Social Media marketing - more than just a bolt on, by Mark Solesbury

For many, February 2004 probably isn’t a month in history that means too much, but for some of us, it was the birth of something that transformed the entire world.

The launch of Facebook - despite it not being the first social media channel - created a new career path for many (without realising it at the time) as well as new way of marketing for years to come. Facebook quickly became THE social media channel. It set the bar for others to follow, while creating an online space where, eventually, brands could communicate directly with their customers, transforming the way we market to them. Engagement quickly became the currency rather than going directly in for the sale.

Social media finding its feet
For a long time, the way we marketed products and advertised brands was set in stone – TV, radio and print were the “big three”. Even with the birth of the internet and the explosion of social media, digital advertising was the poor relation. And like any “new kid on the block”, social media marketing and advertising took its time to find its feet.

For quite a while social media channels didn’t want to depend on advertising revenue in case it damaged credibility and deterred users from their platforms. Once social media channels opened their marketing capabilities to brands, it was surprising to see how they were not capitalising on the opportunity in front of them.

This could come down to a few reasons – the decision makers being of a different generation, not understanding the platforms and their capabilities or simply nervous to try something new.

But whatever the reason, brands social media channels were, for a long time, seen as a marketing “bolt on”, that extra place to throw already-created content without thinking about where it was being posted. Why did this change? Well, there are a few explanations:

  • The (continuing) number of users appearing across every major social media channel
  • The different ways brands can engage with their customers
  • The fact brands can measure that engagement
  • The incredibly low cost-per-result compared to other mediums

Numbers driving shift to social
Simply put, the numbers don’t lie.

The ad space during the Superbowl is the most expensive TV ad every year, because of the number of people who watch the event – 92 million viewers in 2020. As social media continued to grow, the figures became virtually impossible to ignore – almost 59% of the entire world is active on social media and that is more than 92 million! The key word there is “active”, so, not just having a profile, but they’re using it daily.

As social media marketing continued to evolve, so did the creative, targeting and analytical tools available. With TV, brands got an idea of the number of households watching the show their ad aired in - not that they necessarily stayed in the room to watch the ad (tea break obviously).

Social media marketing can engage with users in a variety of ways, from impressions to clicks, likes, shares, comments, conversions, purchases to video views - and if that’s not enough, all these metrics can then be drilled down even further to understand how demographics, devices and locations engage with your content.

Today’s social first approach
Engagement is the defining element of social media. When your advertising spend is based on the engagement the ads generate, if a user thumb-rolls past your ad, you won’t be charged – it’s all about the engagement. We have now started to see a shift in how content is created too – being “social first” is how content creators operate. A good example is the John Lewis advert each Christmas, which is launched on its social media channels before it goes out on TV.

Brands now understand where their audience is – even if the audiences aren’t posting themselves, they are digesting content every time they open their apps. Social media and digital marketing have evolved. It’s hard to imagine it as the sad, poor relation bolt-on. For many brands, it’s now the marketing start point, and that’s as it should be!

If you’d like to talk to Indaba about your social media strategy, get in touch!