Whether it's a large supermarket chain, a Catholic hospital or just the nice café next door. Everyone seems to be on social media now. So many entrepreneurs are rightly wondering
Do I also have to be present with my company on Facebook, Instagram and other social networks? In this article you will find out why social media is often a good idea for companies and how social media marketing for companies can be easily implemented.
Why use social media marketing for business?
Social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube are a favourite in news and social discussions. Networks like these produce the stars of tomorrow, influence politics and election results and also inspire some conspiracy theories. The influence these platforms have on our lives is quite controversial. But one thing is certain: social media has established itself as an integral part of modern society and also seems to be indispensable in the business world.
Well-founded studies show that companies are increasingly present on social media and rely on digital trends such as viral marketing or influencer marketing: In a survey of almost 3,000 marketing managers in 2022, a proud 90 percent of respondents said they use Facebook in their company, Instagram (79%), LinkedIn (61%), YouTube (52%), Twitter (43%) and TikTok (18%) are also steadily increasing.
So it is no wonder that most businesses are considering taking the plunge into social media and using it as a marketing tool.
Real benefits of social media for businesses
But how important are social media for business success? Here are the most important advantages of social media marketing for companies.
Better customer acquisition through increased reach
A very important advantage of social media for companies is that you can directly contact your target group with relatively little effort. However, this requires some time and effort at the beginning. But once you have established your presence on social media, you have a loyal community that is interested in your company and your products.
This is the ideal starting point for all other marketing measures: if you want to draw attention to a new product and current offers, for example, you can use it to directly address your followers.
Marketing to your existing customers
This brings us to the next advantage: your existing customers are actively marketing for you. Because satisfied customers who were once willing to follow your company on social media are often inclined to share your social media posts there with their personal network.
They act as ambassadors for your brand, so to speak, and thus increase the level of awareness of your brand. And this should by no means be underestimated: most consumers are influenced in their purchasing decisions by authentic recommendations from friends and family. Your real reach can therefore go far beyond your own followers.
More traffic to your website
To a certain extent, your website takes on the function of a shop window for your company, through which consumers stroll on the Internet and make a purchasing decision, ideally in favor of the products offered there. Your goal should always be to bring as many Internet users as possible to your website.
There are various options for this, such as a company listing on online platforms or advertising in search engines, social media marketing is one of the most cost-effective options for companies to generate sustainable traffic to their own company website.
Interact directly with your users
Unlike modern marketing, traditional marketing usually consists of rather one-sided communication – be it a billboard at the bus stop, TV advertising or a commercial on the radio. While companies can actively send their core advertising message here, consumers only play a passive role. With this form of marketing, it is not possible for them to consume more than the advertising.
The situation is completely different with social media as a marketing channel. Because here your (potential) customers now have the opportunity to actively get in touch with you and your company. They can react to your social media posts, like, comment and share them, they can rate your services or also interact with other users and discuss topics related to your company.
All of these interactions can contribute to your overall marketing goals and, consequently, to the success of your business. However, only if you meet certain basic requirements and approach it correctly – i.e. professionally and seriously.
Targeted advertising and measurable success control
On social networks like Facebook, you don't just have the option to post posts, you can also place ads. If you have to pay for advertising on Facebook or other social networks, advertising on social networks has many advantages. One very important plus point: your advertising will be displayed in a target group-specific manner, i.e. with little waste.
This means that your ads are only targeted at those people who are part of your target group in terms of demographic characteristics (e.g. age or gender), their location or other parameters. Here it really pays off that Facebook collects so much personal data, although of course this should always be treated with caution.
In addition, a very precise measurement of success is possible using suitable analysis tools, which are often provided by the networks themselves. So you can see exactly whether your investment was worthwhile and how much benefit you actually got from it.
Recruitment
At some point, (almost) every company will reach the point where they have to start looking for employees. Anyone who has already had experience with recruiting knows how time-consuming it is. Social media can help here. Because if you have already built up your presence on social media, you can reach out to your community directly with your job advertisement.
There is a good chance that among them there are job seekers or that the advertisement is sent to potential candidates in their circle of friends and acquaintances.
Benefits of Social Media Is Using Social Media for Profit Worth It?
Yes. When it comes to the benefits of social media, most entrepreneurs think of two things in particular: reach and visibility. The idea is quite logical: since your own target group (especially younger generations) spends more and more time on social media, you can also reach potential customers on this platform. At least in theory.
In fact, social media marketing for companies can bring great success with a good strategy and clever content. However, social media often does not turn out to be the miracle cure that many entrepreneurs hope for. So a bit of restraint and realistic goals are required here.
If you want to use social media for your own company, you should not see it as a pure MarTech tool, but as part of (authentic) company communication. Because social media is an all-rounder that can not only increase your brand awareness, but also give you information about your customers and can be used as an additional channel for customer support and service. It is now true that if a company is not present on social media, it sometimes appears invisible in today's business world.
Which industries benefit from social media?
Although the search for companies via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social networks is far behind the Google search engine, the topic of social media cannot generally be seen as overrated. Because the results of the studies show that there are major differences depending on the industry.
In this case, the use of Facebook to search for service providers in the following areas was examined:
- Alternative medicine.
- Automotive (e.g. auto body shops, tire shops, auto repairs).
- Property.
- Insurance.
- Crafts.
- Beauty and fitness.
- Retail trade.
Among these industries, companies in the beauty and fitness sector benefit the most from a professional social media presence.
Around 25 percent of respondents use Facebook to search for a new hair salon, beauty salon or gym. This figure is almost double the average result of 13%. Social media advertising is also perceived much better in this industry with 19 percent of respondents than, for example, marketing measures by car repair shops (only 7 percent of respondents).
What can be deduced from this result?
Above all, there are no universal truths in online marketing, but rather individual solutions that are best developed together with experts. Sharing images on platforms such as Instagram, for example, allows companies to present their offers in a visually appealing way. Think, for example, of photos of tattoo artwork or perfectly arranged dishes.
In sectors such as crafts or medicine, on the other hand, an expert image is much more important, which you can best cultivate through content marketing and corresponding contributions on your own website. By way of comparison: only around 7% of consumers surveyed would look for a doctor via social media.
Social media is by no means a marketing tool reserved solely for large companies. (Small and medium-sized) companies can also benefit greatly from the strategic integration of social media into their marketing mix in order to place targeted advertising (with measurable success monitoring).
Since professional social media marketing for companies can be implemented with a manageable budget, it is actually advisable for every company to operate social media.
In principle, the following applies to the use of social media: Less is more. It may be enough to share a nice, interesting and well thought-out post on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram once a week to be perceived by your own community as an industry expert. What is particularly important is the regularity of the posts (e.g. once a week, on Wednesdays) and the focus on details regarding the content and design of the social media post.
