The Evolution of Social Media Marketing for Business
Social media has emerged as a force and resource for companies in Canada to tap into post Covid. This is particularly because of lockdowns, people spending more time at home and reduced marketing spend due to the recessionary effects of COVID-19.
Undeniably disruptive, the pandemic has wreaked havoc on businesses across Canada and the US.
Companies have gone from rosy revenue projections to slashing budgets, reducing the workforce, and scaling down spending in multiple areas.
As businesses adjust to the new normal, the pandemic has resulted in big changes. The world of business now has a heavier reliance on online, digital tools to accomplish objectives.
In other words, Social Media Marketing Post COVID-19 has become one of the main sources to reach out to existing as well as new potential consumers.
The Evolution Of Social Marketing – The Captive Audience
Social Media has always been inherently addictive, but COVID-19 restrictions have only increased its impact.
A significant number of people live under varying degrees of lockdown. Most of them are either working remotely or are otherwise reducing their time away from home. So much time spent at home and time saved from commute translates into an audience that’s larger than ever.
Bored and a bit anxious, people are looking for ways to distract and entertain themselves. One study shows an increase of over 60% in social media engagement compared to typical, pre-COVID patterns.
Businesses with their finger on the pulse are well-aware of this. Good marketers know how to capitalize on these shifts in consumer behavior.
E-commerce uptake has also gone way up. With brick-and-mortar stores closed or operating under reduced hours, almost every aspect of shopping has shifted to the internet.
In the past, shoppers had the opportunity to browse at a physical store to make a purchase. They could compare and contrast different product attributes and costs. However, post-pandemic, these activities have shifted online. Not many laymen realize how much more competitive the online shopping market can be.
Over 80% of online shoppers look for product info, recommendations, or reviews on social media before making a purchase.
Companies are taking advantage of famous social media strategies as a way to control the conversation.
Younger Ideas Get More Recognition
When speaking of Social Media Marketing, specifically on Instagram, a most audience that spends more time is under the age of 40. This is the target audience staying at home that businesses want to capture to generate brand awareness.
The better a brand’s online presence is, the more visibility it is likely to get. However, the better the marketers know the overall online trends, the better they will hold attention.
Post pandemic, Social Media activities are all about the youth and the young. Since most of the active audience is young, so you need to make sure you are the latest trends to catch the pulse perfectly. Therefore, things such as serious brands hopping on to make Instagram reels are not an uncommon sight now.
Less Is More
Short-form Social Media Content is the new trend on all platforms. Make sure to add images and videos in your strategy.
This is mostly because netizens generally have a lower attention span. However, while working from home, their patience for screens has reduced, making them want to consume shorter content.
Gone are the days when brands will go all-out on elaborate manuals and marketing content.
For Social Media Marketing, the shorter the content, the more impact it will make.
Forward-thinking Businesses Are Relying On Social Media
Digital marketing is significantly more nimble and agile than traditional forms of advertising.
Promotional content and collateral can be produced and published in a fraction of the time. Better so, this can be done in a fraction of the original marketing price.
Think about the cost of putting up a billboard vs. uploading a photo to Instagram.
Companies can quickly test out new messaging methods or try different approaches, measure the results, and act accordingly. That is how quick the results are too!
Social media marketing also serves as a new channel for businesses to communicate with their client base. B2Bs often rely on live events, conferences, and trade shows to build their networks and get the word out.
With face-to-face events canceled or scaled back, social media has emerged as a new way for businesses to increase awareness and generate leads.
B2Cs, on the other hand, rely on keeping their hand on the market pulse to attract a newer audience. Social Media has always been the best marketing model for B2Cs to begin with.
Businesses Recognize that Social Media Marketing is Effective and Economical
Social media is a great way to create brand awareness to a targeted audience. As long as social media marketers are able to reach the right people, most of the marketing process is carried forward by word of mouth.
Unlike in traditional marketing where brands need to spread the word themselves, social media works on shares and engagement. The more relatable a post is shared with the right audience, the higher the campaign’s reach will be – without spending a lot of money from the brand’s end.
If businesses have successfully created a decent social media presence on major platforms and share shareable content, the rest of the advertising is done by the audience itself.
The entire brand marketing budget can be sliced to half when a business only focuses on social media marketing.
From Aspirational To Relational
Gone are the days of overproduced imaging, expensive featured products, and the illusion of perfection (at least for now).
Millions are reeling from the impact of the pandemic, the effects of the recession, and the movements for social justice and reform. Businesses would be tone-deaf to continue publishing aspirational content, which could alienate their client base.
Instead, many companies have transitioned their messaging to have a more relational tone. They now post relevant, helpful content for their customers and issuing statements of support for positive change.
Businesses that have realigned their services to assist their customers and those who have pledged monetary donations are receiving buzzy, positive coverage.
Those who are perceived as capitalizing on this challenging time are heavily criticized.
Social Media Talent Recruitments
The influencer trend had been a part of Social Media for a while. However, post COVID-19 pandemic, the more Social Media followers someone has, the more employable they are!
After all, brands want people to follow them and the best way to get an audience is by taking help from the most popular Social Media talents.
Many influencers have got the opportunity to get earn hundreds of dollars for sharing a single social media post.
Most of these popular social media experts are already aware of the best social media marketing strategies. Therefore, as long as businesses can whip up the resources, marketers can rely on external help.
Scheduling group touchpoints or even focused pulse points with the kind of audience an influencer has can be a wonderful way for a company to re-brand its image. It can reach an audience from demographics it couldn’t have before.
Summing Up
As we begin to recover from the initial shock of COVID-19, it’s clear that social media will continue to play a role in an up-to-date marketing strategy.
It’s an area of significant opportunity for companies, particularly those who have not yet adopted a robust digital marketing plan in their business activities.
Contact a digital marketing agency in Toronto to help with an integrated marketing strategy across the best social media platforms and achieve online visibility, establish a digital presence for your company!