I like it.
I want it.
I — check the company’s social media before moving forward with the purchase.
You can blame it on my birth chart labeling me an indecisive Sagittarius, or you can blame it on the fact that most popular social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat came to life when I was entering puberty. Still, when it comes to making most purchases, I trust what’s on the Internet.
And I’m not the only one.
74% of consumers rely on social networks to help with their purchasing decisions, according to a report by ODM Group.
If you’re still on the fence, I get it, but let me give you three reasons to climb back down to the flat ground and fully grasp the importance of social media for your brand, whether you’re selling a tangible product or a much-needed service.
1. Brand Awareness
If you’re going to create a social media presence for any reason at all, make it brand awareness — let your consumers knowing you exist. Pretty important, if you ask me.
It’s also the modern-day word-of-mouth that helps differentiate between two competitors.
Whenever I visit a brand’s social media account for reference, whether that’s Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, etc., I ask myself:
When did they post last?
I might see a company that has amazing photography and packaging behind their products, but if I notice that the last time they posted was November 2018, that’s an automatic red flag.
As a consumer, I want to support a company that loves their product as much as they want me to. This is a two-way relationship. If a company can’t post a little #wcw every once in a while to show off its product, it honestly makes me feel as though they don’t care.
And if that’s how they treat their own product, I have to ask myself, how are they going to treat me?
Are people engaging with their message?
In the world of social media, engagements are the likes, reactions, shares, comments, saves and sends that measure your consumers’ feedback.
Not only do engagements allow you as the company to see what is and isn’t working, but it also shows me as the consumer that other people like what you’re providing.
When I see a product post with high likes and a lot of comments, I feel more inclined to join the conversation.
Do they respond back?
I never thought I would follow a fast-food company’s content for its savage commentary, but here I am, three years later, still laughing at almost everything Taco Bell tweets.
Let’s talk about this as calm, mature adults…
— Taco Bell (@tacobell) June 12, 2018
And I don’t even eat Taco Bell.
Social media is your shot at having and creating a conversation with your following, not having an active social media sacrifices your chance to hear straight from the source what is and isn’t working with your service or product.
Pro-tip: Try to respond to any comments or direct messages within 24 hours!
This can be as simple as ‘liking’ a comment on your post or sharing one you’ve been tagged in to your story.
2. It’s Advertising Without Feeling So, Mad Men-y
Creating a social media presence is a way to show off all of the things you love about your brand without feeling like a tv commercial you want to take a break from.
Traditional advertising like billboards, magazines, tv spots and broadcasts have one thing in common: they’re all talking to a wall that doesn’t talk back, and we as the consumers are the bricks that make it stand.
Social media deviates from the linear one-to-the-masses way of getting information about your brand out to the public by instead creating a conversation with your consumers in a way that allows them to talk back.
This two-way-communication vibe is great because it gives your brand a more human side. That way, when it comes down to choosing your product or service over the other guy, they feel as though they are making that decision for themselves rather than being told what to do.
3. Staying Top of Mind
Established brand awareness? ✔️
Created a conversation with your consumers? ✔️✔️
Now, let’s tie it together with one more hard truth.
Not all of your social media posts’ engagements are going to convert directly into sales in real-time.
There are going to be days when you post a new product and get hundreds of engagements with that post, but you only notice a handful of sales on your website.
There are going to be other days when you don’t post at all but notice a spike in sales.
I’m not telling you this to freak you out. I’m telling you because this is where it’s important to remember the big picture. Sure, your post might not convert right now, but because you’ve consistently posted and remained top of mind, you’re who your followers are going to think of when the time comes and they do need your service or product.
They won’t need to Google anything because they already know you’re the one to go to!
If you’re going to walk away with anything, remember this:
Organic social media is at the top of the funnel.
It’s not necessarily where someone goes to make the purchase; it’s where they go to learn about the brand and engage with it before purchasing — which is a crucial step in the sales process. It’s relationship building.
It’s also where you have the opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality and voice.
Ready to build your social media presence and grow relationships with your future customers? Contact us for more information about our social media marketing management services.