In these uncertain times, social media can be the proverbial shifting sands which can leave a small business scrambling for effective strategies. Keeping up a social media plan that will drive traffic and make conversions can be a continuing challenge. Having the proper intel as to where your potential customers are hanging out can go a long way to securing a successful long term strategy. Some recent research published by Financesonline can help you get a handle on where you need to be. The following is taken directly from that published research:
- Marketers rank the social media platforms they use according to importance as follows: Facebook (59%), Instagram (17%), LinkedIn (14%), YouTube (5%), Twitter (3%), Pinterest (1%), and Messenger bots (1%). (Social Media Examiner)
- Businesses say that the top benefits they derive from social media marketing are increased exposure (86%), more traffic (78%), generated leads (67%), gained loyal fans (60%), and enhanced sales (59%). (Social Media Examiner)
- 69% of marketers say that increasing brand awareness is their primary goal for using social media. Other goals are increasing web traffic (52%), growing their brand’s audience (46%), promoting content (44%), increasing community engagement (43%), driving sales (40%), connecting with their audience (30%), providing customer support (28%), and tracking competitors (27%). (Sprout Social)
- The top factors that influence marketers’ approach to social media are the performance to date (59%), social goals and objectives (57%), customer feedback (52%), trending topics and interests (45%), and business goals and objectives (36%). (Influencer Marketing Hub)
- 62% of small businesses consider social media as a key element of their effective marketing strategy. (Visual Objects)
- Furthermore, marketers primarily use social media data to: understand their target audience (56%), develop creative content (49%), assess campaign performance (43%), foster communication with consumers (39%), support other departments (33%), report results to manager and team (31%), and analyze trends (30%). (Sprout Social)
- 55% of customers who learned about a product on social media usually proceed to buy the product. (Kleiner Perkins)
- 78% of consumers say they are influenced by the posts of brands they follow on social media. (Power Digital)
- 89% of consumers say they will buy from a brand they follow on social media, while 84% will typically choose that brand over a competitor. (Sprout Social)
- 75% of consumers say they’re likely to increase spending with brands they follow on social media. (Sprout Social)
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
