In the arsenal of digital marketing techniques marketers use today, few are as efficient and cost effective as social media. Social media platforms have transformed the business realm, as companies of any size can now garner thousands or tens of thousands of views and clicks through simple campaigns and the proper know how.
Nearly ninety percent of marketers today say that social media has increased exposure in the consumer marketplace, and another sixty-six percent say that only six hours interacting on their social profiles per week is enough to generate a greater amount of quality leads.
Indeed, social media is a tool all companies need to utilize in order to connect with their customers and expand the scope and reach of their business. Whether your company is already using social media, or simply needs help maximizing its potential, here’s a guide to using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to define your brand.
- Social media gives you a better understanding of your customer base
- Ads can be easily targeted to reach the right demographic every time
- Customers are more loyal to a brand they connect with through social media
Increase Your Reach
Social media sites have truly changed the landscape. Today, any company can use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or several other sites to reach millions of potential customers across the globe. These platforms are largely cost effective, meaning your company doesn’t have to break the bank in order to reach who you want when you want to reach them. Many social media platforms also have built in functions to help you target the correct demographics.
Simply input your data and the site will do the leg work, targeting your ads and campaigns directly to the customers who are supposed to see them. These attributes are a great way to boost traffic to your own site and help your company generate views and clicks, which will enhance your bottom line. Posting a new blog or article will also take customers straight to your site and help increase your company’s SEO capabilities, especially if you use video-based social media sites like YouTube.
Social Media Helps You Understand Your Customers
Social media sites do more than simply target the demographics you want. These sites are great for interaction, helping drive thousands of conversations at a given time and allowing your customers to lay bare why they use your company and how you can improve.
For example, several companies now are using YouTube to test their advertisements before they’re officially televised launches. It’s opportunities like this which create trust between both the social platform, your company, and your customer base.
In the past, companies had to spend fall fortunes for product reviews or testing, getting to know their customers only indirectly and through third-party channels which could sometimes muck up the message.
Today, social media allows companies to interact with customers and fans in a way which is highly organic and builds trust between the two. As long as you know which demographics are most likely to use which platforms, your company can keep a consistent connection which has never before been done so naturally.
Social Media Ads
Social media is one of the greatest place to launch ads and target your customers because it so easily allows for “retargeting.” Once a viewer has seen your ad and interact with your brand, they can easily be targeted again and again, helping them keep up with your newest product offerings and helping your company profit off of their admiration multiple times. Social media also easily categorizes customers based off of multiple defining features, such as age, education level, location, and user behavior.
When a customer “likes” a page, image, or video, the site tracks that action. These actions accumulate quickly to give both the site and your company a profile of those reading through social media every day. Your business’ products and services aren’t the only things you can advertise on your social media platforms.
Many companies today are taking advantage of how easily information spreads on these sites to tell customers and the general public about their brand’s message and values. The more active your brand is on social media, the more likely it is they’ll be seen as active and encouraging in real life, and the more people will relate to what your company has to say.
Social Media Increases Loyalty
On top of targeted ads and brand awareness, social media can help your company increase the value of its brand and increase loyalty. Many consumers don’t feel personally connected to the brands they use every day, but this can change considerably if your brand maintains a consistent social media presence.
For example, if your servers go down or there’s another problem which can’t be fixed immediately, your team can more adequately and effectively explain the problem to your customers. This deeper connection marketers can establish with their customers also helps to widen their customer base and attract customers who can see the connection they have with others.
Once your company is seen as more than simply a set of balance sheets, customers are greatly more likely to increase their appreciation for your services and reuse your products and other offerings. It’s estimated that this increased relatability has led to seventy percent of marketers acquiring at least some customers through Facebook.
Final Thoughts
There are many weapons companies have today in their digital marketing arsenal, but one of the most effective by far is social media. No matter which platform your brand uses or if you use multiple ones, social media can help you acquire customers, make deeper connections with potential and current customers, and expand the reach of your company in a way you never before thought possible.