Social media marketing agencies are springing up all over the place nowadays, telling anyone who will listen how important social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are for their business. But for the average small to medium-sized company, does advertising on social networks live up to the hype? Has anyone done their research before hiring someone to install their Facebook business page?
While it may be true that Facebook has the largest number of members in the world, the question is, are they actually buying? Social media marketing companies are all too happy to point out how many tweets were sent out or how many people use Facebook and watch videos, but do these metrics actually translate to real business results?
Is it in the best interest of people on a social network to feel that companies can advertise en masse by promoting and advertising together on Facebook? People who use Google are actively looking for something specific, such as hairdressers when they do a search. On the other hand, the intent of using Facebook is to connect with family and friends, not to be bombarded with advertisements.
Therefore, businesses need to find ways to connect with social media in a way that is meaningful to their potential customers. The IBM Institute for Business Value research has found that there are “significant differences between what companies think users care about and what customers say they want in their social media interactions with companies.”
One of the biggest challenges that businesses face with social media marketing is understanding their target audience. The reason people interact with brands or companies on social media is typically to get discounts or special deals. Building a buyer-to-customer relationship via social media is not easy, and the most significant benefit of using social media is likely to improve a company’s Google rankings.
Social media marketing requires effort, and potential customers need to find value in what a business has to offer through its social media campaigns. Therefore, businesses should provide something of value to their customers to get better results from their social media efforts.