The ever-increasing clientele of the Internet has made Social Media Marketing today as one of the most powerful mediums of advertising a product and services. It has revolutionized the way of doing business.
Social Media Marketing is extremely effective in propagating new products and reaching out to customers all around. Its importance in spreading awareness of social messages and business prospects is surpassing the print and electronic media also. More importantly, the Social Media Marketing ensures an extremely personal and humane touch in its contact with the people.
Given the fact that today as the Internet is highly accessible with more and more people hopping on to the social media platforms, its marketing reach has reached phenomenal heights and hence, is reaping rich dividends to the advertisers of various businesses and entrepreneurs. In fact, there is also a lot of learning and knowledge to be gained for the people through the platforms of social media.
The various platforms which have mainly contributed to the making of social media marketing, a powerful marketing medium, are broadly Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest. All these platforms have the same objectivity, that of information, interaction, and the brand value, but have slightly varied methods of content and presentation.
Facebook is one of the most popular sites as it helps in building a strong following of friends and a robust customer base. It is a lively platform for advertising and marketing of products and the sharing of offer and services. Its customer base is 1.65 billion users.
Twitter which has a customer base of 310 million is fast paced and concise. It is easy to connect and it allows contents of maximum 140 words only. Like Facebook, Twitter also allows photos and information’s to be shared on its site.
Integrated with Facebook, Instagram provides a platform for all those who love visuals. The platform has a monthly user base of more than 1 Billion. Alike other Social Media platform, Instagram allows businesses to hook prospects and customers to their products and services. The unique feature is the dimension of images to be posted, which was why initially Instagram came to market.
YouTube
The variety of videos on YouTube makes it an engrossing platform. The audience and the customers find video speaks to be very imaginative and educative. They find videos to be more engaging than mere text messages.
Pinterest is a platform of eye-catching slogans and strikingly clear images. This combination makes it an attractive site for advertisement. Images are linked to the advertiser’s website for more information of the product.
LinkedIn is a B2B site for business professionals where they are able to meet and interact with people in their same industry. This site is instrumental in the recruitment process also. Upload your complete resume on this social networking website and keep in touch with the industry specialists. Monitor the latest trends and take the plunge on any opportunity that comes your way.
Impact of social media on the growth and prosperity businesses
The impact of the Social Media Marketing on various businesses has been immense. One sector, which has really blossomed, is the online based ordering and booking sector. It has really grown leaps and bounds due to the wide-ranging accessibility of the Internet and its huge penetration levels everywhere. Millions of ordering and bookings are made through the Social Media sites.
Better customer flow
There are innumerable attractive packages offered by the online business companies on the sites. The advent of Social Media Marketing has brought about a radical change in this sector and has given rise to a phenomenal growth in the number of people visiting online businesses website and placing order.
Discounts and offers
Online businesses website also offer several lucrative offers, discount coupons, and early booking discounts. As a potential client, they like the business page and follow the businesses on social media. If you are lucky to win contests, you might just bag a discount coupon or a BOGO offer experience!
Feedbacks are useful for the businesses and the customers
Reviews and Suggestions on the sites by fellow visitors throw a lot of insight about the quality of services provided by the online businesses. The reviews further act as effective feedbacks also to tighten the loose ends and facilitate improvement in their establishments in order to stay in business.
Transparency of rates
Transparency of rates Facebook, Twitter, YouTube are the most popular in attracting consumers to their sites. Today transparency is the buzzword. And coupled with easy access and comparisons of rates through these sites, travellers are having a rollicking time.
An impetus to improve efficiency
Businesses that are able to improve upon all round efficiencies and services are able to thrive immensely. Their popularity rises to new levels. For others, it acts as a stimulus to work hard and keep on innovating. The criticisms on the sites allow for ways and methods to overcome the shortcomings. By improving their efficiencies they automatically find themselves being talked about in the social media.
Social Media ensures a lot of freedom and power to express negative news also about any person or business, which spreads like wildfire.
Summing up briefly…
Social Media Marketing has left its mark on the online business greatly. In comparison to 10-12 years back there has been a tremendous change. Social Media has today become a very powerful marketing tool. As the penetration level of the social media sites is extremely deep and ever-increasing entrepreneurs find its marketing much more lucrative than even the print and electronic media.
There is no doubt that the transition from various modes of marketing to the Social Media Marketing has attained new heights and will continue to do so with the ever-burgeoning internet traffic. There is no denying it.
WRITTEN BY
Fuad Hasan