Some Figures on Digital Evolution Worldwide
The Digital 2023 July Global Statshot Report, published by We Are Social and Meltwater, highlights that:
Internet Users: The number of people using the Internet has increased by over 2% over the past year to reach 5.19 billion in July 2023. This figure equates to 64.5% of the global population.
Social Media Users: The number of social media users now equates to 60.6% of the global population, with the global total reaching 4.88 billion in July 2023. Social media adoption has increased by 3.7% since last year at the same time, with the addition of 173 million new active profiles.
Social Media in Marketing: The latest wave of GWI studies reveals that social media has surpassed word-of-mouth recommendations when it comes to discovering new brands, products, and services.
Social media ads are now the third most important source of discovery, behind search engines and TV ads.
Indeed, 27.7% of working-age internet users report discovering brands through paid placements on social platforms.
Social media ads are particularly important when marketing to young people, with GWI indicating that this channel is the top source of discovering new brands for users aged 16 to 24.
The Role of Social Media: Data shows that social media also plays an important role in subsequent stages of the “buyer’s journey.” GWI’s study reveals that social media is the second most popular online destination for people searching for information about brands, products, and services, behind search engines.
However, social media is the top choice for internet users aged 16 to 34, with nearly half of consumers in this age group turning to social channels when researching brands.
Social Media, a Key Opportunity for Brands: Comparing activity on major social platforms, Instagram users are most likely to use the platform to engage with brands.
GWI reports that 62.2% of Instagram users say they visit the platform to research purchases or view branded content, compared to 54.6% of Facebook users and just over 40% of TikTok users.
However, only one in three active users (36.3%) uses Twitter to search for branded content, while this figure drops to 21.8% for Snapchat.
These lower numbers do not mean that marketing and advertising content doesn’t work on Twitter or Snapchat; they simply reveal that branded content is not the main draw for users of these platforms, especially when compared to platforms like Instagram.
Use each platform differently and carefully consider the motivations of users of each service when choosing your platform mix and developing content and marketing campaigns.
The Benefits for Your Brand of Being Present on Social Media
As the above figures show, a presence on social media has become essential for increasing your brand’s visibility and offering unparalleled reach to promote your products or services.
Being active on social media will allow you to:
- Gain visibility: Social media helps increase your brand’s awareness by enhancing visibility and recognition. By regularly posting engaging and relevant content, you can reach a wider audience and attract new followers to your page.
- Acquire new customers: A brand’s social media presence complements its website. A simple post on social media can generate more traffic to your site and have significant reach, as each person who likes, comments, or shares it will make it visible to a majority of their contacts and so on. This is how you gain visibility and reach new customers.
- Improve customer relationships and loyalty: An active presence on social media allows brands to interact directly with their target audience. By responding to comments, asking questions, and providing responsive customer support, you can establish strong relationships with your customers and encourage long-term loyalty.
- Boost your sales: Social media provides an ideal platform to showcase your products and services and drive sales. By sharing your offers, exclusive promotions, and persuasive content, you can encourage your audience to take action.
- Collect feedback: Social media is a treasure trove of valuable information on the opinions, preferences, and needs of your target audience. By listening to what your audience has to say and collecting feedback, you can obtain valuable insights to improve your products, services, and marketing strategies. Nowadays, consumers research brands by searching for reviews on social media. This customer feedback can also decisively influence consumer decision-making.
- Monitor your brand’s reputation: Social media also provides an effective way to monitor and manage your brand’s online reputation. By monitoring mentions of your brand and responding promptly to negative comments, you can protect your reputation and maintain the trust of your customers.
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Although creating accounts on social media for a brand may seem simple at first, it actually requires a certain level of expertise. Indeed, with the increasing number of brands on these platforms and the large amount of content published each day, social media platforms use special algorithms to display posts to interested individuals. Thus, understanding how these algorithms work is the first important step to positioning yourself well online.
Are you ready to conquer social media to propel your brand, but wondering where to start? Paf! Agency is here to help.
Our team of experts is ready to assist you in achieving your goals of brand awareness, engagement, and conversion. Together, we can ensure that your brand meets its audience in the most effective way possible.
Contact Paf! now to develop your digital strategy and boost your presence on social media.