The Who, What, and Why of Social Media Marketing

Social media is one of the most influential sources for product information. Each platform has spawned its own cast of influencers, users with at least 10,000 followers, that post, share, like and comment about what they’re into. But you don’t have to be an official influencer to create engaging content for your business. The secret behind every popular influencer is the connection they share with their followers. Online businesses can do the same. Social media is about establishing relationships with other users. Social media marketing is about cultivating those relationships into new prospects.

Let’s examine the who, what, and why of social media and why it’s important for your business.

Who uses social media? Who should be doing social media marketing?

Social media is used by 50% of the world’s population and over 75% of people in Canada and the US. That’s a lot of potential reach. According to the Pew Research Center, the majority of users visit the app at least once a day and for sites like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, often several times a day.

So, who should be advertising on social media? Just about anyone with something to sell – small companies, large corporations, and even local artisans with one-of-a-kind pieces. Users are not taking out ads, although some do, instead they rely on their content to reach new prospects. They create engaging posts to catch the attention of those who scroll. It is all about carefully curated content. And that is the what.

What is carefully curated content?

Posts that attract scrollers are relevant to what they like and what they need. They invite them to go further by liking the post, commenting on it, or sharing it. Text, images, gifs, videos, and music initiate audience engagement. The key to social media is engagement! To be social is to interact, and social media apps have become the go-to spots for interaction. For small companies this interaction promotes your brand awareness. By interacting with users (who hopefully become followers) you establish a relationship. This relationship expands as they share your content with other followers (who hopefully become customers). This organic stream of advertising started with a post and not necessarily a paid advertisement. Social media app users are more likely to purchase content shared by a friend than an actual ad. Last year, over 90% of Instagram users said they clicked on or purchased off a website after finding the company through organic posts.

Why should I have a social media presence?

Let’s repeat the previous sentence. Last year, over 90% of Instagram users said they clicked on or purchased off a website after finding the company through organic posts. Once you create interesting content, other users become your marketeers. They are your customers, friends of customers, friends of friends of a potential customer, family of a first-time purchaser, and so on. They promote your brand for you with a simple share and a double-click like. By creating a content marketing strategy, you can regularly share product images and information, increasing your online presence. The simple reason to create a social media presence for your company is to drive sales. By forging relationships seeded in trust you grow as a brand and reach new audiences.

Check back for our 5 ways to start your social media presence.