Communication is very important in companies, as it is one of the essential factors for it to work properly, have positive effects such as improving competitiveness and positioning a corporate identity.
Now, the digital era is part of the fast and immediate communication through social networks, either to entertain or inform us.
But do we really know what social networks are for companies?
Digital communities have taken over the business world and you must be there.
Impact on business success: what do networks offer us?
Let’s look at social networks from a different perspective, not from a personal point of view, but as something indispensable to make your business grow.
Before, companies had no way of contacting their public or knowing their opinion, but now the networks allow them to get closer and closer to users, offering a series of positive aspects.
So, what do social networks offer us, and what are these positive aspects?
- They are an excellent way to show and position the brand image.
- They are a marketing channel with a very profitable economic system.
- At a business level, brands use social networks to interact with the audience.
- They allow a company to reach a global audience, which increases brand visibility.
- They offer options to build and reinforce brand identity such as creating and publishing consistent and relevant content.
- They build an online community, passionate followers. The advantage of this aspect is to have brand advocates and natural promoters.
Tip: keep in mind that it is not viable to use all social networks, but to have the ones that connect the most with your company’s purpose.
Other reasons why you should use social networks and achieve that impact on business success are:
- Build user loyalty through marketing actions.
- They are a channel that helps disseminate content.
- They are an excellent source of traffic for the web.
- Encourage communication between customers and the brand.
- Generate relationships of trust between customer and company.
- They are platforms that are constantly innovating.
Small and medium-sized companies must necessarily have a presence on social networks. Especially if they want to position themselves or succeed in such a competitive market.
Clear objectives and effective strategy
Knowing the benefits and advantages of these platforms will completely change the path of your marketing strategy.
Each network has its own objectives and functionalities, so here the task is to establish clear and realistic goals.
Ask yourself: What do I want to achieve with the presence of my business in social networks? Then set out to create the objectives.
Some objectives that can help you:
- Create a community: get a group of people or companies to become your fans, because it is not enough just to follow you, but also to participate and share your content, thus strengthening a link between user and brand.
- Inform: digital platforms serve as an exchange of information and be informed in real time, which can generate many beneficial options for the company.
- Increase brand visibility: using the networks to publicize or position the brand, is one of the first objectives to “pimp”.
- Generate leads and conversions: social networks are one of the best channels for attracting potential customers.
- Sell/buy: preferred channel for online sales and purchases. Establish relationships that eventually lead to sales.
- We cannot forget that social networks are an alternative format not only for entertainment, but also for learning, connecting with other people, creating and sharing content, among other actions.
Therefore, continue with the creation of the strategy to achieve and fulfill these objectives. The center of this effective strategy must be the customer, because analyzing very well what the user thinks, knowing their interests, habits and segmentation will be essential in the development of this.
Connecting with your Audience: use social networks
We begin this chapter with this interesting phrase: “Social Media is about people, not about your business. Provide for the people and the people will provide for you.” Marc Goulart.
The great power of social media is to connect, to create connections in a direct and personal way, which is why it is a key element for businesses.
So let’s look at some methods to achieve a proper connection:
- Pay attention to online conversations where your brand is mentioned, this will help to understand the needs of your audience.
- Show the human side of the company, humanize the brand, you can do this by sharing content about the day to day life of the company, this will generate an emotional connection in the audience.
- Encourage users to interact with publications through questions or surveys, active participation increases brand visibility on social networks.
Fact: the audience connects and adapts to the new communication dynamics of social networks, therefore, it is of utmost importance to include them in the social media plan.
On the other hand, social networks have become the voice of brands, so reaching a specific audience will depend on the activities you carry out.
How to use social networks for other business purposes
Surely you have already started with some steps on the path of using social networks, but here are some other business purposes that you can contemplate with your team.
Social networks are versatile tools, they can be used for other reasons beyond marketing, for example:
- Competitor research: social networks can be used to track competitors’ activities. With this you can obtain valuable information on market trends.
- Talent recruitment: for the human resources area, platforms such as LinkedIn are very valuable to find qualified candidates to join the company.
- Highlight the Corporate Social Responsibility plan: through social networks it will be possible to promote and communicate the activities and efforts of this important project for companies, achieving a responsible image among Internet users.
- Strengthen endomarketing (internal marketing): this institutional marketing strategy aimed at internal actions, which seeks to improve the company’s image among employees.
But how do social networks enter here, if they are for customers? Employees are also customers, brand ambassadors. Therefore, it is essential to include them in the social media strategy as one of the target audiences, which are part of the massive interaction of digital platforms.
Social networks are appropriate for companies, but with a solid strategy.
Success stories: 4 companies taking advantage of social networks
Success stories are an excellent way to show what’s out there and how to get inspired.
Small, medium and large companies take advantage of social networks not only to promote their products and services or start conversations, but also to bring users closer, to make them fall in love.
4 Motivating cases:
Starbucks: more than a brand, it is a lifestyle. It was one of the pioneers in building customer loyalty through Twitter campaigns (now X). It also encourages the participation of its followers through contests and challenges. Its target audience: young people.
Coca-Cola: being the third most successful brand in the world, it has positioned itself in social networks not to sell, but to connect with the audience through global campaigns and by sharing attractive content on YouTube and Facebook.
Social media also offers significant opportunities for SMEs to expand their reach.
Kanguritos: the child care and education services agency in Colombia, is an inspiring example of managing content marketing and engagement strategies from a digital transformation plan.
The optimization of its website and paid campaigns in Google Ads, Facebook Ads and Instagram achieved an increase in lead acquisition.
Emotiva Bodas: a company from Mexico, dedicated to the organization of weddings, with a relevant digital presence, thanks to the use of its marketing automation tool, where its focus is to strengthen the community in digital channels.
They decided to create organic content, specifically on TikTok, a social network focused on lifestyle and entertainment, a very viral platform.
Investing in paid ads was not an option, as it implied an additional investment.
So they decided to start building a plan where their main goal was to learn how to use the marketing automation platform and create organic content that would increase customer acquisition.
These last mentioned examples in Latin America have used social media marketing strategies to get more traffic, connect with their audience, promote their products/services and build an online community.
The most important thing is that they have adapted to the evolution of communication through digital platforms and the creativity they bring, as well as the use of automation tools are key in the process.
