3 Ways Social Media Revolutionized Advertising Strategies

Advertising has been through a lot of developments over its many decades of history. These developments have opened up a lot of opportunities for both advertisers and customers. Today, it is easy as anything for a brand to promote a product or for a consumer to voice their concern directly to a business. This is all because of the rise of social media.  

When we speak of advertising today, it is impossible not to mention social media. In this article, we enumerate the three ways social media advertising has revolutionised the industry.

1. Social Media Creates Segmented Audiences

Advertising is all about communicating the right message to the right audience. In the era of traditional media, targeting the correct audience was a big challenge. While traditional media is effective and still being used today, putting up a billboard is an example of a one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone who drives down the road can see your brand’s billboard, but only a small percentage of them will have any interest at all in what you’re offering. 

Social media created a practical way to make advertising easier for brands. By creating audience segments, brands can easily pick their target customer’s demographics and the number of people they want to reach. Segmenting audiences make advertising efforts more effective by making reporting more straightforward. 

2. Social Media Gives Customers a Voice

While social media platforms made it easier for advertisers to reach their audience, they also opened many ways for customers to express their opinion about the brand. People do this by sharing content, posting public comments, or sending private messages.

Earned media is gained through customer impressions. This impacts brands positively because it generates organic promotion to more audiences outside a brand’s reach. It vouches for your brand without coming from your advertising materials, so you don't look pushy or desperate in selling your product. 

The key to getting more earned media is to make your social media presence approachable for your audience. Most importantly, you have to take care of your brand’s quality to continue satisfying your customers so they can keep supporting you online. Be careful not to abuse this opportunity through aggressive user-generated content and ineffective influencer marketing.

3. Social Media Improves ROI

Brands that have invested millions for TV commercials and billboards likely wish that social media could have come sooner. Back in the day, if you aired a TV commercial, it took ages to determine how many people saw it and responded to it through a purchase. The time and resources spent on manual surveys could be leveraged more efficiently. 

Surveys and campaign reports are essential in monitoring if your advertising efforts have paid off. Obviously, the amount you pay for a mainstream media campaign is not worth it if it cannot deliver conversions. 

With social media, an organic post won’t cost you a thing but can surely turn a few followers into customers. In addition, investing in paid advertising through social media can give you a detailed and clear report of engagement numbers and conversions. The money you spend on paid ads is a fantastic investment! 

Conclusion

Since the dawn of the internet and smartphones, nearly all aspects of human life has improved. The emergence of social media has opened more opportunities for brands to be creative and strategic in advertising their products and services. In this world where nothing is no longer free, social media is the most worthwhile investment a company can make. 

Whatever your advertising goal is, Flat Rate Social Media can execute an effective social media marketing plan for your brand. Contact our digital marketing experts today!