but it’s worth bringing up. There’s no point marketing to an audience that’s not there. It’d be like proposing the placement of a billboard sign in the middle of nowhere. Regardless of how great the content is, it’s not going to help you out if no one is seeing it. And, like we mentioned before, everyone is on social media.
It’s not just a browsing glance that users are giving companies either. In fact, they’re using it extensively for entertainment, research, and promotion. Comment sections are active, and shares aren’t uncommon which is why one of the first benefits of using social media is that you’re getting your name out there.
Social media builds relationships. It goes without saying that relationships you create with your customers are very valuable to your business. These are the people that are buying your products and enrolling in your services. They’re also the ones that will return as repeat customers and promote you to others.
This is where social media comes in handy. These platforms are some of the best spaces to nurture relationships and build community. It’s a spot where your audience can easily interact with you and find common ground with each other. Due to the convenience, you can easily interact back. There are all sorts of ways to easily reach your audience and build that sense of connection and loyalty.
One acronym: UGC. Also known as User Generated Content, this is one of the benefits of social media that you can’t find anywhere else. There is so much content on social media and oftentimes, it’s just a customer that loves your product enough to post it on their story, include it in their post, or share it in a video.
It’s easy to spot but feels very down-to-earth. It looks like people posting videos of their pet going crazy over a new toy or the common influencer line, “this isn’t sponsored, I just love the product”. Just check out feeds like @rarebeauty or @smallsforcats to get a glimpse at how companies make the most of UGC.
Why Having a Campaign Strategy is Important
Social media is pretty amazing and it’s highly recommended that you dip your toes in if you haven’t yet. However, we’re not telling you to go in blind. There needs to be some sort of strategy involved!
While social media may seem random at times and it’s easy to forget that you’re watching a marketing strategy play out when you watch fun videos, it’s important to remember that there’s thought behind what you’re seeing and it often takes months of planning.
Having a strategy in place is smart. It establishes goals to aim for and steps to take to get there. Jumping in headfirst without any planning could get you a viral post if you’re lucky. But relying on the world to pick up on your content for whatever random reason isn’t a solid way to move forward.
Instead, sit down with your team beforehand to really flesh out what it is you’re after. Are you looking to engage, educate, entertain, or a little bit of everything? What tactics will you use? How often are you sharing these posts? Build out a content calendar ahead of time and create themes or ideas for specific posts so that all that is left is to create them.
Social Media Marketing Trends
If you’re on social media at all, there’s a good chance you’ve come across some of the trends making their rounds across the internet.
Reels, TikToks, and Shorts Galore. We can thank TikTok for making video consumption one of the most popular ways to interact with content. In fact, It’s become so popular that you can see its impact on other platforms. Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube are getting on board with short videos. These are quick and usually less than a minute long which is what makes them so easy to swipe through. It’s long enough to capture attention but short enough to keep people interested.
Authenticity. People are straying away from perfectly filtered feeds and, instead, following those that feel human and real. This is where apps like BeReal have been able to fit the needs of consumers who are wanting something beyond a perfectly curated feed. It’s also why you see content like “get ready with me” or “pack an order with me” videos becoming more and more popular.
Influencer marketing. The creator economy will only continue to grow and those that take note of this will have more opportunities. Tapping into the creator economy and forming partnerships is a great way to expand your brand’s audience, generate more leads and engagement, and build up your social community.
The Takeaway
Social media is big and it’s only going to get bigger and more influential. With that in mind, you can properly strategize how you want to align it with your current marketing plan. These platforms have become a crucial part of interacting with your audience. Efforts put into developing a strong presence will in turn lead to increased conversions and a powerful marketing strategy.
