If you’ve only just figured it out, the good news is that you’re still not too late. As businesses go digital, the adoption of social media for marketing(and its adspending) may very soon surpass mainstream media platforms. Here’s a little catchup for you folks.
According to Statista, by 2025 there will be around 5.1 million Facebook users in Singapore (up from 4.74 in 2019). The highest percentage of users currently are likely aged between 25 to 44, followed by those between 18 to 24 and 45 to 65 and over. It is least popular among teenagers aged 13 to 17, as they are more likely found on Snapchat and TikTok. However, this trend is shifting during the Covid-19 pandemic, as many public figures are migrating to TikTok to widen their reach online.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed consumers’ behaviour. A study conducted globally found a 61 per cent increase in social media usage during the pandemic. Video-conferencing platform Zoom has been used for other purposes, for example fitness studios and instructors conducting workouts through Zoom. Think about it – Now it is possible for a Singaporean to attend a yoga class conducted in Indonesia via Zoom.
Social media marketing is still much cheaper in absolute costs compared to other mainstream advertising and marketing tools available to businesses. The pandemic has also created a demand for human interaction in the midst of a lockdown, hence fuelling a surge in Online-to-Offline sales and going beyond liking posts and reposting. Many businesses have turned to Facebook Live Streaming. For example, Tekka Market did a Facebook Live Stream featuring wet market food stalls, and the online auction garnered more than 28,000 views on Facebook with overwhelming sales.
In an interview with CNA, Lazada shared that consumers have gone beyond searching for items only. User engagement through live streaming has proven to boost sales by more than 40 per cent. By spending some time a day on your social media presence, you can see increased exposure aside from developing good relationships with your customers.
With all good things also come the bad. And as the saying goes, bad news spread faster than good news, this is especially true on social media. There are plenty of businesses that have suffered due to fake news and reviews. A negative review can influence a would be customer to change his/her mind about patronising your establishment. Hence it is important to engage (or get someone patient enough to do so) your customers consistently and to address any issues swiftly.
Social media is an efficient tool for connecting with people, and businesses can leverage it to conduct marketing research to acquire consumer data on info such as purchase patterns & demographics.
Suggestion #1– You can conduct surveys or polls and you can ask customers to offer reviews about your products and services. This helps you to improve on your existing line of products or services and helps you to come up with new business strategies.
Suggestion #2- Another way for your business to stand out is to create a unique and catchy hashtag. Many social media users use hashtags to search for certain content or products. For example, if you are selling masks and targeting the Singapore market, you can use #sgmask to index your content.
Finally, in order to enhance your brand’s image, content creation has to go beyond selling just your product. Keep your brand at the top of the newsfeed by posting engaging content regularly. As an example, Red Bull capitalised on their classic slogan “Red Bull Gives You Wings” with the hashtag #givesyouwings, combined with cool sports videos and photographs to enhance their brand image. You can add visuals as these images increase interaction rates and can engage your audience to make them feel there are real people behind the brand.
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