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Today, social media plays a vital role in many people’s lives in our ever-increasingly fast world. With the use of technology and advancements in culture, it is no surprise that information can be shared at such a rapid pace.
The amount of time spent using social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram is staggering. People are constantly connected to the internet. Sharing their thoughts, opinions, and lives with others who would otherwise not keep in touch with them. The value of social media has skyrocketed over the past few years.
However, keep reading this article if you’re still not sure what social media is or what it can do for you! As we try to figure out how to decipher social media and the world that goes around it!
What is Social Media?
Social Media is defined as an online environment where electronic devices are used to create, share, and exchange information, career interests, opinions, ideas, pictures/images/videos, or other media types. It is a great way to connect with friends, family members, and other people you come in contact with daily!
Everyone has a voice !
One major aspect of social media has given the common everyday person an opportunity to publish their work and become recognized. This advancement has caused many writers, musicians, sports stars, etc., to gain attention that would never have been possible a decade ago. Sites such as YouTube, Blogs, and Facebook have given them the world stage to display their talents.
Social Media has also created a way for many public figures to interact directly with their fans/followers allowing them to receive feedback from those who enjoy their work.
Social media gives the average person a voice, but it has created a new form of marketing for big businesses. Major companies have reached out to people in ways they never could before and at a lower cost.
The Importance of Social Media!
The importance of social media has become increasingly evident. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are all great examples of social media’s impact on our lives. It is more important than ever to know how to utilize these platforms to take advantage of your influence online.
The significant influence of social media is its ability for individuals or businesses to connect with others around the world instantly and effortlessly.
It allows for quick communication across geographical boundaries that otherwise would have taken months or years to establish before this technology’s existence. This is especially beneficial during times of crisis where immediate contact between first responders and survivors can be made possible because they can communicate via smartphones, laptops, etc.
Social Media for Website Owners
For website owners/marketers, there are many reasons why you should use Social Media:
1. It helps increase your page rank and index rate in search engines. When someone likes or adds a 1+ to your website, it gives your website an SEO boost, which will appear higher up in the list of results when people search for related keywords.
2. Quickly get new content and links to your website. Social media users share links of website pages they like and find interesting, and if their friends (who also use social media) like them too, your site’s link will be spread virally, which is a speedy way of getting lots of new traffic to your site.
3. You can interact with your customers/fans. This works both ways; you can learn what they like about your brand by seeing what they comment on or share through their social media feed, and conversely, you’re able to interact/answer questions/engage with them via the same methods.
Business Owners and Social Media
Today, more often than not, businesses are using social media to market their products and services. For example, the number of active users on Twitter is 500 million, while Facebook has 2 billion. Social media marketing should be an integral part of every business’s advertising plan.
It’s no longer an option to leave social media out when advertising your company or products – it’s a must in today’s society. With over 38% of the world using at least one social media platform, many companies could be leaving money on the table if they do not start implementing this into their entire advertising strategy.
Just looking at figures alone, you can see that almost 40% of people worldwide are using one form of social media or another, which is a highly effective advertising method, especially when developing your business.
A Key to Success
The key to successfully using social media in business is having a solid presence on the most commonly used platforms. An excellent example of this would be Twitter which currently has 500 million active monthly users – with this amount of attention focused on one platform, and you are bound to get noticed regarding any marketing campaign running through there.
With all these potential customers using social media daily, if your company isn’t using the various platforms, they could be missing out on potentially thousands of potential customers.
The social media industry is here to stay
Social media marketing is here to stay for a long time to come, which means that if you’re not using it now, you will undoubtedly lose out on potential business from users who use these sites regularly.
Having said all of the above, you should never forget that it is essential to monitor what customers are saying about your brand. This way, you can contact them directly and resolve any issues they may have with your product or service.
By monitoring social media platforms, businesses can also gain a brief insight into their customers’ wants and needs which can help develop new services or products in the future.
Social Media Strategy
A Social Media Strategy is what a business needs to use social media successfully and get the most out of it. A successful strategy will see an increase in income, making the time invested in developing one more than worthwhile. To add more information on why you need an SM strategy, here are some crucial points:
- Companies that have a strong SM presence double their sales year over year!
- Companies that don’t have a strong SM presence see no gains or even declines in sales.
There are many different strategies to choose from, each designed to use specific types of Social Media in a particular way. These can include:
Blogging – Facebook – Twitter – YouTube – LinkedIn – Pinterest – Instagram
A business needs to choose the strategy that will give them maximum reach for their investment. To add more information on how to find your perfect SM Strategy, here are some points:
- How much time do you have?
- What are your goals with Social Media?
- Who is your target audience?
- What types of Social Media services do you need?
Before a company can begin developing its strategy, it must first identify the goals they want to achieve. Without this as a guide, it won’t be easy to use social media effectively and efficiently. Once these goals are identified, it is time to implement a plan to help them achieve those goals.
In today’s business world, social media is one of the most powerful tools platforms available to assist a company. With its marketing efforts. The key is using it correctly and as part of a cohesive strategy so that you can get the best bang for your buck or, Influence per Click!
How to get the most out of social media as a blog owner?
Every blog owner knows the importance of creating a social media strategy for their blog. However, many struggles to figure out how they can leverage such channels and get traffic from them. Let us highlight some ways to make use of social media to attract more visitors and at the same time building lasting relationships with your readers.
Live-tweeting a conference is a great way to build brand awareness and increase traffic.
Organize a contest for your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Use each platform’s unique features to attract more likes/followers/pins/retweets.
For example, Facebook has its own Promoted Post ads targeted to your fans or similar audience. You can use these ads to promote the contest and drive traffic to your page.
Create engaging content designed for social media sharing, i.e., short paragraphs with lots of white space; conversational but not too casual; no complex sentences; quality visuals (not necessarily info-graphics). This way, your readers are more likely to want to share it with others.
Another strategy is to create a series of posts that are related in some way. For example, if you write about dog breeds, then do one post on small dog breeds and another on large dog breeds. Ask your readers to choose which one they like best by leaving a comment.
How do you make each social media platform work for you?
Today, social media has become a prominent part of our society, with over half the world’s population using at least one form of it. While some people have been lucky enough to find something they love on Facebook or Instagram, others have had less good luck and thus may not be as fond of the platform as they could otherwise be.
Let’s see how you can use different social media platforms more effectively to stay ahead of the curve.
First up is Reddit – which many consider being a “network with benefits.” Many people use Reddit as a news resource for various wholesome stories – these usually go viral quickly because there are so many users with similar opinions on specific topics. If your company happens to be a healthy brand, then Reddit would be the perfect platform for you.
On the other hand, if your company is more aligned with a particular product or service; it should get involved in Reddit! Because there are so many niche subreddits that will specifically cover topics that interest you.
For example, if your company were to do with digital marketing and social media, there would already be 531 other Reddit people with whom you could engage.
Quora
The same principle applies to Quora! Where anyone can come and ask questions; while some may be particular, others may require detailed answers. Consider using this for brand development and market research because it allows companies to understand their target audience better.
If you take the time to find and use Quora correctly, users can have a lot of knowledge. Don’t just post your products or services – make sure that you ask questions about them too!
In contrast, Facebook is more aimed towards everyday consumers who don’t have any particular brand loyalty. Most people can usually tell when a company uses Facebook to market its products. Because they are generally hidden behind some ‘paywall’ that leads to advertisement posts.
This doesn’t mean that businesses shouldn’t use Facebook – it means that they should be careful about doing so. Rather than trying to shove products in everyone’s faces; try creating a fan page and using it to advertise your products more subtly.
Last but not least is Twitter. It has become the go-to place for any company that wants to stay updated with its industry. People join hashtags to follow specific news or join groups of other users who want to share similar posts from around the web. At the same time, brands also get involved by posting relevant links, and retweeting news about themselves. And even getting directly involved in conversations to make a valuable contribution. Be sure to add value instead of always trying to sell something, and you will see the difference in your follower count.
Final Words
Social Media is important because it allows brands to connect with their target audience and potential consumers. It would be a mistake to ignore social media. Whether you’re a blogger or a business owner, social media can help you succeed! Make sure you put it to good use.
Very informative and detailed.
My favorite source of informations!