Social media has been a huge revolution in the market. It has made people connect and interact on one single platform by sitting at home from absolutely anywhere in the world. With the invention and adoption of social media, the world has seen an improved version of social acceptance, diversity in connection, and awareness of global issues.
Nonetheless, the benefits of social media are not only limited to communication and connection, it has in fact, benefited the most to businesses by contributing to the business growth with the plethora of opportunities present on it. With the invention of technology and with the rapid adoption of technological tools by the customers, businesses needed something to cope up with the customers’ demands and wants.
To save businesses and to help them meet customers’ requirements, social media helped by allowing social media marketing. Social media marketing is one of the major branches of digital marketing; it is in fact, the largest sub-category of it. Social Media Marketing is the use of strategic marketing techniques by considering social media as a digital marketing tool.
One can say that social media marketing is the upgraded version of traditional one-on-one or sales marketing, where customers could interact and resolve any queries related to the products or business itself. The best way of using social accounts and informative sites is to appear online more often and to create a Wikipedia page this will enable high business authenticity.
Nonetheless, social media has become an essential part of marketing, and to highlight the importance of it in business: here are the impacts of social media marketing on business growth.
1. Easy Accessibility to the World Audience
With social media marketing, the business is no longer restricted or limited to boundaries or countries, it can spread as vast as it wants without having to worry about legal obligations. If nothing, then the customers will at least be aware of the business. For instance, if Amazon does not operate in your country, you still know about it and you are aware of the services it provides? Why? Because of its presence on social platforms.
Social media platforms have millions and billions of users on it. They are active almost every hour of the day; this enables high accessibility to them and allows businesses to inform customers about their existence.
2. Enables Word of Mouth Marketing
Social Media Marketing allows people to know what your products are and it also allows them to use your products and review it honestly on your social accounts. The more customers you will attract, the more they will make a purchase from you. However, the last impression lies in the quality of products you sell to them.
If they are satisfied, they will do word of mouth unintentionally. They will make sure that people know about their favorite brand and they are aware of it. For instance, if you use a clothing brand regularly, you will for sure do a positive review on their page or talk about that in your circle. Word of mouth is like the fire in the forest, you just have to ignite the initial burn and the rest is done itself.
3. Social Media Marketing Allows One-on-One Interaction
For a business, it is highly important to talk to the customers one-on-one and know about their expectations from the business. It was extremely hard and inconvenient back in the time; however, social media has removed this barrier and has provided a way of effective communication to the businesses.
Social Media Marketing allows businesses to put their point to the customers and permits customers to give their reviews and feedback on it. It gives customers the freedom to speak up and highlight their demands in front of the business. For instance, the business wants to know what new category the customers want, it can do polls, voting, and much more on its social accounts and know it all from the customers.
4. Higher Brand Loyalty
Brand loyalty is what all businesses need in order to grow at a sustainable rate and in order to achieve the right amount of revenue for the business. Loyal customers are indeed one of the strongest assets for a business. Social Media Marketing allows customers to get attached to the brand, it gives them a sense of ownership and authenticity to the business.
It develops the customers’ trust in the business. The marketing strategies a business uses generate customer engagement and retains their attention. When people scroll through social sites, they want something new every time and therefore, marketing helps them in diversion from the regular stressful life. One of the major reasons for having loyal customers is that they do not get diverted with the strategies of competitors.
5. Cost-Effectiveness
When a business enters the market, it has a strong aim of being cost-effective to make higher profits. However, marketing is a costly tool for businesses but with the ultimate need for it, it cannot be neglected at all. However, social media marketing is not that expensive and it is actually cost-effective. You may think that it takes thousands of dollars to create an ad that can on social media then how cost-effective.
The ads costs are different but the platform on which the ads are going to be telecasted are different and they charge high amount of money such as TV, Newspaper, etc. nonetheless, if the same ad is posted on social accounts, the cost is way less than other mediums. This medium provides the highest audience at the lowest cost. The cost saved can be used for other business operations and activities.
Concluding Words
The need for Social Media Marketing cannot be denied at all and for the ultimate growth of the business, social media is the tool today. Social Media Marketing also allows you to stay differentiated from your competitors and appear unique in front of your customers, which in return pays you in form of customer engagement, loyalty, and attention.
Nicole Ann Pore 
mansoor