Social media marketing (SMM): advantages, how it works and how could it help your brand
Around 470 Million people are on social media. Just to give you a perspective on how big this audience is, it's more than the population of the United States of America and Russia… combined! This number is ever-growing. Social media has been an innate part of our life and it's not just to watch adorable dogs jumping or sharing memes. It's much more than that. It's a living, breathing and evolving business.
Companies worldwide want to make the most of this space – get more likes, followers, engagement and traction. While many well-known brands are yet to reach their full potential, others have aced the social media game.
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing involves utilising social media platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Threads to achieve specific marketing goals. These goals can range from increasing brand awareness and generating leads to driving website traffic and fostering customer loyalty. By creating engaging content, interacting with followers, and running targeted ads, businesses can leverage social media to reach a wider audience and achieve their marketing objectives.
Choosing the right one
Facebook is still the social media king with its massive army of 2.9 Billion followers. Marketers use Facebook for its easy-to-use interface and incredible target audience segmentation. If you want to run an ad on Facebook, you can create highly targeted segments and optimise your budget as per your goal.
Second in line is Instagram. With around 2 Billion users on the platform, Instagram has been one of the most preferred options for marketers because of the growth of influencers on the platform. If you want a platform that attracts Gen Z and millennials, then Instagram should be on the top of your list.
If you prefer long-format videos then your only option is YouTube. With 2.1 Billion active users worldwide, and millions of videos and shorts being uploaded, YouTube is growing at an incredible rate. From education to farming tips, YouTube provides digital marketers a wide range of target audiences to choose from and it helps create awareness about brands on a global scale.
Digital Marketers use X (Twitter) and Threads for brand awareness or to direct traffic to the blog section or any other landing page. With brands constantly engaging with their followers via commenting, tweeting, re-sharing, and liking the posts, they create engagement with their followers
The science behind it all
It's a known secret that social media companies use a TONNE of data to create a customer profile for each of their customer. Apart from the basic data such as name, age, email ID, phone number, and location, they also know what you like to see on your feed, which post will likely engage you and track your every move. Now you know why you keep getting similar themed reels, posts or videos on your feed.
This data is then used by companies/ marketers to show you relevant content. For instance, if you have been watching posts related to home furnishing, then you'd be added in a pool where people share similar interests.
So, when anyone wants to run a campaign on social media, they create the content first. Be it videos, GIFs, image posts, stories or reels. Then comes the second part – choose the right audience.
Thanks to AI and machine learning, today's tools are at their most advanced level. Not only can they show you several options to fine-tune your target audience, they can also predict the demand (to some extent). Finally, once you set the price for your campaign, you're ready to go live.
The numbers game
If you're new to this amazing world of metrics, then you need to know what the basic metrics are used in social media marketing:
Impressions: The number of times your content has been displayed on users' screens.
Reach: The number of unique users who have seen your content.
Organic Reach: The number of unique users who have seen your content without any paid promotion.
Paid Reach: The number of unique users who have seen your content as a result of paid promotion.
Media with benefits
Enhanced Customer Engagement: Social media allows you to connect with your customers directly, respond to their queries, and address their concerns, fostering positive relationships and building brand loyalty.
Targeted Audience Reach: Social media platforms offer advanced targeting options, enabling you to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviours, ensuring your message reaches the right audience.
Cost-Effective Marketing: Social media marketing is a relatively low-cost marketing strategy, especially when compared to traditional advertising methods.
Measurable Results: Social media analytics provide valuable insights into campaign performance, allowing you to track metrics like engagement, reach, and conversions, and optimize your strategies accordingly.
Keeping up with the agendas
Define Your Goals: Clearly define your social media marketing goals, whether it's brand awareness, lead generation, or website traffic.
Know Your Audience: Identify your target audience, their demographics, interests, and online behaviour.
Choose the Right Platforms: Select the social media platforms that best align with your audience and brand identity.
Create Engaging Content: Develop high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your audience and encourages interaction.
By creating engaging content, running targeted ads and being as creative as possible, you can make Social Media Marketing (SMM) a valuable asset to your digital marketing efforts. It will not only create brand awareness, but if done cleverly, you can generate the most leads compared to any other channels.