No matter what you sell or to whom you sell it, using social media advertising as a marketing tool can help you grow your business.
Social media advertising has come a long way in a relatively short period of time – in fact, a decade ago it did not even exist as a market. Fast forward a few years and, according to Marketing Tech Blog, social media advertising is projected to generate $11 billion in revenue by 2017.
But first, why is social media important for business? To put it simply, social media is an integral part of doing business in the new millennium. If your business is not represented on various social channels, then your brand doesn’t really exist online. So, if you’re not yet active on any of the social networking sites, then now is definitely the time to start.
A wealth of targeting data
The various social networks gather an immense amount of information about their users – much more than mere demographic and geographic data. Social networks have information about users’ deeper interests and behaviours, their connections and the groups to which they belong.
Therefore, social media advertising enables businesses to target their audiences in much more ways than on any other online platform, by making use of social media users’ own shared information to help them find new potential clients. So, instead of merely being reactive about targeting users who have searched for a certain term, you can use social media advertising to proactively target users before they even begin their search.
Most social networks also provide conversion tracking. If you have a bit of technical ability, and you configure your social media adverts correctly, your adverts can actually report on how effective they have been in driving the user to take some or other measurable action, for example, signing up for something or buying your product. Conversion tracking is great for fine-tuning your social media advertising strategy by helping you to optimise your advert’s message and adjust your targeting in real time.
Social networks are also great for advertisers because of their prevalence on mobile devices.
Mobile dominance and social media advertising
According to digital researcher eMarketer, over half of mobile phone users globally will have smartphones by 2018. So, there can be no denying that reaching users via their mobile devices is the way to go – and the best way to do so on a mobile device is via social media advertising. Mobile users are constantly checking their social accounts, so you can reach them with your advertising while they’re in those applications without being disruptive.
7 reasons for adding social media (and social media advertising) to your digital strategy
Still not sure whether social media marketing is for you? Still wondering, “Do I really need it?” The short answer is: Yes. Yes, you do! Here are some of the most compelling reasons why:
- Your competition is on social media
There is hardly a business out there these days that isn’t on social media. If your competitors get to your potential customers first, they’ll earn their loyalty and you’ll be hard pushed to win them over. - It’s cheap
If you manage your own social media, then running a social media campaign is as cheap as chips. If you’re a bit nervous about interacting with people online or you doubt your writing skills, then hiring a digital marketing agency like Net Branding to develop and manage your digital offering is the way to go. If you post poorly written content or convey the wrong sort of message on the social networks it will seriously derail your digital presence. - Enables you to sort problems immediately
You would want to know straight away if there’s a problem with your product or service, wouldn’t you? The feedback you get through social media will enable you to be the first to know when an issue arises – which means you can take action to resolve it immediately. Customers appreciate and respect businesses that respond properly to complaints. - Builds brand loyalty
When you’re engaging and interacting on social media, you and your brand are perceived far more personable. Social media and social media advertising are all about building relationships, and good relationships generate loyalty. If you do your social media advertising right, it will lead to real relationship building. - People receive your message more favourably
The people on the social networks see them as precisely that, social networks – not marketing machines. Therefore, they are less likely to regard your posts as advertisements and be more likely to read what you have to say. (So you need to ensure you’re posting top-quality content that is not overtly ‘salesy’.) This can translate into serious traffic when you link your posts to your website and when your audience starts sharing your posts with their networks. - Boosts your website’s SEO
Social media is very important for web traffic. The search engines know which pages are consistently getting traffic and which aren’t. Using social media in the right way to drive traffic to your web pages will get the search engines to pay even more attention to your pages. - Leads to more sales
If you’re constantly in front of your target audience in the social space in which they choose to play, they’re far more likely to buy from you when they need what you’re selling.
What’s new with Facebook advertising?
Is your business on Facebook? If you’re not, check out one of our previous articles about what having a Facebook page can mean for your business.
Facebook ads are a great way to get your message to your audience because the network offers unparalleled targeting and tracking options. Facebook is also constantly evolving and adapting to user demands, and there are some exciting new developments that could help your Facebook advertising run even hotter.
- Group advertising
Recently, Facebook started testing ads in ‘groups’ in several countries, including New Zealand. What’s the significance of this, you ask? Well, according to the business blog TechCrunch, of the 1.7 billion active monthly Facebook users, about 1 billion are in groups – of which around 450 million are in buy-and-sell groups. Now that is a massive opportunity for businesses because groups are active discussion forums and people in them are way more engaged and interested than those who aren’t. - Facebook Marketplace
As mentioned, 450 million people participate in Facebook buy-and-sell groups. In many of these groups, members sell or auction various products. To help make these interactions easier for its members, Facebook recently announced Marketplace, a new way to buy and sell in one’s local community. It’s very easy to use, including for the seller. Anyone looking for products in your area can see your post and private message you if they’re interested. - Leaving audio on for video ads
Most Facebook users watch video ads on Facebook with the sound turned off. What this means is that you have to be just that little bit more creative with your video in order to ensure it conveys your message without the need for sound. A good video ad without sound can be quite OK, but it will be even better with sound. However, Facebook is now testing user reaction to automatically leaving the audio on for video ads. Users will still have the option to turn off the sound, but what it means is that anyone who sees your ad will, by default, automatically hear the accompanying audio.
There’s no doubt that the huge and ongoing increase in social media advertising will also see Facebook continuing to test and tweak its Facebook advertising options, so stay tuned for more new features that will help you reach your target audience even more effectively.
Help with your social media advertising
Do you want to get your brand in front of more people, increase traffic to your website and drive up your search engine rankings? If you’re keen to effectively add social media advertising to your digital strategy, talk to the team at digital marketing agency Net Branding. We are a full-service digital marketing agency that can support you with all of your online marketing requirements – and we’re just a phone call away.
