Why Do Companies Need Social Media Marketing?

Companies need social media marketing because customers today expect communication via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Co. Social media networks dominate our professional and private life. Social media are an integral part of integrated marketing communication today.

The networks are constantly evolving due to social media trends. Therefore, constant development is required with an agile way of working. An individual strategy is, of course also. Qualified employees with resources with digital skills are also relevant to success.

Corporate Communication in Digital Change

Online studies show that media usage behavior is changing. Due to the mobile use of the Internet, social media, and apps, media usage behavior has increased steadily in recent years: More information on media usage behavior.
I advise many companies on social media marketing, from strategy development and implementation to operational social media management with corporate influencers, content marketing, and social selling for customer acquisition.

In the future, mobile use via smartphone and tablet will also be decisive. Most surf on the go and use social media for quick communication and information. Therefore, it is important to be familiar with the latest studies and statistics and react to developments: What opportunities do trends offer? What are the relevant social media networks for companies? How can companies use them strategically in marketing?

Social Media Marketing: Opportunities and Risks

Through social media, companies can reduce the distance to their customers. They have the opportunity to receive information from their customers and to use it, for example, to improve products and services and to be able to predict what needs customers will have in the future. In addition, companies gain additional platforms like privacyonline through social networks to strengthen brand awareness.

Despite the opportunities that arise from its use, some companies continue to reject social networks. They tend to be more reserved when using social networks. This is due, among other things, to the fact that companies often do not know which is the appropriate social network for their presence. Also, many companies are often not clear on how to behave in social networks in cases of criticism from customers. 

Social media Networks

Companies don’t have to use every network. Here it is important to orientate yourself towards the target group and to your benefit. Therefore, in another blog post, we created an infographic with the top ten social media networks for companies. Facebook is still the dominant network with around 1.7 billion users. The messenger is used by 900 million.

WhatsApp is also way ahead with messengers. Texts, images, videos, and contact details are sent via this. In the meantime, it can even be used to make calls. WhatsApp offers companies an additional opportunity to address a large group of customers. Due to its widespread use and mainly mobile use, the service is ideally suited to distributing contributions to as many users as possible in a short period.

The emerging platforms Instagram and Snapchat are particularly interesting when companies want to keep up with social media communication and target younger generations. Instagram has more than 400 million users monthly and more than 80 million photos published per day. 53% of Instagram users are between 18 and 29 years old. Twenty-five percent between 30 and 49 years and 11 percent of users are in an age range of 50 to 64 years. On Snapchat, 400 million “snaps” are sent every day. The platform is particularly popular with students. More information on social media marketing on Instagram and Snapchat can be found in the article “Instagram vs. Snapchat: Finding the right platform.”

Find The Right Social Network.

Companies should check carefully which network fits their goals and philosophy. To do this, go through the following steps:

1. Goal: What goals am I pursuing?
2. Target group: On which social media platforms are my target group active?
3. Benefit: What do I want to use the social media network for?
4. Function: Which tools should my platform have?

Content Marketing in Social Media Communication

For marketers, topics such as time, topicality, resources, relevance, and competence will be of great importance in the future. Content has to be of high quality and relevant now to achieve viral success. If we look at newer platforms such as Snapchat and privatnostonline, where content is deleted after a few minutes, time and quick reactions become more and more important. Content must therefore be well planned and allow spontaneity because the content is becoming even more fast-paced, emotional, and closer to the customer. Cross-media campaigns are helpful here. Learn more about Social Media Marketing strategies here.

Also Read: Social Media Costs – What Price Do Companies Have To Pay