Social media has taken the world by storm. It was very recently that we lived in a world without Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram. It was very recently that MySpace was the only form of social media that we’d ever heard of, and it was very recently that the first smartphone ever came out.
But nowadays, you’d be hard pressed to find someone in Australia who doesn’t own a smartphone with Facebook installed on it. People browse social media sites on their commutes, while they’re at work and in their beds before they fall asleep. We’re constantly plugged into it, checking on our profiles and seeing what our friends are up to.
With over one billion users logging in daily on Facebook alone, it’s safe to say that a noteworthy portion of society’s attention is transfixed in the world of social media. It’s also safe to say that businesses should be appearing there in order to put themselves in front of their target markets.
And many businesses do. There are 50 million active small business profiles on Facebook, with 2.5 million regularly paying as active advertisers.
The weaknesses of social media
But social media’s not a magic bullet. Of course any business would be wise to invest time and resource into social media marketing, but there are considerations to be made when formulating your strategy.
For instance, how valuable is your site traffic coming from social media? For companies selling commodities, it might be extremely valuable. If you sell affordable clothing, perhaps your social media audience is more comfortable buying straight away and therefore just as valuable as your TV audience. These are all things you need to know and keep track of with your metrics.
Of course, there’s also the possibility that you sell high-end training programs and marketing on social media doesn’t affect your bottom line at all, save for the spend you’re throwing into it.
How to be wise with social media
Everything should be tested. Always. You never know how your audience will react to your social media campaigns until you measure your results.
But there are still a few common principles when it comes to social media that businesses should pay attention to:
Be authentic: Social media is social. Be yourself. Show what you and your staff get up to every day. Show your personality. Show your human side. Let people see that your business isn’t a faceless entity, but a collection of great people bringing their best to work every day to try and make the world a better place.
Provide value: Provide free advice, tips or hints that your target audience can use. You want your audience to know, like and trust you – social media is the perfect platform through which to build your brand. If people like your brand, they’ll be more comfortable buying from you.
Use video: Video converts better than any other medium and drives more engagement. Whenever possible, use video content on social media.
Want to take your social media campaigns to the Edge, contact us today.
