Social media is a powerful and effective way for businesses to reach their target audiences. According to Statista, in 2020, an estimated 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide, and this number is only expected to increase.
By 2025, it is estimated that almost 4.41 billion people will be on social media. This statistic alone shows the importance of using social media to your business’ advantage.
In this article, we will cover some important ways businesses are using social media in their daily marketing strategy. We will identify the many benefits a social media presence can provide for your business.
Connecting With Customers
Social media is an important extension of your brand. It offers a great way for your business to connect with its customers, especially during a time where face-to-face interaction is rather limited. With such a vast majority of the population on social channels, it’s simple to get those critical interactions with customers.
Businesses are using social media to engage with customers by responding to their comments or liking the content they post. When customers see a brand actively engaging with users it “humanizes” the brand and gives customers that desirable feeling of connectivity.
Providing Customer Service
These days, many people seek assistance or answers to their questions via social media, whether this is in the form of a private message or a comment, people expect a solution to the problem quickly.
According to J.D. Power, 67% of consumers have used a company’s social media channel for customer service.
Businesses use social media as a quick way to point their concerned or confused customers in the right direction. An example of this method is shown below:
Whole Foods is known for its stellar customer service on social media. In this instance, a customer expressed that they were disappointed the store no longer carried one of their favorite products.
Whole Foods quickly responded to them with a simple solution. This response provides an easy remedy for the customer’s situation and also allows Whole Foods to build a strengthened bond with the customer.
This is a great example of how social media can provide a positive experience for customers and businesses alike.
Partnering with Influencers
Influencer marketing has surged in popularity over the last few years thanks to its ability to increase engagement and drive leads. In fact, according to new research from Mediakix, 80% of marketers find influencer marketing to be an effective strategy.
It is no mystery why marketers find this strategy effective, it is shown to have an ROI that is comparable to, or better than other marketing channels. This is in part due to the credibility that influencer marketing provides for your brand.
MuseFind reported that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from influencers over brand advertisements. Consumers likely only follow individuals that they admire and trust, which means the influencer promotion of your product can be incredibly powerful.
Oftentimes, consumers are wary of brands who claim their product works wonders, but when they hear it first hand from a trusted source, they are far more likely to believe in the product.
Additionally, influencer marketing allows companies to tap into those niche markets. Tapping into a niche market allows businesses to create personalized content that will really resonate with the intended audience.
Tailored content is proven to be more successful at driving both engagement and conversions. In fact, for every $1 invested in influencer marketing, businesses make $6.50 in revenue according to the latest poll from Tomoson.
User-Generated Content
User-generated content falls into a category similar to influencer marketing. It is an effective way to get your content in front of multiple audiences. For the majority of brands, Instagram is the main place user-generated content is posted.
One way companies encourage consumers to post this type of content is by hosting a contest or giveaway in which users are required to post a photo or video of themselves using the company’s product or service. An example of this tactic is shown below:
Mint, a financial management app, held an Instagram contest that required users to share special moments when their life and finances aligned due to use of the Mint app – a great way to encourage meaningful user-generated content.
The users were required to add the hashtag #MyMintMoment to any photos they submitted, which drew additional traction to the giveaway and the company itself.
Gaining Customer Insight
There’s no better place to gain valuable insights about your customers than on social media.
On average, internet users spend 2 hours and 22 minutes on social media each day and this number only continues to increase year over year. This provides businesses with a huge chunk of time to interact with customers and gain insight into their interests and opinions.
Businesses recognize the importance of gaining valuable insights into their customers. Businesses that fully understand their customer profiles are proven to be more successful at creating personalized, engaging content.
Conclusion
There are hundreds of ways businesses are using social media today. The topics we covered barely scrape the surface because no two social media strategies are alike. In order to be successful, every business must create a customized strategy that aligns with their business goals.
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- How Are Businesses Using Social Media? - October 17, 2020
