How can social media fit into your strategy?

 

As the paradigms of consumer engagement continue to evolve, making sure your organization is well informed and prepared to move with the times is a vital part of strategic management. Our ever-increasing reliance on the internet and social media is a hallmark of 21st century life, so it’s important for modern organizations to stay connected with their audience.

Our ability to access all forms of content no matter where we are is continuing to grow. Gartner reports that in Q4 of 2015, over 400 million smartphones were sold worldwide, an almost 10 per cent increase on the same period in the previous year. With so many of your potential customers and clients carrying these devices with them at all times, perhaps it’s time your business reviewed its social media strategy.

Social media shows no signs of slowing down

Given the pervasiveness of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn on our lives, investigating the potential for growing your audience through these channels should be a part of modern strategic planning. According to CMO, 50 per cent of Australian internet users check in with their various social media accounts on a daily basis, and new platforms are emerging often demanding more time from participants.

Whatever industry your company exists within, regularly connecting to people can provide immediate insight into consumer tastes, desires and frustrations, allowing you to adapt your strategy on the fly. If any of your key performance indicators are related to widening the reach of your product, few methods nowadays are as effective for building an audience as an active social media presence.

In fact, 69 per cent of businesses surveyed by Sensis in 2015 felt that investing in Facebook advertising had been effective. If social media has been somewhat neglected in your business strategy, making a change today could lead to better results tomorrow.