Why should businesses use social media? Will you business really suffer that much if you don’t rely on popular social platforms?
These are questions every business person must consider when they are looking to start a company or grow one that already exists.
Social media can indeed seem overwhelming. It’s an endless void of viral videos and memes that flash across the screen like shooting stars, only to fall off the map the next day; standing out in this pool of fleeting information can be a real challenge.
However, if you want to establish a significant presence in online marketing, there’s no getting around it: social media is crucial when it comes to expanding your business. It allows you to keep customers updated and reach out to thousands of people on a global scale.
Statistics of Social Media Users
Over the last several years, social media has grown into a major marketing platform. The studies gathered so far points to it being a huge asset to online marketing, enabling businesses to tap into a diverse client base:
- A recent poll shows that about 70% of people in the United States use at least one social networking platform. 52% use two or more.
- On a worldwide basis, the number of social media users is expected to grow from 2.1 billion (as of last year) to 2.5. Billion by 2018. That’s a lot of potential customers!
- The average social media user maintains five different accounts.
- There are 7.2. Billion people on the planet. 3 billion have online access, more than 2 billion are active on social media and more than 1 billion access social media from mobile devices.
- 90% of young adults use social media, and 35% of people over 65 do.
Top 3 Social Media Platforms Used in Online Marketing
These statistics have made businesses keenly aware of the enormous platform of customers that social media provides. Popular targeted realms for online marketing include:
- Facebook: As one of the most helpful tools in online marketing, Facebook is particularly useful for local businesses. If you want to get the word out about local communities or events in your area, a quick status update is an easy and effective way to spread news within a short span of time. Plus, Facebook users are shown to consistently visit the site, which makes them a prime target for regular marketing.
- Twitter: Twitter helps you connect with like-minded individuals, enabling you to tap into a particular base and keep your customer base consistently engaged.
- YouTube: In a visual society that likes things to be short and snappy, YouTube is a marketing must. About 84% of VPs and CEOs say they use social media to help them make purchasing decisions, with top global brands having at least one company YouTube channel.
Related: 3 Tips for Creating a Successful Social Media Marketing Strategy
If you're eager to learn how you can use social media to your advantage, such as to continually grow your customer base, download our free Social Media Lead Generation Workbook.
