A world without Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat would become so dab and meaningless to some. We are surrounded by digital social media networking platforms and life without them seems difficult now. The advent of such platforms led to a major shift in the marketing space and a whole new area in digital marketing cropped up. Today digital marketing has taken a lead role in defining the marketing strategy of a company. Facebook which was initially conceptualized as a medium to stay connected to friends and family has become a huge marketplace where marketers market their products and services.
In this article we will discuss how Social Media evolved from a marketer’s perspective.
- Automating Chat through CHATBOTS
In 2016 Mark Zuckerberg announced that third parties can create automated personal chatbots, and it was accepted with aplomb by all marketers. Chatbots provided the option to automate and assist in data retrieval. The real-time engagement made possible by these chatbots takes off some amount of pressure from the shoulders of customer service agents. Prompt replies to comments and queries improve the user experience. This experience allows users to get a response from the organization and helps marketers to collate data for future analysis. The downside is that chatbots need to be given clear direction and purpose and only then will it be able to deliver. However Facebook released a report which showed that 70 percent of the chatbots failed to respond. This puts a question mark on the convenience and reliability of chatbots. It needs to be seen whether chatbots can be used effectively or if it fades away without much noise.
- Leveraging Influencer Marketing
Gains on social media can be made through influencer marketing. Social media influencers play a big role in marketing a product or service. On social media, numbers really matter, and the best way to drive in the numbers is through influencer marketing. Reports from Twitter suggest that 49 percent of users rely on recommendations by influencers. Around 40 percent follow news updates from such profiles. A lot of people actually decide what they wear, eat, and drink based on suggestions made by influencers on Instagram! These influencers command a high trust value among users, and brands work with influencers who have a high engagement rate. This association brings in numbers.
- Using Live Video Streaming
Live Videos are spontaneous, engaging and come with an element of surprise which hooks the audience. There is no rule which explains the virality of content and hence this makes the platform a level field for content creators. Live Videos give ample number of opportunities to brands for brand placement and such videos not only give a sneak peek but also create the required hype to keep users hooked onto the brand.
- Giving Emphasis to user-generated content
Reports from Nielsen suggest that 83 percent of consumers trust recommendations from people they know. A whopping 66 percent trust the reviews and recommendation of reviews posted online. Among the volume of content that is shared on an everyday basis, it becomes a difficult choice for consumers to pick something. Hence they prefer to follow user recommendations and follow the ones suggested by their friends and family. Marketers now use various ways to feature user generated reviews alongside their products in a subtle manner and convey how good their products are. They use existing customers, who could be part of our friends and family group, to be the brand ambassador of the product. This is a very cost effective medium as well.
- Revolution brought by the Smartphone
Smartphones have brought a change like no other. As smartphones evolve, they also push marketers to introduce concepts that make their products relevant and up to date with current trends. Video content is highly watched and most of the video content is being viewed on mobile devices. This makes not just video content, but content discovery on mobile devices, and optimization for mobile viewing also very important.
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