In the ever emerging world of social media, marketers are spending more time and money investing in these outlets in order to reach potential consumers.
A recent survey of 5,000 marketers worldwide revealed that 70% will be spending more of their budget on social media advertising. In 2014, 25% of marketers saw social media as a critical enabler of products and services. That number jumped to 64% in 2015.
Social media awareness is on the rise in both small businesses and large corporations, with over 75% having a dedicated social media team. That is a 50% increase from 2014. The reach and power of social networks has become the main focus of digital marketers.
Let’s take a look at the top 3 social media platforms for marketers in 2015.
The top social media outlet continues to be Facebook. With 1.35 billion active monthly users, marketers are turning to Facebook in order to engage with their audience. 80% of marketers use Facebook, with 74% of them using it as a tool to engage customers. A staggering 73% of those surveyed, rate Facebook as a very effective tool to use.
The days of using Facebook as a way to connect with old friends and classmates are in the past. Both B2C and B2B marketers are using Facebook for business to create awareness, launch products and services, and drive sales. Targeting options help advertisers reach the consumer audience they are pursuing. By using interests, connections, behaviors and location, marketers can reach an audience that is more likely to include key buyers and decision makers.
Of the marketers surveyed, 70% are using this micro-blogging social network. The same survey showed that 79% of Twitter users engage customers on the platform, which is slightly higher than that of Facebook users.
With 284 million monthly active users, Twitter provides a target audience for digital marketers in both B2C and B2B roles. With 68% of marketers rating the platform as a very effective tool, users are able to specify campaigns to work in a number of capacities. Twitter ads can be used to grow followers, facilitate conversations, encourage app downloads and collect email addresses. These ads can feature in-stream video as well as clickable offers. Through the use of Twitter cards, marketers are able to attach media experience to the ads. This provides the ability to further reach the target audience.
In 2014, LinkedIn announced that it was going “all in on content marketing” and marketers took notice. LinkedIn has developed platforms that allow for the promotion of sponsored content. Through its use of content marketing, LinkedIn has done an outstanding job of promoting the network’s ability to connect B2B marketers and buyers. With its collection of eBooks and videos, LinkedIn has helped marketers understand the possibility of reaching a B2B audience.
According to the survey, 62% of marketers are currently using LinkedIn and 60% of those users rate it as a very effective tool to use. By using sponsored updates, marketers are reaching a B2B user-base that is highly in tune with the business of the day. LinkedIn is viewed as less of a social network with its focus being geared more towards careers, networking and industry insight. This provides the ability to focus on the specific audience your media content is intended for.
While these three networks are currently the most effective platforms to use, they are just the tip of the social network mountain. It is definitely necessary to keep an eye on other standards such as YouTube, Google+ and Instagram. Snapchat and other messaging apps are growing and are great venues to continue to reach your target audience.
At SSMCreative, we take the necessary steps to ensure that our clients use these avenues to target customers, provide information about the services they offer and grow their brand recognition to successfully compete in the online market. Let us help you grow your business through the use of social media. It’s what we do best!