And How it Fits into Your Overall Digital Marketing Strategy
Can you believe that we’ve had social media for almost 25 years now? Crazy, right?
We still remember the days when social was simple.
No ads.
No companies.
No campaigns.
It was just people communicating with people and organically connecting. You had bloggers on Xanga, college kids on Facebook, and the very first Internet celebs – which we now call influencers – making their mark over on MySpace. (We miss ya, Tom. Thanks for your contribution.)
Then, right around 2004, Facebook officially monetized their site with their Flyers program. Two years later they opened the gates to non-college kids, exponentially boosting their users. Finally, in 2012, Zuckerberg took Facebook public, forever certifying him as a social media and corporate giant.
Fast-forward to today, and social media is a much different landscape.
- MySpace is basically toast. Tom took the money and ran. (Good for Tom.)
- Facebook usership is finally declining after well over a decade of domination. Zuck is currently investing billions in his VR project – the Metaverse.
- Twitter popped off as one of the leading social media platforms for its distinct short form post format, celebrity culture, and its penchant for always having its feathered fingers on the pulse of what’s trending.
- Photo and short form video apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are all competing for that young user demographic, stealing and recycling features from each other. (We see you, Reels.)
- Although it’s predominantly known for videos, YouTube is technically considered a social media platform – and with a #2 ranking, it’s one of the top platforms in the world
- Pinterest is still going strong and growing, allowing users to learn more about brands and products under the guise of cultivating idea boards.
- And then you’ve got LinkedIn, which sometimes feels like the love child of Monster.com and Facebook; it used to be about finding jobs, but now it’s also about growing professional networks and, yes, marketing.
As a Business, Do I Really Need to Be on Social?
Small companies and corporations alike are trying to figure out how they fit into this ever-changing social media equation. Even if you don’t personally care about social, you’re kind of forced to as a business. Seriously, this is a thing businesses can’t ignore any longer.
First of all, more than 4.62 billion people actively use social media. That means your customer – whoever they are – is on it, so you need to be on it, too. The FOMO is real here, people.
Oh, and another thing: guess who else is on social media? Your competition. It doesn’t matter what business or industry you’re in. Your main competitors likely already have a place carved out in the social media realm.
It’s also worth noting that many customers no longer use that “contact us” email link on your company website. They use social channels to reach out because that’s their preferred method of communication. It’s quick, familiar, and (for better or worse) public.
Not convinced? Here are a few key stats from Sprout Social that might light a fire under you:
- 55 percent of consumers are introduced to new brands on social media
- 68 percent of consumers agree that this method allows them to communicate with brands
- A whopping 78 percent of consumers say they are willing to buy from a brand after a positive interaction with them on social
- 91 percent of executives plan to increase their social media marketing in the next three years
As one of the best ad agencies in Kansas City that specializes in social media management, we can tell you with absolute certainty, social is the place to be. It allows customers to easily communicate with businesses, increases engagement and conversions, and enables companies to enhance their branding.
It’s clearly working for other companies. It can work for yours, too. Naturally, that begs the question, “What’s the right way to run a social account?”
Running Business Social Accounts; and When to Get a Social Media Management Team Involved
Let’s put this baby to rest right now: running a business social account is NOT the same thing as running a personal account. Don’t hire a youngster to run your socials just because they’ve made some cool TikToks and know how to log into Facebook.
Personal accounts post when they feel like it with no structure or audience in mind. Go check out any of your friend’s feeds. It’s random in-the-moment thought dumps and hot takes du jour on what’s trending. Most people mistake social media for a toy rather than a tool. To put that another way, they don’t have a digital marketing strategy in mind.
As a business, you need to be able to wield the powers of social media and work them to your advantage. We’re talking relevant and well-timed posts, accurate customer targeting, intelligent linking, meaningful engagement rooted in public relations, and conversions. Make no mistake, this takes a ton of time and effort.
So, what’s the challenge that most companies face?
They don’t have enough time for it, don’t know what they’re doing, or they treat every post as a “buy now” post (a HUGE, yet common faux pas). Additionally, many companies don’t even have a devoted social media person; they have an in-house marketing team member who writes, designs, or analyzes data who happens to also run the social accounts.
But social media management is not a part-time endeavor. It’s not like five o’clock rolls around, and Facebook and Twitter shut off the lights. Heck no! It’s on 24 hours a day, seven days a week (including weekends, holidays, and while you’re out on vacation). It’s never NOT on, which makes it one of the most high-maintenance marketing channels in the industry.
How do you handle something that needs that much time, care, and attention? You hire a social media management team, of course.
What Happens When You Hand Off Your Social Responsibilities to Professionals?
There might be a little hesitancy at the idea of handing off the reins to your social accounts to a marketing agency near you. However, there’s a good reason why iFocus Marketing was voted the best digital marketing agency in Kansas City in 2021 by The Pitch. We know how to run social campaigns that get results.
What are the exact benefits of getting professional social media management? iFocus clients see:
- More consistent, higher-quality posts that are authentic to their brand
- Higher rates of meaningful customer engagement
- Accurate social ad targeting
- Alignment with overall digital marketing strategy
- A healthy boost in followers and connections
- More efficient ad spend and post boosting
It’s also worth noting that our social media management team has all the latest tools for tracking and analysis. This means they can see what works and what doesn’t. Having that kind of data means iFocus Marketing can continually adjust and optimize our approach so it aligns with your company’s strategy and goals.
Ready to Team Up with One of the Best Ad Agencies in Kansas City? Here’s the Next Step
Now that you know what iFocus Marketing brings to the table in terms of social media management, the next step is hopping on the phone for a quick chat with our business development team.
During this call, we’ll learn more about you, your goals, what you’re hoping to accomplish on social media, and so forth. We’ll then talk about everything internally with our social media management team along with our crew of marketers and devise a few viable options.
Since you can’t run an efficient marketing campaign on social alone, we may also suggest:
- Paid search advertising
- Google Display advertising
- Google Search Engine optimization
- Website maintenance and design
- Other creative services
Remember, a great digital marketing strategy is usually a multi-pronged approach. Social is a key part, but it’s not the only part. You can count on our marketing professionals here at iFocus to walk you through how each one can boost your brand, drive more traffic, and lead to more conversions.
You can get in touch with us by calling (913) 708-8567, or email us directly using the contact form on our site. We’re excited to get social with you and your business.
Brandon Tietz is a senior digital copywriter at iFocus Marketing with close to a decade of marketing experience. He has written for clients in retail, real estate, automotive, education, manufacturing, healthcare, consumer goods, and several other spaces. In addition to copywriting, he has authored books, published short stories, written for several online and print publications, and was named “Best Local Writer” by The Pitch for his debut novel. He’s currently living the dream in the ‘burbs with his wonderful wife and their two dogs, Dr. Croutons and Professor Pickles.
