To say that marketing methods have changed over the years would be an understatement. Prior to the digital age that we live in today, radio and television were among the most common advertising methods. This doesn’t even begin to touch on print advertising, such as by way of newsprint and pamphlets, just to name a few examples. Currently, several digital methods exist to help businesses reach wider audiences, appealing to more potential consumers in the process. In lieu of in-house marketing, a business may opt to partner with a social media marketing agency, resulting in expert guidance and service each step of the way. One such tool that can’t be overlooked is social media. In fact, when it comes to the roles of social media in marketing, here are the most vital.
The Roles of Social Media in Marketing
Heightened Brand Awareness
One of the most crucial roles of social media in marketing is heightened brand awareness. This is especially important for businesses that have yet to establish themselves in their given industries. Case and point, if a restaurant opens in the New York area, it’s safe to assume that, without proper marketing, it won’t receive much foot traffic. This is where an experienced New York Internet marketing agency can prove useful, helping the restaurant in question build its brand. From there, the brand in question can become more well-known on a local level.
Announcement of New Products or Services
Another role of social media in marketing is to announce new products or services your business offers. Product launches aren’t uncommon, but the interest they garner will heavily depend on your digital marketing efforts. Without proper marketing, you’ll be unable to create buzz, which can result in product launches falling flat. Social media can help create interest in said products or services, which not only creates trust with your audience but further builds your brand. Consider using social media if you’re planning on unveiling a new offering from your business.
Audience Research
If you’re a business owner, it should go without saying that you’d like to learn as much about your target audience as possible. There are many ways to go about this, but one of the most effective is leveraging social media. This helps you uncover information about those that are most likely to invest in the products or services you offer. Where are your prospects located? What age range do they fall in? What other websites do they visit? These are just a few details that can help you not only better understand your audience but cater to them in the long term.
Increased Website Traffic
In addition to increased foot traffic, as mentioned earlier, social media can help with website traffic. This can be achieved through a number of methods. These include, but aren’t limited to, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, not to mention search engine results and business directories. Essentially, these tools can be used for the same purpose of bringing more users to business websites. The more traffic that your site generates, the better it will perform from a search perspective, which is where search engine optimization can be discussed. If you’re a business owner struggling with website traffic, social media can make all the difference.
SEO Growth
Speaking of search engine optimization, social media can prove useful when increasing a website’s ranking. One such method is by publishing content on your website, such as a new internal page or series of blog posts. This content can then be shared across your social media feeds, which creates signals that, over time, benefit your site’s position in search engine results. Keep in mind that social media is just one factor that influences SEO. For more information on how to improve your own site’s ranking, consider working alongside a reputable SEO agency.
Improved Customer Engagement
Even with the correct technical processes in place, if your digital marketing efforts aren’t receiving engagement, they’re not going to be as effective as they should be. Fortunately, customer engagement is another role that social media plays in the world of marketing. Many types of content can help to achieve this goal. Video ads, for example, are incredibly commonplace on social media platforms. These are meant to immediately grab a user’s attention, delivering a message that, directly or otherwise, motivates them to complete a user action. Such an action can range from visiting a website to making a purchase. Regardless, social media serves as a solid customer engagement tool.
About fishbat: fishbat is a full-service email, social media, and content marketing agency that takes a holistic business approach to their clients’ digital marketing programs. The fishbat team understands the importance of business principles just as well as the nuances of the latest digital technologies. fishbat offers every digital marketing service available from digital marketing research and planning to brand development to website and asset creation through social media management and search engine optimization programs – all custom calibrated for both B2B and B2C businesses.
