The Advantages of Social Media Marketing over Traditional Marketing

It is mentioned time and again that various forms of social media have always been around since the creation of mankind when human beings started communicating with each other. In recent times though, the term social media has been used to refer to various Internet-based applications that allow the formation and exchange of user-generated content.

Today, social media is primarily viewed as something that exists in a digital form and is not only used by individuals to stay in contact with friends or family, but also used by business brands for effective marketing with their targeted audience. Social media has become so impactful that it is now considered to be a necessary tool in the marketing resource of any business. Social media is comprised of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and more, and these platforms are a contrast to traditional media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio. In this article, we are going to list a few of the benefits of social media when compared with traditional media.

1) Establish Trust

Consumers, investors and followers first build trust on social media and then form an opinion about that particular brand. University of London’s research has shown the impact of social media on consumers draws a direct connection between trust, perceived effectiveness, and intent to buy. Consumers start developing trust with a brand when they perceive the product or services as convenient and this ultimately sways their commitment to buy.

2) Build Credibility

For strengthening and further establishing trust, brands are shaping their trustworthiness through social media marketing. By increasing the frequency of consumer engagements and adding followers, brands expect this to influence potential purchases. As a matter of fact, the latest research on consumers indicates that 51% of Facebook users and 67% of Twitter followers are more apt to buy from brands they are already following on social media.

3) Enhance Brand Image

As soon as the general public connects with a brand on social media, it’s the right time for that brand to augment the brands’ image and tell their story. After getting on TV on ABC’s Shark Tank, Grace and Lace engaged a massive number of new fans and followers. They not only were able to promote their products; they were also able to endorse their brand by sharing their story with the public. Through the promotion of your brand and sharing your story, this is how you can create an emotional association with potential customers.

4) Work on Brand Recognition

Around 2.8 billion people now have access to the Internet and about 74% of users are online adults who consume social media. It is crucial to raise the awareness of the product or service your brand is offering. When consumers make the decision to buy, they are highly likely to choose a product which they are familiar with.

5) Grow a Long-Term Audience

On the matter of brand equity, it is important to give the right amount of attention to the long-term advantage of growing already established connections. The followers and fans you invite once are going to stay with you forever. By the time they grow, your brand will continue to impact more and more people, which will influence the number of sales. An example of this would be a blog i.e. Thirsty Roots, which managed to grow over 300,000 Facebook fans. At present, just about every time they post and share any product with their followers it results in sales. Now picture the potential of your brand being able to reach hundreds of thousands of new potential customers and that too for free.

6) Develop a Brand Voice

The brand can develop and become a strong voice on social media with an ultimate goal of increasing communication. The general tone and impression of your brand could be intensified with a well-planned social media design and more valuable and quality content that’s in a tone which is reflective of the brand. By working on your brand image and voice, you can easily create a healthier customer experience for existing and prospective customers. Coca-Cola and Publix can be used as great examples for this.

7) Humanize Your Brand

The capability to humanize the brand on social media will boost the overall marketing efforts. Around 60% of people are photographic observers, which means you could see considerably higher conversion rates after incorporating images into the story. Psychologically, people prefer to communicate with people, not things. By means of humanizing the brand and displaying real images of the customers or employees, you could influence your customers and produce more results by creating the relatability factor.

8) Influence Purchase Decisions

Social media marketing cannot and does not drive sales by magic. Great products and services drive and influence sales. Nevertheless, sales and consumer purchasing decisions could be persuaded through social media marketing. All of the advantages listed in this article will play a vital role in swaying sales. With great branding, proven trust, and alleged worth, your brand can influence the purchasing decisions of consumers.

9) Increase Website Traffic

Websites cannot live without traffic. By increasing the website traffic, you are most likely to grow your sales. Social media can be utilized for delivering appropriate traffic to your website. My friends who own a social media marketing company have built their agency as a brand online to get thousands of visits with organic traffic without having to invest in massive advertising. You could do the exact same for your website by strengthening your social media presence.

10) Elevated Word of Mouth

A greater number of engaged customers are more likely to refer your product directly to a friend or mention the brand’s name via word of mouth in a group of people. In an article published by Forbes on why word of mouth is the most powerful form of social media, Kimberly Whitler specifies that about 92% of consumers rely on the recommendations from their friends and family over every other form of marketing. Hubspot also examined this and established that 71% of people are more likely to purchase depending on social media referrals.

The bottom line

You can follow all of these social media tips and many others to start building your brand image. A strong, reliable internet connection is the key to success, which can also be referred by someone, such as Cox cable New Orleans was in my case, referred to me. As soon as you start thinking and planning along the lines of utilizing social media marketing you will find numerous other ways to connect with your audience. Not to mention that this is the cheapest advertising tool to date.