Just about the whole world relies on the internet for communication, especially now. From our banking, to the meals we order from a restaurant, to finding the person we might spend the rest of our lives with. It can all be done online, and it’s the only way we are able to have any semblance of normal life amidst this worldwide pandemic. That includes daily conversations we have with our friends—the area of our lives found on social media.
Social media is not just for chatting anymore. People have found that there is always someone among their followers who knows the best place to go for sushi, the place to call to board your dog, or the right guy to rewire your home. Recommendations abound on social media sites. Need more convincing? Consider this:
Usage Is Up
Before the pandemic, about 86% of people used social media on a daily basis, using it as a place people went when they wanted to talk to somebody. Now that many states have issued stay-at-home directives, social media has become the only way people can communicate with others outside their homes. While you may point to the fact that the number of people on social media hasn’t climbed significantly, the amount of time users spend there certainly has. Commute times have been eliminated, and some jobs themselves have been put on hold or terminated, giving the average person more “free” time in a day. What are people doing with that time? Talking to their friends online. Digital Information World tells us that a survey from late March indicates that 66% of social media users expect their usage to increase significantly. That gives companies a lot more time for views to see their ads.
The All-Important Recommendations
What are people doing on their preferred social media network? They’re talking about anything and everything that’s on their minds, sometimes just to get their mind off the news. If they want to tell you what they had for lunch, they’ll do it (tagging the restaurant who delivered it). If they want to complain about the weather, they’ll do that too (but where did you get those cute rain boots?). Facebook even has a function for recommendations that people use quite regularly. When it’s this easy for your customers to post a link to your business, you’d better be taking advantage of it. Keep your social media pages fresh and up to date, so newcomers can be impressed as soon as they make that one touch to find your information.
Everybody’s Doing It
Peer pressure is a bad thing when you’re in middle school, but when it’s your business on the line, yes, you will need to try to keep up with everyone else. Since there are about 2 million businesses using Facebook for advertising, you want to make sure your business is seen there as well. If you have a brick and mortar store, no one is walking by your storefront right now. Remember, out of sight equals out of mind in advertising.
Get to the Right People
Social media sites have been watching and listening. They’ve been keeping up with what business owners have been telling them they need. Because of that, you can target your audience when you develop ads so that they reach the people you’re most interested in connecting with. Because of this targeted reach, only the people you specify will see your ads. This, in turn, leads to a better ROI for you, since the cost of advertising on social media is much less expensive than traditional advertising.
All About the Inbound
The great thing about inbound marketing is that you have customers coming to you. When you set up an ad on social media, only those who are interested will click, but when they do, they’ll learn as much about your brand as you want them to know. Because they just clicked over from their social media page, they’re only one click away from going back to that site to share what they just found with their friends and followers. Not only does that increase possible leads for more sales, but with every mention of your brand, your SEO improves as well. It’s win-win all around!
Even if you feel your audience is too old-school to be on social media, you could be missing out on the many followers who are on social media. The price is right, and your brand can only improve its SEO, so really, there’s nothing for you to lose by marketing where so many of the people already are. One day, the captive customers will be released, and a spending spree will begin. Make sure you are a part of it.
