Mediaboss Marketing

Is social media marketing really dead? Thats one question business owners, marketers and leaders are currently struggling to answer. According to recent reports, social media platforms are losing their momentum, with the likes of Snapchat losing subscribers and Twitter losing the conversation appeal. This, in turn, is affecting the impact social media marketing has on business.

In a study of B2B buyers, only 19 percentof those surveyed said that social media played an important role in their discovery process. This report, among others from industry influencers, has sparked a new concern about the future of social media in business. But dont be alarmed.

Related: Social Media Matters in Marketing for More Reasons Than You Think

In reality, social media isnt dead. In fact, its not dying anytime soon. It is very much alive and remains an effective tool for marketing your products and services. This is why 78 percentof companies have dedicated entire teams to social media and others have reported more than a 700 percentincrease in social media sales from their efforts on social media.

If you are thinking of boycotting social media in your marketing efforts, think again.

Its undeniable the way we use social media today isnt the way we used it a few years ago. Due to the fast advancement of technology, more people are now online, and the amount of information available is enormous. Users, bombarded with a never-ending flow of information on different social platforms, can only read a fraction of it.

As a business owner, you have a challenge to reach your audience in the midst of all this information. To succeed, you need to:

Know where your readers like to hang out

Understand the type of content they like

Strategically plan your content based on that information

Its the only way you can guarantee readership and an increase in customer base. Thats why a company likeTED, known for its TED Talks, is winning on social media. The company has managed to leverage its content by turning those long videos into short, easily shareable viral videos. They found their winning formula because they understood what their users were looking for.

To understand why you shouldnt give up on social media, you need to understand how it works today. Some time ago, a business could easily go on social media to sell its products and services directly to consumers. Today, the landscape has changed.

People no longer appreciate direct sales on social media. They want to be enticed with interesting information or videos before they decide whether or not to buy what youre selling. Thats why an informational blog post will be shared more times than an advertisement. By posting easily shareable content like videos, images or posts, you will:

Achieve better online visibility

Improve your credibility as an expert

Increase your customer base

Related: 4 Ways to Boost Your Social Media Creativity Game

Through the data you are able to gather on different social media platforms, you can better understand the demographics of your followers, their preferences and their thoughts on your brand. This information can help you generate targeted content that will lead to improved readership, an expanded follower base and increased service inquiries -- all of which are good for business.

In addition to providing valuable insights, social media is a great tool for converting leads to customers. When you respond to their concerns or make them feel special in some way, they regard your company as more desirable. They also become more loyal to the brand and are more likely to recommend your products or services to friends.

Through personalized customer service and regular interaction on social media, your business can gain new customers and retain existing ones very easily.

In todays digital era, the importance of website traffic cannot be overstated. More traffic to your website means more subscribers and more potential customers. You can later convert these subscribers into buyers, increasing sales.

While website traffic can come from different sources, including organic search and links from other websites, social media is a great component of it. When you post clickable content, people share it among their circles, and the cycle can be endless.

At a time when more people are online at one particular time, you can expect increased website traffic from increased social media presence.

Related: 3 Ways to Master Social Media Content Marketing

The reality is social media isnt dead. Is just changing and requires businesses to adjust accordingly. You have a shorter time than before to reach your audience, communicate your intention and draw them to whatever service you provide.

According to research, only 16 percentof your Facebook followers are able to see your company posts organically. And on Twitter, only 10 percentof your followers can see your tweet when its posted. To reach the right users, you need to make sure your content can be found. You can achieve that by sharing the right content at the right time and on the right platform.

Ayodeji Onibalusi is an inbound marketing expert and advocate of high quality digitalmarketing. He has over five years of experience helping companies create winning contentdistribution strategies. You can check out his company...

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Don't Believe Those Reports You're Hearing About the Death of Social-Media Marketing - Entrepreneur