This article outlines some of the reasons why Social Media is a Smart Marketing Strategy. For a long time now, social media has been an unavoidable fixture in the lives of many, but it is no mere fad. Instead, it is an innovation that will not be going away any time soon, but rather is here to stay and will continue to flourish in the future.
As an entrepreneur, you need to take advantage of social media marketing by making your business page on these networks and posting regularly to ensure that you can connect with your target audience and attract new customers.
Why Social Media is a Smart Marketing Strategy
1) Nearly everyone uses at least one form of social media
86% of adults online use Facebook; 78% use YouTube; 65% use Instagram. With social media quickly becoming ubiquitous, using it as part of your marketing strategy may seem like an obvious choice.
In fact, 65% of marketers say that they’re currently using social media to market their business. However, it may not be as easy or efficient to market via social media as you think, and there are definitely strategies that work better than others.
2) Social platforms are free
Don’t have time or money to spend on social media? You don’t need to. You can use Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms without spending a dime on them. Your friends and family are on social media as well as potential clients, they’re all waiting for you to reach out to them.
Market your business effectively: Small businesses struggle with reaching enough potential customers. By using social media, you’re able to connect with your target audience and increase brand awareness, giving yourself plenty of chances to make an impression on their minds.
Learn from others: Are you trying something new that might be working in other industries but hasn’t been tried yet in yours? Learn how companies in different industries are using social media.
3) Mobile devices make it easy to connect
Mobile devices are growing in popularity, and people are increasingly using their smartphones and tablets to connect on social media. According to ComScore, 77% of American adults own cell phones, up from just 30% in 2001.
Additionally, consumers now spend an average of 18 hours per month (3.6 hours per day) on their mobile devices. As mobile continues to grow and eat into desktop/laptop time, social media marketers should take note of how these trends could affect engagement.
In fact, more than 80% of Facebook users access it via mobile. More than 50% of Twitter users do so as well. With numbers like that, it’s easy to see why you should have a strong presence on social media if you want your business to succeed.
4) The users are honest about their experiences
With social media, you have access to millions of users at your fingertips. They are all your potential clients, friends, and supporters. You get real-time feedback about your products or services from them.
What’s more interesting is that they don’t hesitate to tell you if they love it or hate it. People tell all on social media, and you can take advantage of that as soon as possible through a smart marketing strategy.
For example, when someone posts their experience with your product or service on Facebook, you can reach out to them immediately and ask for their honest opinion. This way, you know what people really think about your product and how to improve it.
The speed of social media: It takes just seconds for something to go viral on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And in those few seconds (or minutes), thousands of people could see it and share it with others too. That’s why brands should be active on these channels so they could capitalize on such opportunities quickly.
5) It’s incredibly measurable
If you’re paying for clicks or retweets, you know exactly what your ROI is. If you have an idea for a social media campaign, you can prove it out with specific numbers (or lack thereof).
It’s scalable: You can do it yourself or hire someone to take care of it all. This means that as your business grows, so does your presence on social media.
It’s low-cost: So long as you have access to a computer and an Internet connection, there are no additional fees required to maintain an active social media presence, and you can manage multiple accounts for free.
You build relationships: With time and effort (and assuming people engage with what you share), building relationships online through social media leads to in-person connections.
Conclusion
Although social media can be overwhelming and difficult to maintain, it’s still a great way to market your business. If you keep these five tips in mind while engaging with customers, you should have no problem implementing social media into your marketing strategy.
Remember: have fun, keep it professional, stay organized and flexible, and your business will continue to grow as you continue your social media strategies.