Isn’t it true that we now live in the Digital Age?
The internet and its accessibility have become more than a convenience. Given that nearly everyone across the world owns a smartphone, we can connect to the internet and use apps for our daily use. E-mail, Google, and Facebook are necessities, especially for the working class. These technological advancements have made life so much easier. One click is all we need to find what we are seeking.
The Rise of Social Media
In recent years, we have seen social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn grow in users. Zephoria provides us with the statistics: Facebook, for instance, has more than 1.86 billion active users on a monthly basis. This basically means that Mark Zuckerberg’s brainchild has become more than a trend. Like e-mail, it has grown too big to ignore.
Similarly, Twitter has exploded in use as well. While it may not be as dominant a social media networking site as Facebook, Statista cites that Twitter averages 319 monthly active users.
The impact of the microblogging site has, in fact, made a dent on culture and the English language. The word “tweet,” or the act of posting a status message on the social media site, is now part of the Oxford English Dictionary. As a noun, it can also refer to the actual posting. Its prevalence has made it a household word.
A Platform for Advertising
Living in today’s Digital Age, the rise of social media has paved the way for countless opportunities. Take, for example, how the advertising industry has learned to use social media as a platform. Businesses make use of social media networking sites to market and reach out to their audience.
Since social media caters to the average person, it can serve as a space for advertising. Brands can pay for their posts, from status updates to photos and videos, to reach their target demographic. Its efficiency is one thing we cannot deny. Pew Research Center cites that 65 percent of adults are on Facebook. The audience, or the market, is online. Why shouldn’t businesses take advantage of this opportunity, right?
Small- and medium-sized businesses can go toe-to-toe with larger, more popular brands through social media marketing. Not having enough resources to pay for traditional advertising strategies like print or television ads, start-ups or growing brands can reach their target market through Facebook and Twitter. These are cost-effective advertising strategies, primarily because people are now online 24/7.
Social Media Advertising and Its Impact on Branding
Virality, at its core, is publicity. Whether right or wrong, it draws in people to check out a particular brand. As an example, a news show once featured an energy drink for having had a mouse trapped inside its can. The victim, who bought the drink from a supermarket in Washington filed a lawsuit against the beverage company back in 2011. The beverage company declined to comment on the issue, but how can a brand remedy such a situation?
Social media is one way – and virality can help. Through effective social media marketing strategies, a brand can fix its reputation and recover from any scandal. Brands with a loyal following will stay loyal, even when their favourite brand is facing adversity.