Social media has become an integral part of modern culture. Research indicates that the average user spends almost two and a half hours scrolling social media channels every day.1 This consumer behavior has big implications for businesses of all shapes and sizes. This is why it’s crucial that companies take a strategic approach to integrating social media into their marketing and customer communications initiatives.
There are many ways that consumers use social media to influence their purchasing decisions and interact with companies. One important habit for businesses to be aware of is that 49 percent of consumers use social media to research companies and decide who they would like to do business with.2 Consumers will also often turn to social media when they need to get in touch with a company. Instead of picking up the phone, one in five Gen Zers, Millennials and Gen Xers say social media DMs are their preferred method of receiving customer service.3
Research and customer service are just two ways that consumers are turning to social media more often. For businesses, it’s important to be aware of these trends and take steps to ensure their social media strategies shine.
Here are some steps you can take now to level up your social media strategy for the New Year.
- To help customers who are researching your business and put your best online foot forward, do an audit to make sure the information on your social media channels is correct. Check basic fields like contact information as well as the material that has been posted about products and services to make sure your brand is well-represented.
- Create a content strategy to decide how often you will post and what topics you will focus on. A regular cadence is important so customers know your company is active and relevant. Remember to incorporate videos and images into your posts as these are key to engagement; research indicates that articles with images receive 94 percent more views than those without!4
- Consider how you will handle customer interactions. Monitor your channels regularly for customer feedback and proactively make a plan for when and if you will respond.
- Make sure you’re in the right place to meet customers. From TikTok to Instagram, there are many social media platforms in use today, and different demographics tend to favor certain channels. Do your research to understand which platforms your customers are using and focus your efforts on creating high-performing profiles there.
Once you’ve got your social media channels in tip-top shape, you’ll want to make sure they’re incorporated into all of your other marketing solutions, such as transactional communications and direct mail. For example, social media icons and QR codes can be added to these solutions to create a seamless offline to online connection. Matrix specializes in electronic environments, and we can help you create customer-centric marketing solutions that cater to your customers’ social media preferences.
Your customers may be searching for you on social media right now; are you ready? Contact us today to get started.
2 Gartner Consumer Values and Lifestyle Survey 2024
