When you say the word ‘Social’, the first thing that comes to mind is the popular networking site Facebook. I’m sure you’ve heard of it before if you haven’t got an account. Not only is it used for connecting with friends, uploading photos and meeting new people; 2011 brings Facebook the new task of Advertisement. Facebook is on its way to making more than the estimated 2010 figure of $2billion in ad revenues!
With websites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube using marketing skills to further their progress, social is no longer just a channel, but an essential part of a strategic marketing plan. Social media now influences all of a brand’s marketing campaigns, by means of free viral “sharing” starting to overtake paid marketing channels like search engine marketing, display, and print advertising at driving significant audiences to campaign pages and trademark websites.
With investments increasing in social marketing by 14% to $51.9billion in comparison to 2010’s $45.6billion, who wouldn’t want to be a part of the Social Media Marketing era? In this article I will outline four predictions based leading brands calculations and analysis of their social media marketing programs.
1. Social Media will Overpower TV
By this I mean that people are choosing to be more connected with their social life in comparison to laid back experience of hours in front of the TV. A recent study showed that 43million people would play a Zynga game each day as opposed to the mere 7.5million who tune into Oprah’s chat show. Promoting your brand through social media is more effective than on TV or Radio because you have the chance to offer a consumer an online offer that they won’t be able to refuse.
2. Groupon is still improving
Brands with the same goal as Groupon will be expanding in front of our own eyes. Consumers now understand how to drive a hard bargain and know how to tell the good deals from the bad. In my opinion, this is a good thing because brands need to rise to the shopper and provide them with something they have never seen before. Buyers are loyal when it comes to spreading the word; make sure you reward them when a reward is due.
3. Socially connected through the mobile
It was inevitable that a mobile would be able to produce the same data as a computer. With networking sites like Facebook and Twitter being accessible through a mobile phone; brands can now offer their products through these social sites. Some of the fastest-growing segments of the mobile market include mobile coupons that customers can use by presenting a barcode on their phones to scan at a checkout.
4. Sharing is the future of Search Engine Success
The great thing about deals, discounts and news on products is that it finds us; we don’t have to look anymore- people share. If you want to reach an audience at scale, you need to make sure that what you are offering your consumers can easily be forwarded onto their friends and business associates. The great thing about this is that your clients are reliable in the sense that if they like your offers, it won’t be long before all of their contacts will also be buying into your offer.
With the rest of the year ahead of us, we can only expect more changes in the world of Social Commerce and Social Shopping. Facebook and Twitter will keep on growing while up and coming social brands become drawn into the difficult but rewarding world of Social Commerce.
Is there more to Marketing than being ‘Social’?
Yes Kyle, Facebook has some very exciting was to connect with your target audience