The main challenge for new brands is to create buzz and attract new customers. Today, 2.5 billion people are using social media to connect with the world around them. Big or small, there’s a reason all of the best brands have moved to social media to reach consumers — because it works.

3 Reasons Social Media Matters

If you want to be seen or heard, you’ll need to be active on social media. You’ll want to have a firm grasp on your brands wants and needs, but understanding why social is important will help tremendously as you develop a strategy that works well for you. There are three main reasons why social media is crucial: engagement, awareness, and timing. 

Engagement

Brands can use social media to create daily engagement with the people that matter most. Owners can vie for the attention of potential supporters non-stop — all from one platform! Naturally, when you add two or three more platforms to the effort, you begin to create a recipe for brand awareness.

Social media users tend to be very open about their opinions online, so owners have an opportunity to constantly receive feedback about their brand.  User engagement is not only an indicator of awareness, but it also serves as an opportunity to give customer service and create transparency if you engage back.

•  64% of marketers say that increasing their engagement was crucial to their marketing strategy. (www.invespcro.com)

Awareness

Many young owners believe that if you’re not active on social media, then you basically don’t exist. Millions of new mobile social users are added every day, so if your client base is on social media, shouldn’t you be? Through the use of #hashtags, trending topics, and user groups, consumers have access to new businesses like never before.

Users trust brands who participate on the platforms with them. Even if you own a storefront or offline business, when you are effective at creating your voice online, you’ll see more success at the point of sale. This is especially true if you’ve been able to positively engage with those users.

• 40% of social media users have purchased an item online or in-store after sharing it or marking it as a Favorite on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.
• 71% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals. (www.invespcro.com)

Timing

As society and consumers evolve, so should your brand. Social media allows owners to keep their thumb on the pulse of today’s culture — in real time. If brands can utilize their social media to effectively stay in-the-know, they can become an even more credible resource to their followers and supporters.

• 80% of social media purchases take place within 3 weeks of marking the item as Favorite. (www.invespcro.com)
• 48% of young people turn to social media for their news first. (www.bbc.com)

With the great freedom and power that social media provides brand, so too is there a heightened level of responsibility.  When you do decide to jump into social media, understand that you will soon be in front of more than 3 billion people. A growing social media presence can do wonders for your brand awareness, but be sure to be clear about what your brand stands for. Pay attention to what other brands like yours are doing — right and wrong, so you can make all of your social media accounts work effectively for you.