When trying to elevate your brand and drive traffic, social media marketing and selling just may be the most effective strategy your business has. But where to begin and how to continue? Knowing the current state of social media marketing and selling can be a place to start with regard to establishing a long term strategy. In some published data from SproutSocial, the research begins to reveal just where you may want to take your social media strategy. The following is taken directly from that published data.
- The Harris Poll, on behalf of Sprout Social, surveyed more than 1,000 US consumers and 250 business executives to better understand how they use social media, the importance of social media marketing, social’s impact on organizations and how its influence will change in the coming years.
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55% of consumers learn about new brands on social
Social media is a place for discovery and now, it’s nearly as common for consumers to learn about brands or companies on social as it is through TV or radio ads. On social media, however, ads and brand content live in or next to a social stream and look a lot like the content we consume from our friends, family and other connections. When we look closer at the 55% of consumers who learn about new brands on social, Gen Z and Millennials are especially likely to use social for brand discovery. As the spending power of these digital natives increases, the size of social networks will also continue to grow, reaching over 243 million social network users in the US by 2025. If your brand isn’t poised to capitalize on the growing networks, those consumers are most likely going to discover your competitors first.
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68% of consumers agree that social media enables them to interact with brands and companies
At least two in five consumers report that they engage with a brand or company by “liking” its posts or following it on social media. Additionally, consumers treat social media as a feedback loop where they can report issues with products, leave a review or privately message a company. Social offers huge potential for customer engagement, a primary goal for many marketers and a positive influence on customers’ decisions to buy from a brand.
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78% of consumers are willing to buy from a company after having a positive experience with them on social
Never underestimate the impact of a positive experience with your brand or company on social. Whether that experience is driven by responsive, top-tier customer service, relevant content or just demonstrating an understanding of your customers on an individual level, the business benefits are indisputable. Not only does a positive experience encourage a customer to make a purchase from your brand, but they’re also more likely to choose your brand over competitors, recommend your brand to their own network and feel stronger brand loyalty.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
