It has become common for marketers to use
digital media platforms to promote their brands in this modern day. At first,
you might be tempted to use them all; however, some platforms are better suited
for business owners than others, depending on your target audience’s needs.
Recent research shows that most top social media platforms are effective
marketing channels for businesses. In these fraught times, digital media
marketing will pave the way for organizations to succeed.
Last year, social media became popular, mostly
due to the COVID-19 pandemic that restricted people and small groups from
taking part in indoor activities. That resulted in a switch to a more social
media activities online and a change in behaviors – both expected and
unexpected.
Those that manage social media accounts will feel their wheels
spinning toward the right audience. Data worldwide shows that 47 percent of internet users aged between 16 to 64 spent more time on
social media in 2020 than they did in the previous year. And those users are
not only mindlessly scrolling; online sales also increased during that period.
This further highlights the benefits of digital media for businesses.
Digital media will play an increasingly vital
role in improving sales, delivering customer service, and increasing brand
awareness.
How digital media helps businesses
According to recent estimates, 70 percent of
small-business owners are concerned about financial difficulties caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic. During the period when money is tighter than ever, digital
media can be a lifeline.
Although digital media serves several
functions, some high-impact benefits of digital media for business owners
include:
Cheaper brand awareness and brand recognition
initiatives by using free social media accounts through video[MOU1] and text content.
Using features such as Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads to reach a targeted audience.
Event promotion by using tools like Facebook
Groups and Facebook Events.
Better customer service options.
Changing the way brands communicate with their
audience by sharing videos making it easier for organizations to provide value to asking
anything from a prospect.
About 3.5 billion people (half of the world’s population) come
to social media daily, watching videos from their favorite people; no wonder 73 percent of
marketers agree that social media is beneficial in their business marketing
strategy. About 54 percent of the customers use social research products.
Social media will not impact your Business
overnight, which means that you need to invest in social media for your
company. This process takes a long time. It does not matter the kind of
business you have; digital media platforms can help you to better connect with
your customers, raise awareness, and increase your sales.
Digital media platforms businesses need to consider in 2021
1. Facebook
Even though Facebook’s owner, Mark Zuckerberg, got a lot of bad press these past few years, there’s no denying that he built one of the best digital media platforms for businesses.
Facebook has over 1 billion active users daily. Therefore, it is not a surprise that it has become one of the most effective ways to get targeted traffic, build an email list, and get new clients.
It has also become a great place for brands to interact with their customers after grabbing their attention through targeted video and text content. Most businesses decide to create private groups for paying customers to join, interact, ask questions, and have a personalized experience with the company.
And though the user base of Facebook has slowed down over the last few years, it’ll remain one of the best social media platforms for business owners in 2021. Facebook is a tool that will be appropriate for any business in 2021.
2. Twitter
Twitter is a fast-paced platform used by several users to search for important news and information. There are also various promotional videos on this platform. Due to this, it can be especially beneficial for businesses that regularly publish original content.
It is easy to share links to new blog posts and pages, and doing this regularly will send readers directly to your latest content. Additionally, if you share vital and informative content from other sources, you can increase your brand reputation.
3. Instagram
Instagram is one digital media platform that enjoyed an “overnight success” story. Within two months of its launch in 2010, it got more than a million users. Today, that number has increased to more than
1 billion users, making it one of the top digital media platforms for business
owners.
Initially, Instagram began as a platform for sharing pictures
and still keeps that as its most important use. But it has expanded to videos, including a feature called “stories.” This has made Instagram become a great platform for businesses to show rather than tell their products, values, and voice to their audience.
4. LinkedIn
Even though it isn’t the most appropriate for video content, this platform has more than 706 million registered users, and it is best used for reaching B2B prospects and potential employees.
LinkedIn was one of the first modern digital media platforms to take hold and stick around. This networking tool has revolutionized the way we search, find, and get hired for jobs. It’s also a good place for sharing informative content.
LinkedIn is a social media network for experts and professionals; this means that it can be a vital tool for reaching prospects. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be beneficial for getting B2C opportunities as well.
If your organization is hiring, maintaining an active LinkedIn account can help potential applicants learn about the available job positions. And if you regularly share updates about your Business and employees, you can show them what it’s like to work for you.
However, it would be best if you kept in mind that you’re more likely to get business partners with LinkedIn than new customers. Although this isn’t a hard and fast rule, users don’t usually visit LinkedIn for entertainment or online shopping. They go there to learn more about a brand, see what their professional contacts are up to, and search for new career opportunities.
5. YouTube
YouTube has more than 2 billion registered users, and it is best used for showing company culture, tutorials, and demonstrations in the form of videos.
Even though some people don’t consider it a social media platform, YouTube is one of the most significant sources of user-generated content online. If your brand creates its content, it can be a great way to connect with users.
Using YouTube, you’ll get views directly on the platform and use the platform to host videos [MOU1] to embed on your website. Considering the effectiveness of visual content in engaging users, this is a good reason to create an account.
6. Reddit
This is another platform that doesn’t mostly use videos. When it comes to digital media platforms, Reddit is an interesting breed. It’s more about honest sharing and learning than it is about connecting and engaging with users. Most Reddit groups have strict rules and regulations on what users may or may not post for commercial purposes. More often than not, a user can be removed from a group if they use the platform for
self-advertisement.
However, most businesses have found success in engaging on Reddit. You need to be creative, have lots of interaction, and have a genuine desire to teach and learn from others.
Reddit is highly effective and an often overlooked part of e-commerce. You can use it for market research by asking questions and getting feedback on your Business’s various segments. Many companies pay a lot of money to obtain such information from their audience without realizing that Reddit can help them achieve this for free.
7. Pinterest
Businesses that have an e-commerce store have to be on Pinterest. 87 percent of users on Pinterest have bought a product because of the platform. Pinterest makes it possible for users to upload individual images (such as product images) with short captions (such as product information) and a link (maybe to the product page).
The built-in shopping feature of this platform makes it easier for businesses to promote their products there.
Users can also use rich pins to provide more information about a product, recipe, or article and use their advertising options to get to more users. It’s a simple way to get traffic directly to your product pages and connect with potential clients.
8. Quora
Most times, when people think of the best digital media platforms, they don’t consider Quora. But perhaps it should.
Quora is great for driving traffic to your website.
This platform was in 2009 and went live in 2010. It allowed users to ask questions to the Quora community for other users from different expertise to respond. This makes Quora an excellent platform for
learning and sharing.
With Quora, users can look for questions in their professional fields, establish themselves as an authority, and link to content they’ve written on the topics being talked about.
However, note that, just like Reddit, moderators can discern between genuine contribution to a question and self-advertisement. The best responses should focus on the problem and not on your Business.
Conclusion
Nowadays, digital media is essential in promoting your business and services. It doesn’t matter the size of your Business. Digital media platforms that allow both video and text can help you connect with your customers and increase brand awareness.
With more than 4 billion people worldwide using social media each month to read and watch videos, such platforms have played vital roles in helping businesses fill the void and increase customer loyalty during the pandemic.
If you intend to improve your social media marketing strategy, Liwa can help. Contact us today to speak with a strategist about how we can help you use digital media to attract and engage potential customers for your Business.
