Social media marketing has been an important part of digital advertising since its inception. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have a combined user count of 7.52 billion users. In comparison, the total world population is 8.2 billion as of 2024. This mind boggling stat provides an insight into the growing importance of leveraging social media marketing for businesses. With over 5 billion of the world’s population using social media, businesses that do not leverage social media marketing will soon be out of business. Having a welcoming social media presence is no longer a want, it is now a need for brands and businesses. But what is social media marketing? Let’s take a look.
What is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing, also known as SMM, is a digital marketing strategy. It focuses on promoting products, services, or even the brands themselves through social media. One thing we understand from the stats given above is that SMM is inevitable for a brand to succeed in today’s digital world. Social media has also led to the development of new digital advertising strategies like influencer marketing.
It would not be wrong to describe influencer marketing as another type of social media marketing. Influencer marketing also banks on social media users for its success. However, in influencer marketing, brands promote themselves through an individual, not directly. That individual is known as an influencer. Why? Because they have influence over their followers, and their followers can be in millions.
Coming back to the topic, SMM does not only help reach your target audience. It also offers a ton of other benefits to brands and businesses. Here are a few;
1- Improve Your Brand Image
Social media marketing offers a very unique opportunity for brands to get in touch with their target customers on a deeper level. This makes your brand more human in front of your target audience. You can also boost trust and credibility by showing the people behind your brand and what their regular work day looks like.
It is important to remain authentic and portray your brand values accurately. Users now believe more in what they see rather than what is shown to them. This means that if a brand manages to capture a user’s attention organically, it would be more beneficial for them, rather than paid ads.
2- Engage Audience
SMM is of no use if you do not keep your audience engaged. You can do that by responding to your audience via comments, through posts, sharing user generated content, and by listening to what they have to say. By doing this, your audience will be able to connect with you on a personal level. This fosters a sense of community among your audience and can lead to converting them into clients and then to brand advocates.
Brand advocates are crucial for a brand’s success. Brand advocates are those loyal customers who promote your brand and stand for its values in the time of need.
3- Better Customer Service
Customer service is also a very crucial aspect of a brand’s success. If your audience is giving you business through digital platforms, this does not mean that you can relax on customer service. Brands must always provide effortless customer service, be it in physical locations or through digital avenues like social media. This also gives your audience and any other prospective client a sneak peek into your excellent customer service. Doing this can lead to building trust and loyalty.
4- Growth Opportunities
Social media marketing, when done right, can lead to sustainable business growth. Social media is not all about promoting your brand. You can also mature leads through social media. Just like in email marketing, where you have an email list of prospective customers. Social media also allows you to create funnels that support a customer’s buying journey. These funnels are not only crucial for a seamless customer experience but also for your business growth. This is because, many times, a user might leave right before buying a product or service. But having a funnel ensures that you can leave a reminder to the customer to continue shopping from where they left.
5- Be An Industry Leader
Social media presents the brand’s a very distinctive opportunity to have a voice. You can talk about issues that are important to you as a brand. Raise awareness for social issues like BLM, COVID, and racism. Not only that, you can use these platforms to present unique ideas to the audience and get their unfiltered feedback. Doing this helps brands feel more valued in their audience’s eyes.
Final Thoughts: Is SMM Important For A Brand’s Success?
The final verdict for this age-old question is, Yes! SMM is important for any brand’s success. SMM allows brands to be unique and different from their competitors. This is because, like any other social media user, brands also have their own voice on social media. However, simply having a presence on social media isn’t enough. Brands must continuously seek new ways to engage with their audiences. By leveraging the true power of social media, brands can not only promote their products or services but also present themselves as industry leaders. But, it is easier said than done. The competition, just like any other digital platform, is tough on social media. Brands have to rely on industry experts to carry out an effective SMM strategy. Get in touch with us today, and we’ll help you leverage the true power of social media.
