Importance of Social Media

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For brands, being on social media is no longer an option: it’s a necessity.

What started out as a place for friends and family to stay connected and share updates has since evolved into a vital marketing channel with a deep impact on consumer behavior. As of 2019, 42% of the world’s population uses social media on a daily basis. Active social media users across the world have continued to increase, with 8% growth since 2017*. 

Users of major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest utilize the platforms to keep up with current events, interact with their favorite bloggers, research brands to help make purchase decisions, and more. Active users tend not to regularly create content but do spend time on their favorite social media channels to view and/or engage with content.

In a 2018 study*, 71% of consumers who had a positive experience with a brand on social media were found to likely recommend the brand to their friends and family – which tells us that the potential for social media to help your brand is vast. Having a strong social media presence can enable brands to reach a wider audience, build brand authority and loyalty, engage directly with customers while gaining insight, etc. The key is to remember that social media, unlike other digital channels, is a two-way street – a conversation. When done right, the benefits are plenty – but where do you begin?

Whether you are just starting out or are stuck with your current plan and need a little direction, these four points are core to brand success on social:

1. Identify your brand’s goals, marketing objectives, and target consumer(s).
   Put this information at the center of your discussion when creating a social media strategy. When there is internal alignment on these points, it is much easier for a social media strategy to bloom and receive consistent C-suite support.
   
2. Select social media channels based on where your target consumer is.
   As tempting as it might be to hop on the latest and coolest platform, identifying and meeting your consumers where they are is key to your success on social. If you’re a fashion brand targeting teens, Snapchat might be the perfect fit, but if you’re a premium supplement brand targeting ages 45-60, Facebook would do a better job of reaching your core consumer.
   
3. Set aside resources for content curation & creation, engagement, and ad spend.
   A mistake that many brands make is looking at social media channels as a PR outlet. Your social media strategy isn’t plug and play. Even if you have content scheduled for a couple months, interacting with your audience and staying tuned into the conversation about your brand and trending topics on your key channels helps you to stay relevant and shows customers that you care. Lastly, don’t forget ad spend, because social is a pay-to-play game.
   
4. Stay on top of the competition and platform changes.
   The world of social media is changing constantly, so keeping up can feel daunting. For most brands, we’d recommend focusing on platform features, which enable you to talk to your audience in a new and potentially more engaging way, as well as algorithm changes, so you are sure to abide by those platforms rules and ensure as many people as possible will see your posts. Don’t forget to keep an eye on your top competitors’ social channels!
   

Looking for an agency to help you with your social media efforts? Get in touch: https://smithdesign.com/contact-us-2/

– Pareesha Narang, Social Media & Communications Manager

*Sources:

https://wearesocial.com/global-digital-report-2019
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics