Staying social

Social media has significantly evolved over the last decade. What was once a way for us to connect and share online, is now an essential marketing tool. Recent research has shown that 73 percent of marketers agree that social media is an effective part of their business strategy. For those wanting to get the most out of their brand online, we have compiled some of the key social media marketing tools.

• Social media advertising

Social media is one of the most sought-after advertising tools as it reaches specific target markets by filtering demographic factors such as age, location and job role. The social media platform you use will determine what kind of audience is targeted. For example, LinkedIn is primarily populated with professionals aged between 25 – 54 whereas TikTok consists mainly of users aged 18 – 24. By targeting the right target audience, you will have a higher chance of driving traffic and increasing sales.

• Influencer marketing

The global influencer marketing industry is expected to grow to approximately $9.7 billion this year, with large companies doubling the number of influencers they use per campaign in the past two years. Influencer marketing lets you tap into niche audiences as influencers will share tailored content with their online community. The content will be unique and potential customers associate a human touch to the brand if it is associated with someone they already know and trust.

• Data

Data collection allows you to understand what your customer wants from your company, the type of services they are after and how they prefer to interact with your brand. By understanding the target market, you can tailor everything about your business to better fit the target audience’s needs. Data can also improve your customer database which will let you tell them about future opportunities and improve lead generation strategy.

Like PR, social media will help to keep your company in the public spotlight and ensure you are in touch with existing and potential customers. It can help transform marketing campaigns and help brands stay super relevant online.