According to Statista, there will be 4.41 billion active social media users by 2025. It goes without saying that social media is transforming the business landscape, creating new and innovative ways for businesses to communicate with their audiences.
Social media marketing is an extremely powerful and strategic tool that has been making waves in the business world. The way people share, connect, and consume information has changed dramatically over the last decade with social media at the center of it all.
Marketing Before Social Media
Before we look at how social media has changed marketing, we first need to explore the world of marketing as it was before the inception of social media.
Digital marketing did, of course, exist prior to the birth of social media. However, it was hugely limited both in its effectiveness and its application.
Emails were used in outbound marketing, and the rise in the use of search engines had aided the rise of the first inbound marketing.
Search engine optimization in the days before social media would largely be regarded today as black hat techniques. Examples of this would be keyword stuffing, overuse of tags, and content filled with backlinks.
The Growth of Social Media and it’s Users
With 3.48 billion active social media users around the world and an average of 135 minutes spent online by users, every business, be it small or large, should consider having an online presence or getting into e-commerce.
Social platforms are on the rise, and so are the number of their users. The most used social platforms are YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and many others.
Businesses have personified themselves by giving their brand a friendly voice and unmatched customer services that allow building a relationship with customers at a human level.
Gone are the days of generic advertising of what businesses are offering and why customers should buy it.
With the help of social media, businesses can now connect with their customers like a friend who understands their needs and suggests useful products.
How Social Media Has Had an Impact on Marketing
When social media hit the internet, its purpose was still as its name implies: to build and maintain social connections. Platforms were for individuals to network; they were free from businesses and ads. Just try to remember how your Facebook or Twitter feed looked more than 10 years ago — it’s unrecognizable from today.
Gradually, social media changed from a place where you connected mostly with friends to a space where users could follow brands and individuals like celebrities and influencers. This led to some major changes in the way businesses approached marketing.
To Wrap It Up
Social media has become and will remain a central contributor to a marketing strategy. It encourages marketers to get creative with their messaging. Having a marketing campaign that is visually appealing will be more likely to be remembered by your target audience and go viral.
You can reach an audience that you never thought was possible. You can interact and engage with your customer base on a daily basis and in the most virtual, direct way possible. Therefore, social media opens up an opportunity for brands to understand who their audience is and what their desires are. You can begin tailoring campaigns and offerings based on this, which will show your audience and prospects that you care about your customers’ needs and that they’re at the core of your business.
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