Why is social media so attractive to consumers?
Social media platforms are a part of daily life now, unquestionably. Having a social media presence as a small business owner has become a must-have.
“In 2020, there were 3.96 billion people actively using social media in the world” according to Backlinko. So many potential customers!
Consumers use social media to connect with friends and family throughout the world on a real-time basis using Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, or other platforms. They also use social media to look at businesses online before making a purchase.
Below we’ll discuss the consumer, consumer behavior, and social media platforms.
What are the top social media platforms?
There are many social networking sites where consumers spend their time.
Here are a few of the top:
Users commonly use Facebook to catch up with friends and family with one of the most popular features being posts, stories, and groups. A lot of people use Facebook as their daily news feed as opposed to watching the news or reading the paper. It's become THAT ubiquitous!
Users share a images or video content whether it be as a static social media post, reels, stories, IG Live, and more.
TikTok
Users are mainly younger generations and enjoy quick, entertaining and informational videos.
YouTube
This is long-form content where users are watching videos and learning new skills, catching up on news, following a community or influencer, and more.
Users tend to skew mainly female and are browsing for visual ideas and inspiration.
Is mainly a text-based platform where users share updates and incite debate and discussion.
This is a platform for working professionals to share industry knowledge and network to make connections.
Where do most consumers spend their time?
Consumers choose where to spend their time mainly through their interests, passions, and practical reasons. To understand consumer behaviors, you need to know your target audience.
Whether that be a mom looking to connect with old friends or a college student looking to make new ones. It all depends on who you’re trying to reach and connect with through your social media business profiles.
Benefits of Social Media for Businesses
Social media has changed the way people interact. It has become a communication channel for people to share their experiences with friends. After purchasing a product or service, many users share their experience with the world and this organic word-of-mouth can convert tons of new potential customers for businesses create buzz around your brand.
Social media acts as an influence or social proof of your business. Most consumers research a place, product, or service on social media before making a purchase. 54% of Browsers use social media to research products and 37% visited a brand’s social media page according to Chris Beer in GWI.
This creates many benefits for businesses such as:
Brand awareness
Social media channels help inform consumers about who you are and what you offer. The first step of the purchase process is brand awareness because without people knowing about your business, they won’t be able to purchase.
Influence buying decisions
By sharing informational content, you can highlight insights into why your offer is better than the competition.
Direct connection
You have a one-on-one connection with your audience and can deliver a personalized customer service experience that will get consumers to trust you.
Reach larger audience
Before social media, you could only reach the audience of those geographically close to you. Now you can reach wider audiences and can even open up your business to international clientele.
Word of mouth referrals
When a customer has a good experience with you, they will let their friends know and this is more than enough to bring you more customers.
Why should businesses use social media?
Social media helps businesses increase conversion rates by creating an audience, connecting with them, and informing them about their offer.
Social media is a part of our daily lives now, whether you're a fan of it or not. Businesses and brands need a presence and leverage it to influence consumers’ purchase decisions.
So now that you know, you can get serious about your social media marketing strategy and invest in social media management services so that your business can reach a wider audience and get more sales.
What social media platforms should businesses use?
Your business should be active on the platform or platforms your potential customers or target audience is. You should know who your target audience is and that's how you can determine what platform they spend the most time on.
If you're just starting out on social media, it's generally recommended that you start off with one platform to master and then use others.
Conclusion
I hope this was of value to you in your journey as a business owner. Being active on social media can take too much time and effort Go check out my social media services if you would like us to take care of all the strategy for you.