From newbies in the field, to the legends of Madison Avenue, everyone in the industry knows that a successful marketing campaign is simply incomplete today without the inclusion of social media.
With a record number of Americans using smartphones to surf the web, open emails, and interact with others on social media, it was inevitable that this day would come.
In 2014, social media’s importance to marketers across the digital landscape is expected to grow further. And by all accounts, this growth will be directed overwhelmingly toward mobile. Consider the following:
- If you have at least 1000 Facebook “likes” your company is receiving approximately 1400 webpage views every single day. For marketers that were skeptical about an active Facebook fan page relating to an active website, this number should put that skepticism to rest. The fact that over 50% of Facebook users check in to their account using a mobile device is also quite telling.
- Just six hours a week on social media can increase traffic to a company’s website. Statistically speaking, spending just over an hour a day working on your social media sites and content has been shown to increase traffic for 74% of marketers.
- Facebook is still the king but Google+ is rapidly catching up. Nearly 50% of all social media users now have a Google + account. In terms of mobile users, Google + is gaining as well.
- Pinterest, the social media website that allows you to “pin” images about your business, products or services, is the fastest-growing social network. For tablet users and the marketers who wish to engage with them, this is a very important statistic.
- As older consumers embrace tablets and smartphones, they embrace social media as well. Consequently, the average business that caters to an older demographic can no longer afford to ignore social media and mobile social media in general.
- When it comes to purchasing decisions, nearly 70% of Americans rely on social media. The old idea that social media only influence relationships and “free time” is dead. It now influences buying decisions greatly and the trend is likely to increase.
The facts are clear: social media has an ever-growing effect on a consumer’s buying decisions and more and more consumers are now engaging with their favorite social media websites using mobile devices. In 2014, the businesses that put the most effort into social media and creating a better mobile experience will be the brands that have the most to gain.