Social media although as the name implies was set up intended as a platform for users to stay in touch online and share information, images and videos, it has now become a huge platform for marketing. Over two billion people have active social media accounts meaning businesses can market to this active audience for free. Many social media platforms give a certified stamp to official businesses which builds credibility and encourage customers to follow. If you are still a little unsure of the benefits of social platforms for your business read this guide.
Customer Research
The amount of data generate from social media is endless. Plus everything is happening in real time. There are over 500 million Tweets, 4.5 billion Facebook likes and 95 million photos and videos uploaded to Instagram daily. These figures are linked to mass amounts of information related to what your customers like, dislike, who they follow and what they think about your brand. By actively engaging with social media you can gather sufficient information for building your digital marketing campaign.
Brand Development
Having official accounts on social platforms makes it a lot easier for your customers to connect with you. Avid social media users are on their accounts several hours every day so having access to their favourite brands on a platform they are already using is a lot more convenient than having to contact via telephone or go on to the website to find more information.
By interacting with customers on social media you are more likely to build brand loyalty. Social media is a prime method of communication, especially amongst millennials therefore you should treat social media as an official means of customer communication. Even if you aren’t on social platforms your customers will expect you to be. Any business who doesn’t have a social media account could have adverse effects on their credibility. Having someone managing your social platforms.
Social Media Advertising
You can advertising on social platforms for considerably lower costs than traditional advertising plus the reach you are guaranteed is much higher. The ads are strongly targeted therefore you can segment location, company, job title, gender and age. On Facebook you can also target users based on interests and behaviours. The tracking for social media advertising is much more effective than traditional media as it tracks in real time.
Competitor Research
By monitoring social media you can gain insight into your competitors which is useful when you are planning your marketing strategy and are trying to stay ahead. You can also see how your customers are interacting with your competitors as well. This will allow you to set the bar for your own social platforms activity or for those who are new to social media it will give you inspiration into how to interact as a business on social platforms.
Increase Website Traffic
A huge advantage of using social media is that it creates opportunities to direct people your website. It can also help boost your SEO rank.