Reasons For The Popularity Of Social Media Marketing

Recent years have seen an increase in the use of social media platforms for marketing purposes, by businesses small and large. There are different levels of social media marketing and a variety of platforms that can be used to reach the target audience. This article will explore reasons for this popularity, answering the question: Is social media marketing worth it?

Mass Marketing Is Easier When Using Social Media Marketing

Marketing a product or service through multiple platforms can easily give businesses access to millions of potential customers. The work needed to access a larger audience is minimal. Even if a business wanted to focus on a single platform, Instagram for instance – they can easily buy Instagram likes in order to reach a larger audience within Instagram alone. 

The beauty of social media marketing is that it can be very cost-effective to scale up your marketing campaign, which makes it a good option for small businesses with tight budgets.

Interacting With A Target Market: Better Consumer Engagement

Traditional marketing methods only allow marketers to connect with and engage their target market in a monologic method – that means that one entity (the business) is speaking to many people (the target consumers). In social media marketing, businesses are able to receive feedback from their consumers, because the setup is more dialogic, or akin to a conversation. More consumer engagement improves marketing efforts at all levels. Consumers feel that they are valued and not simply a statistic, and because a personal connection builds with consumer engagement, it also builds brand loyalty.

The Skills Needed For Social Media Marketing Are Simple

While there is a lot of room for improvement when it comes to all kinds of marketing, the skills needed for a basic social media marketing campaign are simple. Anyone who can use a computer is probably able to run a successful social media campaign. These are some of the most popularly used social media marketing methods:

• Content Marketing: This popular method involves creating informational content that benefits a target market. It is a great way to increase brand awareness, while also establishing a reputation as an expert in a particular field. This method can easily be used to build a brand image and gain the trust of potential consumers even before they try a product.

• Affiliate Marketing: Millions of businesses and websites employ affiliates through a specific affiliate marketing program. Although this is also a form of content creation, the content is created by affiliates. From the consumer’s point of view, an affiliate is an unbiased third party with expertise in a particular field that is providing their opinion of a product for the benefit of the reader. Affiliate programs generally do not require much from their affiliates, and a business simply needs to set up affiliate links and payout commissions for successful marketing (when a sale is made). 
• Influencer Marketing: Social media has brought a new type of celebrity into existence: influencers. These are people who are heavy social media users with large followings. Influencers are able to drastically change consumer purchasing behaviour based on the products and services they endorse or use, and you can start your campaign with Open Influence if you’re interested in taking this route. Businesses can use influencers that share a target audience because the target audience trusts the opinion of the influencer.

There are still more reasons that businesses use social media marketing, and it doesn’t seem to be a marketing fad – it’s here to stay. Competition on social media has become fierce, but social media marketing can also be extremely targeted, allowing businesses to use a differentiated target marketing strategy more effectively. The ease with which businesses can use social media for marketing purposes is the main reason for its popularity.