Marketing is one of those aspects that a business needs to be successful. It is because the firm needs to persuade people to buy their products or pay for their services. Also, marketing reminds their existing customers that the business is still running.
Initially, people used various methods to market their goods and services. Such methods include advertisements on newspapers, billboards, and televisions. Well, those methods are still in existence. However, they are no longer creating a major impact compared to the new ones.
Technology has made way for social media to be part of our lives. Social media has changed the marketing world in various ways. So many companies are now adapting to its new trends. It has brought advanced measures that firms are learning to adapt. You can post and interact with people until they start following you back. However, it can be challenging. Therefore, you can acquire Twitter followers and increase your reach to people. With time, you will also get endorsements to advertise other products and businesses on social media.
Gone are the days where advertisements were only seen on billboards and print media. Social media has taken a different turn, and now all you need is a smartphone. It took a long time for people to adapt to using smartphones and getting online.
However, times have changed, and nearly 85% of the world’s population uses social media platforms. In some cases, it is even being used for official businesses. The following are some of the ways in which social media has changed the marketing industry.
1. Easy Access to Big Data
One of the amazing ways social media has changed marketing is the way the business can access people. You only need to send one post then the viewers will see it. For instance, you only need a single tweet for your newly acquired Twitter followers to see it on their timeline. Paid advertisements have become so applicable because of the access to big data.
It is better than traditional marketing because so many people would view the advert but were not interested. As a result, there would be low investment returns. Thus, it would reach many people, but they would not show interest in what the company offers.
On the other hand, you can pay a social media advertising agency, and it will get to many people. These agencies use famous people who are verified on various social media platforms like Twitter. For you to get verified on Twitter, you need to have a lot of followers.
2. It is Measurable
Initially, people did not know how to account for the people who are watching the advertisements. For example, the billboards did not determine how many people saw them. However, with social media, you can measure the number of people who saw the post, liked it, and even shared it. Thus, you can account if the method is effective or not. Another example would be the straightforward link between your Twitter following and the number of engagements you get on the platform.
3. Social Media Has Made Marketing Easier
Marketing has been made easier through the use of social media platforms. It is even cheaper if the person is doing it themselves. You can post the products of your business on your social media platform.
You will only account for internet charges. It is also easier because it is something you can do on your phone for less than ten minutes, unlike the traditional methods where you had to go through various processes to get your advertisement on a billboard or print media. On social media this is getting done way easier. For instance, single tweet to your Twitter followers is enough to market whatever you want them to pay attention to/
4. Makes Room for Feedback
With social media, you can get feedback from your viewers. They will let you know if they liked the product or not. You can also create a webpage that is specifically for your business. People will then leave behind their feedback as reviews and rating stars. Having such feedback will enable you to account for the number of people who need something changed or if they like it that way.
5. Communication and Interaction with Customers
Social media makes it easy for you to communicate with your customers. You will be able to respond to queries and complaints. You can communicate with your customers from all over the world.
So many users use products and wish they can let the company know about their goods. However, it was not easy for them to communicate directly since the products are advertised on television.
6. Gives a Wider Approach
So many people use social media platforms every day. Therefore, the platform is used by people who are not only from that particular country but also from across the world. Thus, if you post the image of your products, it can be viewed by someone on another continent.
This approach has helped companies to expand their reach to international customers. Having international customers will enable the firm to export their goods and make more profits.
In Conclusion
Social media has changed marketing either in a good way or a bad way. However, mostly, it is in a good way. The companies that use social media for marketing their goods have acknowledged more benefits than traditional methods. Companies can now attract more customers from across the globe. Also, they can account for how many people have accessed that data so far. Thus, it has changed marketing for the better.
