Do you harness the power of social media?
Does your business have a social media strategy for 2016? It’s an important question for every business in the UK (and beyond) this year, given the huge growth in size and importance of social marketing. Social media is a huge phenomenon of this digital age. A glance at the headline numbers confirm that, if any confirmation was needed! We Are Social’s 2015 Global Digital Snapshot confirmed the seemingly unstoppable momentum of the social juggernaut. The numbers are so big they are hard to comprehend. 2.2 billion active social media users globally, which is 8.7% up year on year. Over 300 million monthly Twitter users, and rising. 1.6 billion active Facebook users around the world. The social explosion is underpinned by a number of factors, chief among them, the ‘M’ word – mobile. There are now more active mobile phone accounts than there are human beings in the world! (That’s about 7.5 billion mobiles, since you’re wondering…)
It’s here to stay – get used to it!
So, social is here to stay. The sheer size and scope can appear daunting for businesses looking to navigate the social seas effectively. The challenge for businesses, of all sizes, is how to leverage this powerful channel, and deliver tangible benefits for their organisation, via an effective social media strategy. And, at a cost that makes sense in terms of results that further your business objectives.
Businesses must commit
Being a global, household name brand is no guarantee of social success. As this article from Wallblog points out, there have been some monumentally high-profile social ‘fails’ already in 2016. What is clear from the travails of Coca-Cola, DC Comics, and MTV Australia, is that social media activity requires a clear social media strategy, and careful management if it is to be successful.
A common challenge facing businesses, is applying the necessary time and expertise to ‘do’ social media properly. Real Business Rescue has identified 5 key challenges facing B2B businesses in particular. They are; difficulty proving ROI, lack of time, no strategic planning, poor organisational understanding of social, and insufficient audience.
The danger, and common mistake, is that businesses enter into an ill-conceived, and poorly executed dalliance with social media. At best, this approach will have no tangible positive impact on a business. At worst, as the high profile examples above demonstrate, this can have a damaging effect on a businesses’ reputation.
Social media strategy 2016 for tangible results
Social media is a fantastic tool as part of your business’ marketing strategy. When done well, it can deliver multiple benefits. It is incredibly effective in acquiring, and retaining, relevant prospects, and customers. It can build your brand, enhance your credibility, and bolster your reputation via highly engaged interaction with your target market. Real Business Rescue’s ranking of the key benefits of effective social media management should whet the appetite of any SME owner or marketer:
– Increased exposure
– Increased traffic
– Customer loyalty
– Market insight
– Lead generation
– Improved search rankings
– Growth of business partnerships
– Reduction in total marketing spend
– Increase in sales
The key to achieving these benefits is in defining your clear business objectives for using social at the outset. For example, if acquisition of warm prospects is high up your list of priorities, then a thorough understanding of your target audience is key. Knowing who they are, what they do, and crucially, where you can find them in the social universe are all key factors for success.
Here at Saucy Horse, we have lots of experience in helping businesses integrate their social media strategy within their overall marketing. We are experts at creating bespoke approaches to suit individual businesses, across a wide variety of sectors, both B2B and B2C. We know how to make you more visible, to the right prospects, and deliver more leads, customers, and revenue. What’s more, we guarantee that we’ll get results that impact your bottom line. It’s what we do!
Whether you are looking to get started with a social media strategy 2016, or get your social assets working a lot harder for your business in 2016, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch today.
