Why Social Media Marketing is Important

In addition to platforms like Twitter and Facebook, social media marketing uses review sites, such as Yelp, image and video sharing sites, such as Vimeo, and community boards and blog sites. Considering how broad social media marketing can be, it’s not hard to see why social media marketing is important!

Social media marketing falls into two categories: organic and paid. Organic social media marketing focuses on gathering views, click-throughs, and potential customers through techniques such as blog posts and videos. In essence, it encompasses all forms of branding and marketing that do not require payment to reach its intended audience. Conversely, paid social media marketing consists of advertising techniques that have a designated budget, such as paid advertisement slots on the side of a website or a video advertisement that plays at the beginning or end of a YouTube video. Effective social media marketing utilises both organic and paid marketing strategies to achieve unified goals.

Advantages and Benefits of Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing provides several advantages and benefits over traditional marketing techniques in terms of gathering audiences, increasing brand awareness, and understanding the habits and priorities of both current and prospective clientele.

1. Social media marketing is interactive

A major advantage of social media marketing lies in its interactive nature. Social media allows current and prospective customers to engage directly with a brand by liking, sharing, and even directly replying to that business. In this way, consumers give companies immediate feedback on new products and advertising strategies. Interacting with customers directly through social media also allows companies to build stronger relationships with current and prospective clients by allowing companies to interact with their clients’ questions, comments, or even complaints anytime, anywhere, and personally. Not only can this interaction make clients feel that their opinions matter, but it also allows companies to further tailor their positive image and increase brand loyalty by giving their clients a good experience associated with their brand.

2. Social media marketing allows companies to fine-tune their brand awareness and messaging

Because clients can give immediate feedback to companies about marketing strategies, companies can tailor their messages faster and easier than traditional marketing methods. Unlike traditional marketing, social media marketing allows companies to collect a plethora of data that would otherwise take a lot of time and effort – or even be impossible – to collect and analyse, like how many people view an advertisement in real time or how many people buy a product because of seeing that advertisement. Data analytics tools and targeted advertising algorithms from companies such as Google, Facebook, and others collect, tabulate, and report these countless statistics so businesses can use them to further tailor their messages to their intended audience. Not only does this allow for more effective advertisements, but such tools also give companies more accurate and complete data about their clientele, such as ages, gender, and even time of day when clients are more likely to appear online (and thus see a marketing campaign).

The ability to fine-tune messaging on social media also means that companies can increase their conversion rates, or how often a potential customer turns into an active customer, because tailored advertisements ensure that they cater to clientele interests. Engaging, interesting advertisements also result in a higher level of brand loyalty because it increases the likelihood that clients will view the advertisements positively rather than a 5-second nuisance they have to wait to skip.

3. Social media marketing is cost-effective

The cost-effectiveness of social media marketing also presents a big advantage over traditional marketing strategies. Posting a tweet or running an advertisement campaign online costs significantly less than paying an advertising firm to run a commercial. The ease of creating and implementing social media marketing strategies also means that businesses can spend more time ensuring that their messaging remains relevant and consistent. It also means that companies can reach larger audiences more easily.

4. Social media marketing allows businesses to emphasise their expertise and stand out from competitors

The cost-effective nature of social media marketing means that companies can afford to get creative in how they present their products and services. Content that highlights personalised perspectives, varies in presentation (e.g., video advertisements, Twitter threads), and demonstrates competency in their field of expertise indicates a brand’s trustworthiness. It thus increases the likelihood that customers will choose that brand over others.

How to Create an Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy

Although social media marketing has many benefits, it takes knowledge and strategy to do it well. Understanding some basic components of what makes a social media campaign effective creates a solid foundation that ensures your business will stand out from the competition.

• Do your research – A large portion of social media marketing consists of understanding the latest marketing trends and what clients look for when searching for a particular product or service. Look to popular brands and competitors to find out what they offer – and ascertain what you can offer that the others cannot.
• Get personal – Use the interactive nature of social media to your advantage by reaching out to clients personally to better understand what matters most to them. This might occur through replying to potential customers’ questions via tweets, replying to customer complaints via Facebook, or offering promotional items to celebrate social media milestones, such as reaching a certain amount of followers. All such avenues not only increase your visibility online but demonstrate a commitment to customer satisfaction. Showing that you care about what customers think raises the likelihood that both current and potential customers create positive associations with your brand.
• Use the right words – Whether you prefer to post on YouTube or Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, it’s important to use searchable words when possible. While it’s more popular on some platforms than others, most social media sites include an option that allows users to search for keywords and phrases. If you want to show up when your consumers search on social media, keep that in mind as you write captions.
• Be consistent and stay relevant – In social media marketing, quality and quantity matter. Ensuring that companies post regularly with content that catches clients’ attention, such as informational blog posts, can help show that your brand is active and build your brand’s authority with your audience. The more often your business can add to the digital discussion, the more likely that your posts, tweets, and advertisements will come up first and more often compared to brands who post less frequently.
• Get creative – Because social media permeates so many aspects of daily life, it allows companies to explore different avenues for their content that they might not otherwise have considered. For example, if competitors primarily use Facebook to advertise, perhaps consider using platforms like TikTok or Twitter to reach clients that brands offering similar services might overlook. Not only will you stand out, but it will also increase the amount and scope of people who see your services. Just be careful that you do not try to do too much at once; instead, focus your efforts on the social media platforms that best match your clients’ interests. This might take some time as you learn which mediums capture client interest most effectively.

Conclusion

The increasing influence of social media in our everyday lives, as well as the interactive nature of social media, presents companies with ample opportunities and avenues to spread their message. Effective social media marketing allows companies to better understand their clientele, fine-tune their advertising campaigns, and, most importantly, help generate more business and income than simply relying on traditional marketing strategies alone. Understanding the complexities of social media marketing might feel overwhelming, but with the right resources, any business can stand out.