Words by Bilal Ahmed Syed.
Social media is an important part of our daily lives and we use it for almost 9 hours a day, according to CNN statistics by Kelly Wallace. Businesses use this to their advantage and enhance their branding by spreading their services and products globally from within their respective countries. Social media is far spread amongst societies and has become the center of news. In addition, according to Statista, approximately 97% of global share companies have said that they use social media marketing, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and so on.
Expert and marketing guru of a bestseller, Ekaterina Walter, has mentioned that trusting in a brand is a universal constant. It’s all about reaching a large audience and the more people you can communicate with the more your brand is well known. Just like televised advertisements, social media marketing gets you launched and identifiable within big populations but the only difference is that social media marketing is without the huge costs. Hence, social media is cost-effective and spreads much faster and to a much grander audience. Mentioned by a blogger, around three-quarters of consumers who shop online have said that they will research a company online before making a decision on their purchase (Greengeeks, 2016). The most impact on customers is when they see a brands online reputation.
Many major brands, such as Google, help play the role of providing exposure to other brands and information through their reputation. This is indirect branding and is a way of diverting online traffic to explore not only what they are looking for but brands that provide such connections also get promoted along the way. It is proven by researchers that the more interactive a brand is on social media the more people trust and will purchase from that brand.
“Brands, especially in 2016, have started to use a technique that involves personalising their content in order to make their messages more personal and relatable to their potential consumers.”
Another key advantage for firms or brands to use social media is that it is free, allowing them to use their resources without having to deal with hefty costs of marketing. Also, potential customers only have time as their expense and nothing further, which means that they are not paying for getting their information on the brand. Advertising campaigns are amongst the many reasons brands use social media to promote themselves. Time is of the essence, and every second of a brand is crucial as potential customers may arise at any moment, therefore social media assists in that case. The reason being that it takes barely a few minutes to respond to an individual or to post a link of new content on their social media page. In campaigns brands can also either limit where they want to reach their audience or advertise more in certain areas.
It is a known fact that social media consumers are amongst the biggest buyers. That is why some of the biggest firms are the most active on every big social network on the internet. Engaging content is what brands have aimed for in 2016, especially using viral content. However, it is agreed amongst multiple researchers that forcing a message in order to become an overnight sensation is not the most effective way. The more conversational a post is on social media the more likely the brand will receive receptive posts in return. Brands, especially in 2016, have started to use a technique that involves personalising their content in order to make their messages more personal and relatable to their potential consumers. Also, more interaction with consumers makes the brand seem more approachable, less forced and more organic. Hence, buyers are more likely to place their trust on the brand, due to the fact that the brand offers insight and communicates with its consumers.
Wrapping it up, surveys show that 2016 has so far been the most innovative year in terms of how brands have advertised in social media. This has occurred because of the positive results that many consumers have experienced when interacting or getting information from the brands online. On the other hand, in light of the brands, they have been able to post on all social media sites from a single point and since they are using free resources, they are saving premium time-saving investments. As a result, brands have increased their income and maximized their profits by saving advertising costs and by saving time in spreading their messages across a wide range of audiences, highlighting the importance of social media for brands in the year of 2016.
