Since the creation of social media in 1997, we have seen it rapidly progress throughout the world, with almost every single person owning a social media account. In fact, this year, around 3.7 billion people are using it worldwide, and that number keeps on growing. New platforms are being developed daily, but the most popular are still standing strong.
Because of its growing popularity, businesses have quickly begun to take advantage of this, using it for marketing and advertisements (around 91% in fact). By why is this form of advertising becoming the most essential marketing tool? Well, in this article, we’ll discuss just that.
Table of Contents
You can analyze data much easier
You can communicate more effectively
You can get hundreds of views in just seconds
It builds trust between you and your customers
People can find your business in the click of a button
It’s affordable (most of the time)
1. You can analyze data much easier
Every business needs to be able to use some form of analytics to assist with their marketing efforts. This is what helps them understand their target audience and allows them to make changes towards their business plan. One of the best things about social media advertising is that you can view your data and results much easier than any other form of marketing.
Since everything is done online via the internet, you can see exactly how many people have engaged in your posts, read them, and purchased products from you. For example, some websites like Facebook even do it all for you, putting all your results on an easy to read page. It makes it much easier to plan future marketing because you can physically see the results in front of you.
2. You can communicate more effectively
One thing that social media offers that traditional media can’t is the opportunity to communicate with customers much more effectively. Unlike print, television, and radio, there is no limit to how much information you can provide about a particular product. This then helps potential buyers make better decisions.
You can also communicate directly through comments and messengers, improving your overall business reputation. Take Instagram; for example, people can DM a business and comment on their photographs. This is another way to build trust with your target audience and provide a better overall experience for each individual.
3. You can get hundreds of views in just seconds
For those of you that are already familiar with marketing methods, you probably understand how frustrating the long wait times can be. For example, when you create a print advertisement, you have to wait quite a while before you can publish your content. You have to design it, print it, and then find a way to distribute it.
With social media marketing, you can quickly create a post and share it within just a few minutes. On top of this, many applications such as Canva and Over can assist you with the design element. For small businesses, this is great, as you don’t have to fork out money for a graphic designer. You have the potential to reach hundreds of customers, without even leaving your front door. It’s a win-win.
4. It builds trust between you and your customers
If you’re a new business, it can be challenging to create a loyal customer base straight off the bat, just with traditional advertising methods. Building trust between your company and potential customers isn’t always easy, especially if you are not already a well-known brand.
Social media advertising opens up many unique doors to assist with this, besides regular content posts. By using influencers from reputable websites, like collabstr.com, you can ensure that your products are displayed by trusted people that are respected in the online community. Studies show that people are more likely to buy a product that they can see being used by another.
5. People can find your business in the click of a button
Before the creation of the internet, telephone books and paper advertisements were the only way to locate a business so that you could go and purchase their products. You had to physically hop in the car or walk to reach a store if you wanted something. So if it was a cold or rainy day, many places probably noticed a decrease in sales.
With social media, one of the added conveniences is that it has made it easier than ever for people to find a company online. This leads to more sales each and every day, a much more significant amount compared to those without an online store. By having a link that can go directly to your website, individuals can find and purchase what they want quickly, without having the hassle of going directly into a store.
6. It’s affordable (most of the time)
Traditional advertising methods can be expensive, especially if you need to keep distributing new content. Another advantage of social media advertising is that it is one of the most affordable marketing techniques, making it popular for small and large businesses. When comparing it to other methods such as print, television, or radio, it’s much cheaper and can potentially reach a much larger audience.
Prices vary depending on the platform and audience reach, but the great thing is you can set an amount to pay each week. This is perfect for businesses looking to keep to a strict budget. You do have to remember that you must expect to pay a bit if you want a famous influencer to promote your products on the most popular social media platforms.
Final Thoughts
By taking all of the above into consideration, it’s easy to see why social media advertising has quickly become one of the most essential marketing tools. It’s efficient, easy to use, and can reach thousands of individuals in just a few seconds.
As it is so convenient, it saves time and money for other marketing techniques. But will it take over other traditional marketing methods such as print and radio? We will just have to wait and see.