The impact that social media has had on our lives is undeniable. From the way we consume news to the way we communicate with our loved ones, social media is unavoidable, powerful, and here to stay. In 2019, there were just over 3.2 billion social media users worldwide, equating to roughly 42% of the world’s entire population. For this reason, it is crucial that companies utilize social media to increase their revenue, reach, and overall return on investment.
With decades of experience in online and business mentorship, Darren Ewert and Mike Dreher Online Mentors of Vancouver, British Columbia, outline why social media is so important and how you can use it to your advantage.
The Popularity of Social Media
You have to meet people where they are: online. According to Statista, 79% of the U.S. population has at least one social media profile. Additionally, 59% of people access social media every day or most days and over a third check social media over five times a day.
Darren and Mike explain that if you can’t make your target audience come to you, you need to go directly to them. Users are active on social media primarily because it offers a fun way to network, stay in touch with friends, and stay connected with what is going on in the world. This includes engaging with their favorite brands and products.
According to MarketingSherpa, 95% of online adults aged 18 to 34 are likely to follow a brand on social media. Darren and Mike explain that social media allows a brand to engage on a more personal level with its consumer base, making authentic connections and adding value in a myriad of ways. Another key reason to stay engaged with social media is its ability to generate brand recognition and increase inbound traffic in a relatively cost-effective manner.
Social Media Engagement
Social media marketing increases your visibility online. In turn, this increases your inbound traffic. Darren and Mike understand that each piece of content that you produce for your social media platforms is an opportunity to bring new visitors to your website or engage with your brand, and all it takes is a few hours of work per week.
Ideally, your website is already optimized for conversions, and will start turning followers into customers in no time. The best part? It is extremely cost effective. Even a small level of engagement with social media will produce worthwhile results.
How Should You Use Social Media?
Most businesses understand that they need to be on social media, but too many do not have any idea why they are there. Whether you are a growing or new business, you want to clearly identify your social media marketing goals. You want to be adding value for your audience through engaging content that extends far beyond just selling your product.
As Darren and Mike explain, your social media marketing goals should complement your overarching business goals. You want to ensure you are setting attainable and realistic goals for your company, and understand that there are certain limitations. A part of this strategy will be identifying which social media platforms make sense for your brand. If you are a B2B company, perhaps LinkedIn is the best platform. If you are an art gallery, perhaps an aesthetic platform like Instagram is your best platform. Instead of posting content on seven different platforms, consider picking three primary ones and creating content for each platform’s specific needs.
Darren and Mike Explain Metrics
Once you have identified your social media marketing goals, you will want to set a metric for how you are going to measure the success of these strategies. For example, if you are an online retailer, you can track the conversion from your product posts to your website and see what percentage of conversion each post has. Darren and Mike explain that this is very important, as it allows you to identify what it is working and what it not.
Engagement is easily the number one thing you should be thinking about on social media. Measuring the number of likes, shares, and comments on your social media helps your business understand whether or not something is resonating.
Darren Ewert and Mike Dreher Online Mentors know that marketing is a powerful tool for any business, but it can also be quite costly. Consider investing time rather than a lot of money into social media, which is both free and effective.