Struggling to understand the purpose of Social Media Marketing? Maybe you’ve tried explaining it to your boss, co-workers or business partner. Or perhaps you need some brushing up on the benefits before talking about it with others. Either way, there’s one key benefit that you need to know to help open the door into the wonders of Social Media Marketing.
A Crucial Question to Ask
Most people know about Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and so on. We associate these platforms with wasting time, or connecting with friends and family. We use social media as a pastime, but how do we use it for business? The first and most important question you should be asking yourself as a business manager or owner is: “Are my customers using social media?” With confidence, the answer would be yes – unless of course your target audience is as antiquated as the magazine selection at your local medical centre.
If your customers and potential customers are using social media, then your business should be too.
Facebook is considered a ‘discovery platform’ compared to Google, which is a ‘search platform’. This means that people who use Facebook aren’t searching for content, they’re discovering it, and as marketers we need to have this in mind when targeting our potential customers.
How You Can Benefit
Social media marketing is great for brand awareness, as it allows you to reach a high number of people for a very low cost. The average cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) globally is $2.18 (https://www.marketingmag.com.au/news-c/news-australian-advertisers-pay-more-facebook/). That means, on average, it costs just over $2 to get your ad seen 1000 times – perfect for a new launch, promotion, or just getting the word out there that you exist.
Pair this with Facebook’s extensive targeting and user data, as well as its impressive analytics, and you’ve got yourself one of the best advertising platforms in the market.
So that’s your starting point: Brand awareness and reach. Easy, simple and everyone understands that. Once you’ve mastered the art of explaining it, then (fingers crossed) your audience will want to know more.
