Millions of people use social networks every day for a host of reasons—staying connected with friends, seeking advice for purchases, personal enrichment, just passing time—so it’s no surprise that social media plays a major influence on consumer behavior and businesses should be utilizing these platforms to grow their business.
According to Statista.com, the number of world-wide social media users reached 4.2 billion people in January 2021 and in the U.S. nearly 82% of the population had a social network profile. As a business owner, you must be thinking – those numbers are unbelievable! It may be hard to fathom these figures, but the social media trend is only predicted to grow more popular and you should think about how to leverage the vast amounts of people interacting online. Having impressions funneled to your business is critical for brand growth, exposure, and most importantly, retaining and gaining new customers.
Why Should you Use Social Media?
If you own a business, social media can be a strategic tool that enhances your product, image and overall brand recognition. You can use social media for your business to:
- Boost customer engagement – the possibilities are unlimited online
- Increase brand awareness – reach established and new audiences in your market and beyond
- Showcase your business – promote products, services, and community support
- Communicate directly with your customer base – by monitoring mentions, comments and direct messages, social media enables your business to communicate and provide support and information almost instantaneously
- Analyze the data – social media, specifically social listening helps businesses collect data to help make informed decisions on what is working, what is not, and what can be done to contribute to your success.
- Increase your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)– being at the top of search lists is critical for better exposure. With the help of social media platforms, your business’ organic SEO can be improved by having your social pages pop up higher in the search results and allows traffic to be funneled directly to your business website.
- Grow your business without spending money – unless you utilize paid advertisements and boosted posts for specific targeting and increased engagement, social media is a free service!
- Spend some money to expand your reach – all the social platforms have options for paid advertising.
What Social Media Platforms Should Your Business Be Using?
Depending on your industry, these are the largest growing platforms your business should consider having an active presence on:
- Facebook
- The Facebook audience has aged out and is no longer the new, cutting-edge platform, yet it still holds its place as the number one social media outlet globally especially for sponsored content.
- 79 billion global users
- Largest group of users is age 25-34
- 73% of users log in daily
- The Facebook audience has aged out and is no longer the new, cutting-edge platform, yet it still holds its place as the number one social media outlet globally especially for sponsored content.
- Instagram
- This is where most of the younger audience has migrated in recent years.
- Over 1 billion active users globally
- 8% of users are between ages of 18-24
- Platform offers creative and fun ways to promote your products and services
- This is where most of the younger audience has migrated in recent years.
- LinkedIn
- A platform used for professional networking and career development
- Projected to reach 66.8 million monthly active U.S. users by 2022
- 19% of users are ages 18-24; 60% of users are ages 25-34
- Great for establishing leads for sales and looking for new employees
- A platform used for professional networking and career development
- Pinterest
- This social media site allows users to organize and share images and videos
- 459 million monthly active users
- 7 out of 10 users are female
- 50% of millennials use Pinterest every month with 47% purchasing something they interact with on the platform
- This social media site allows users to organize and share images and videos
- YouTube
- A video sharing platform with 2.2 billion monthly active users
- Second largest search engine behind Google
- 90% of users say they have learned about a new brand or product on YouTube
- 68% of users have watched a YouTube video to help make a purchase decision
- Twitter
- Cutting-edge, interactive platform that supports business and personal content
- 3 million U.S. users
- 55% of users are 25-49 years old
- Cutting-edge, interactive platform that supports business and personal content
- Snapchat
- Engaging, newer platform that is picture and video based
- Consistently ranks as most important social network for U.S. teens
- 48% of U.S. internet users aged 15-25 years old use this platform
- Engaging, newer platform that is picture and video based
- TikTok
- Known as “the fastest-growing platform of the decade” this platform is used to create and share short videos
- 9 million U.S. users; projected to reach 88.7 million by 2024
- 52 minutes per day is average time users spend on app
- Known as “the fastest-growing platform of the decade” this platform is used to create and share short videos
How Often Should You Post?
Every social media platform varies, however quality over quantity is the rule of thumb. On average, the recommendation is to post 2-3 times per week, but according to the latest social media best practices, if you have a large following depending upon the platforms daily may be optimal.
What Should You Post?
You can post whatever you feel is worth sharing! Some suggestions include:
- Information about products and services
- News and updates pertaining to your business
- Highlights of your workplace culture
- Positive reviews from customers
- Employee spotlights
- How your business supports the local community
Business owners understand that reaching existing and new audiences is vital to keeping their business relevant and growing. And, social media platforms are a powerful tool to reach a wide spectrum of consumers and bridge the gap between your business and customers. Whether it be utilizing Facebook to connect with an older demographic or creating a TikTok account to reach the Gen-Z crowd, the key is to stay on top of trends, post regularly and keep connecting with your audience. We also recommend growing your social presence by connecting with local businesses like Lakeland Bank to further expand your reach and build your reputation. As your follower counts grow, so will your business!
For additional guidance for your small business, explore Lakeland Bank’s Small Business banking services. From short-term needs to future opportunities, Lakeland Bank has the tailored solutions, convenient products and a team of experts dedicated to helping your business succeed! Contact our lending team to learn more about our lending options or complete our online form to Request a Loan Consultation.
Digital banking can help you be more efficient and productive so you can focus on other important aspects of your business. Learn more in our blog The Benefits of Digital Banking for Your Business.
Sources:
Facebook:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/376128/facebook-global-user-age-distribution/
Instagram:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/325587/instagram-global-age-group/
LinkedIn:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/194471/number-of-linkedin-users-usa/
Pinterest:
https://statusbrew.com/insights/social-media-statistics/#pinterest-marketing-statistics
YouTube:
https://statusbrew.com/insights/social-media-statistics/#youtube-marketing-statistics
Twitter:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/242606/number-of-active-twitter-users-in-selected-countries/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/283119/age-distribution-of-global-twitter-users/
Snapchat:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/814300/snapchat-users-in-the-united-states-by-age/
TikTok:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100836/number-of-us-tiktok-users/
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics
