The Evolution of Social Media for Business

When you think of increasing traffic to your website, what comes to mind? Likely your initial thoughts consist of plans for email campaigns, SEO strategy, and banner ads. All of which are valid means of approaching the issue but what about social media? We all use it and have likely interacted with the brands we love while on it. For a business social media provides another opportunity to build relationships with customers and receive real time feedback on initiatives ranging from product design to philanthropic initiatives. 

What is Social Media?

At its core social media is a way for people to connect online and share personal content including but not limited to thoughts, opinions, pictures, and videos. Mirriam-Webster formally describes social media as “forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content.” 

Often consumers utilize multiple social media platforms throughout their day. For example, I, like most of my millennial cohort, primarily use Instagram and Twitter. However, I have a Facebook account that typically lies dormant unless I need to check for something specifically on the site. This pattern of usage isn’t uncommon in today's e-commerce driven market. Over half of Generation Z and 42% or Millennials say that  social channels are the most relevant in regard to advertising.

When used effectively social media allows your brand to showcase its personality through deliberately curated content. This presents a major opportunity for engagement and brand awareness for businesses, both of which can lead to increases in sales

Benefits for Business

Social media is a valuable asset for companies of all sizes and stages of growth. The culture of sharing and critiquing present in this channel means that your brand is likely to be a part of that discussion at some point, if it already isn’t. Having a clear idea of  how you want your brand to be presented helps to lift your image in the public eye.

When it comes to engagement social media is quickly becoming the consumers method of choice. As of now, 45% of consumers use social media as one of the first channels they go to in order to interact with a brand.

Having a strong presence on social media allows businesses to manage their reputation in real-time before an audience while still engaging in routine customer service.

Marketers have taken note of social media’s surging relevance. In 2019, 90% of brands use social channels to increase their brand awareness. This means that maintaining a consistent social media presence isn’t an option any more. Instead it is an integral part of maintaining any type of competitive advantage.

When it comes to converting consumers to customers social media has become an invaluable tool for marketers. With a majority of consumers preferring content that informs knowing the strengths of each platform will enable you to maximize the effort spent curating your company's social image.

The Top Social Media Apps

Facebook

Despite being the current punching bag for data privacy concerns, Facebook still dominates as the largest social media platform. The Big Blue App boasts 2.38 billion monthly active users which is significantly higher than its closest competitor. Facebook in recent years has gradually become the domain of older consumers with more than 11 million millennials either leaving or becoming inactive on the platform. 

Facebook however continues to dominate the social advertising landscape. On average users in America click on 8 Facebook ads every month. Its this rate paired with the sheer volume of users that creates such immense value for companies advertising on the site.

• Business owners looking to access older, wealthier consumers should consider Facebook advertising to augment their current efforts.
  
  

Instagram

Instagram, the choice app of influencers and travel enthusiasts, is another app dominating the social media landscape. With 1 billion monthly active users The Gram ranks as the second most engaging social media platform around. Unlike its parent company, Facebook, nearly three-quarters of Instagram users are age 35 or younger making it a distinctly youth driven platform.

In a realm where aesthetic reigns supreme having a cohesive profile featuring good looking products is what. Starbucks, for example is a top tier account when it comes to Instagram engagement. The national coffee house has millions of followers and effectively uses a cohesive profile aesthetic to keep their audience engaged and interactive.

• People love pictures. Plain and simple. Finding your aesthetic and putting it on display is the goal here.

Twitter

Known for its short form post approach and thread capabilities Twitter rounds out the ranks of the most influential and engaged social media platforms with about 330 million active users. Twitter is often associated with being an incubator for social movements. From this culture cultivated on the app have come a number of trends useful for digital marketers. For example, having consistent logo placement in user’s feeds leads to 60% higher ad recall. In regard to cost effectiveness, businesses save over half of their cost per engagement using promoted tweets that contain a video.

• Twitter interactions are witty and quick, yet still meaningful. Mastering the language of short form communication is the key to success.

We work strategically to gain your business optimal traffic through different social media outlets, appealing to specific target demographics, planning media distribution and promoting effective content. Aside from improving your brand and increasing visibility, incorporating measured social media tactics can greatly increase traffic to your site as well.

-Lift Division

Takeaways

Three to Four Actionable Steps:

• Have a Go-To Social Media Specialist
• Social media takes effort. When looking to grow your presence having a dedicated team,either internal or external, will assure that your profiles are up to date, relevant, and in-alignment with the societal climate.

• Keep a Steady Cadence
• Those tweets from 2016 still sitting at the top of your profile aren’t going to draw in followers. Today, when numbers of social media users are concerned about their follower/following ratio, there's no room in their feed for placeholder accounts.

• Post Content that Matters
• Know yourself, and know your channels. Consumers want unique, informative content and you are the business that will provide it. 

Thinking that increasing your businesses social media presence is the right move?  At Lift Division we work with brands of every size to develop effective social strategies that drive engagement. Learn more about what we can do for your business here.