Why Social Media Matters

Ahh, social media. Not only is it used for individuals to have something to look at during awkward elevator rides, but it is also a great tool for brands. Humans are becoming impatient. Technology has made it increasingly easy to do copious amounts of things like order that new book from Amazon and then have it delivered, by drone, to our front porch in a few hours. We are able to get things when we want them, connect with someone via text, phone call, Facebook message, etc. immediately, and we expect companies to pay attention to us at all times. We want companies to interact with us because we want to see that they care and are paying attention to our suggestions/complaints. But, just as consumers benefit from brands interacting on social media, brands benefit equally, if not more.

Almost Every Audience Is On Social Media

Social media has made it easy to target almost every brand’s audiences. Facebook specifically has made it easy to reach the demographic your brand is targeting, making it almost too easy to find customers. When a suggestion pops up on this audience’s timeline, it is easy to then press “Like,” and the audience will then be able to see the brand’s posts on Facebook for years to come.

Audiences Like Interaction

It’s true, we like being connected. We like seeing what our friends are doing, and we like to see what our brands are doing as well. We want our brands to know when we aren’t happy with them, when we want to see something done, and also when they are doing something we like. Not only does this make the audience feel important, but this also helps brands see what they can do different. It’s a great opportunity to get feedback that normally would not reach the brand if it was not for social media.

Interaction Builds Trust

We are always skeptical about large corporations. The larger the corporation, the less likely we are to trust them, but social media has changed that. When a corporation, such as Wal-Mart, responds to a consumer complaint on social media and makes an effort to fix what irritated the consumer, it creates a sense of transparency. No longer do we see Wal-Mart as this giant corporation who does not care about its consumers, but instead more as an individual. It creates a personal feel that is important to both the consumer and the brand.

Brands Learn from Social Media

Not only is it important for the consumer to see that the brand is listening, but it is important, and easy, for the brand to see consumer activity thanks to analytics. Brands can see what consumers are saying about their brands, whether or not they are “liking” or “unliking” their pages, in addition to how they are performing in comparison to their competitors. Analytic tools make is easy for brands to see how consumers really feel about their brands so they can make changes accordingly, or keep on doin’ what they’re doin’.