In the ever-evolving landscape of online marketing social media is one of the tools that has risen to the surface as one of the most valuable tools that any company can employ. More than a mere gimmick, social media has become a primary tool for communication for much of the average consumer base. Through social media channels, the members of your target audience not only connect with each other, but also to the brands that they like and engage with. Social media allows companies the unprecedented opportunity to interact with clients and customers in real time.
Engaging in social media allows you to:
- gather invaluable demographic information about your target audience
- educate and inform your target audience about your products, marketing campaigns and promotions
- market directly to your client base
- communicate directly with your customers to gain valuable feedback and address concerns
- build relationships with your target audience
While we all know that social media is a key tool that can grow your business, serve your campaigns, and further your brand’s goals like few other tools, it is important to understand exactly how social media works as well, so that you can maximize its efficacy. Here are five social media statistics that are sure to help you direct your social media campaigns in the correct directions.
1. Social Media is the #1 Activity On The Web
While the common perception may still be that most people are online watching videos of cats or surfing wikipedia, the fact of the matter is that the majority of the time people spend online is taken up my social media. This represents a huge change in the way that people communicate, and should also indicate that businesses need to similarly shift the focus of their marketing strategies. Another amazing piece of data to support this fact? Facebook actually surpasses Google in terms of daily traffic. Using social media effectively means harnessing the power of this traffic to serve your brand!
2. Social Media Plays A Crucial Role In Hiring
More and more, employers are turning to social media as an invaluable resource during the hiring process, which also means that employees who are literate in social media are in high demand. 80% of companies now use social media in some capacity when it comes to new hires. The social media platform of choice? That would be LinkedIn, which 95% of the employers who used social media for hiring said was a crucial part of their process.
3. 90% of Consumers Trust Peer Recommendations
When it comes to recommendations that consumers trust, your target audience is overwhelmingly going to turn to their peers to point them towards the brands and products that they will ultimately use. While word of mouth is still a part of this, more and more, your target audience is looking at the brands that their friends like on Facebook and follow on Twitter. These can be valuable endorsements, and so have an active presence on social media sites is more important than ever.
4. More Than 25 Billion Pieces of Content Are Shared on Social Media Every Month
This includes news articles, blog posts, infographics, web links, and photo albums. This is a staggering amount of content, and illustrates the power of social media when it comes to making sure that your content effectively reaches your target audience. An essential part of deploying any content marketing strategy is properly mobilizing social media to get your content out in the world.
5. The Average Social Media User Has 195 Friends
This is an important statistic for any company to keep in mind, especially when it comes to the power of your target audience to convey what they think of your brand. Whenever a social media used talks about your brand online, they are reaching an average of 195 people. By growing your brand’s reputation online, fostering a positive relationship with your target audience and educating your consumers about your corporate message, you can help ensure that everything a user says to those 195 friends about your brand is positive and on-message.
