Why should a business invest in social media? Isn’t it a fad? Myspace is dead after all! Year over year, investment in social keeps growing. You’ve likely had your Facebook account for over 10 years and it’s become a place where we can store our memories, connect with friends from around the world and so much more. I doubt it’s going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, did you know that in 2017, 36 billion dollars were invested into social media advertising (1)? That’s just on social media! Not even including Google ads!
Clearly there is a reason to get your business out there on social media, but there’s something else to consider. Would you try to record a radio ad all by yourself and somehow get it up on the air? I don’t even know if that would be possible, so I’ll assume your answer is no. Then why try to handle social media ads all by yourself? We at SWAY think you should outsource that into talented hands (buttttttttttttttt….. we could be a little biased). Let’s jump into a few reasons to invest!
There’s a method to it all
Do you have a smartphone? Probably, right? I know I do, and I know it takes some really sweet photos that sometimes get me a good amount of likes on Instagram. So, I have a smart phone with a great megapixel count, do I think I can compete with Annie Leibovitz? Of course not. I can’t even compete with a local professional photographer. There’s so much more to photography: aperture, shutter speed – all the other stuff I don’t know about.
The same goes for social media marketing. Everyone can have a Facebook page; everyone can set up an ad account if they can figure that step out. That doesn’t mean that everyone can create effective content and advertising campaigns for social media. The average person spends 35 minutes a day on Facebook (2), browsing their feeds. We spend about 8 hours a day on Facebook devising the best content for the brands we represent. That also means we need to have keen insight into accessing those 35 minutes a day that someone may be browsing. Moreover, grabbing the attention of a viewer and creating something memorable to compete with all the other content out there is no easy feat.
Brand Reputation + Accessibility
Simply put, if you aren’t online, you don’t exist in 2019 (or for that matter, anytime after 2015). If your competitors are online and you aren’t, 9 times out of 10, people will flock to the company that is online. Social media marketing agencies are fully capable of embodying your brand, and therefore addressing customer interactions on your behalf. I’m a millennial writing this and I can tell you that if a company can’t address my issues online, I will find one that can. Pick up a phone and sit on hold for 30 minutes? No thank you. The commodity of time is extremely valuable these days. Make it easier for your customers by being available online.
SEO
What’s that, right? SEO is that little (BIG) thing online that helps you appear in the top 10 when your business name is googled. What many people don’t know is that an active social media presence actually positively contributes to your SEO. In short form: the more pages that link to a given website, the more shares of a blog from that site, the higher the ranking.
Cost
To sum up, a lot of people expect social media marketing to be next to free, and agencies to be inexpensive. Well, all of those things I’ve outlined so far make it seem pretty lucrative for your business, don’t they? That’s because it is lucrative! The landscape has gotten more competitive online and the only way to win is with great graphics and copy. If you want a team that will REALLY get you results, it’s necessary to invest. Now, yes, a monthly commitment is something you need to be prepared for, but let’s remember something: billboards! Have you ever wondered how much a billboard would cost for your business? In rural Iowa you’d be looking at about $1500 per month(3). Now how about on Yonge St. in Toronto or around Eaton Centre? Upwards of $14,000 per month(4)! Yes, really! But, but… billboards are in fixed locations! Think about how you run your business. Do you do your best work cheap and fast? So, why would you take that approach to your social media? Definitely finding an agency that can give you exceptional, impactful work is the way to go!
PS - It just so happens that SWAY is an agency that can give you exceptional, impactful work! If you’re interested in learning more - book a call here!