In 2023, almost 4. 9 billion people use different social media platforms. This statistic not only affects our personal lives but also has an impact on other aspects such as businesses, marketing, and advertising. If you think about how you spend your free time before social media, you can easily feel the difference in our present lives.

Although social media was initially made for social networking, it has gradually and now rapidly become the place for businesses of all sizes to perform their advertising and increase their reach and sales.

In this blog, today I am going to show you the magic of social media and how social media has changed marketing and impacted business in different ways.

Marketing before social media

If we look back before the invention of social media platforms the marketing strategies and advertising techniques are different.

However, with the invention of the Internet, marketing had already entered into a new era of email marketing, and with the release of search engines, SEO and pay-per-click ads came into being.

But after the invention of the first social media platform Six Degrees in 1997, businesses and marketing started evolving.

Traditional marketing totally relies on traditional channels like

• TV

• Radio

• Print media

• Newspapers

• Magazines

• Billboards

• Direct mail

In addition, traditional marketing channels are very costly. Not every business can afford the TV commercials and magazines front page covers and print media.

Plus, the major drawback of traditional marketing is demographic limitations. With print media and TV commercials, you can target a limited audience. You can run your TV commercials on limited channels that only run in specific areas.

Before social media one-way communication was in trend. Businesses only talk to their audience but their audience is not able to ask or review them immediately.

Not only this many other limitations are applied to the marketing world before social media like restricted reach and the need to host more physical collaborating events to promote your businesses and services.

We still do not deny all these traditional marketing techniques but now alongside them, we have a lot of more effective and quick social media marketing and advertising.

Discover more: What is digital marketing?

How social media has changed marketing?

When it comes to social media marketing the platforms that first hit our minds are

· Facebook

· Instagram

· TikTok

· Twitter

· LinkedIn

· YouTube

All these marketing channels have different approaches. These channels allow you to interact with your long-distance friends and families, follow your favorite influencers and celebrities, and reach your favorite brands across the globe. And international reach of brands has changed the marketing and advertising trends.

Access to global marketing

Social media platforms have transformed marketing by offering unparalleled access to a global audience.

With various social media platforms, businesses can reach the world at their fingertips. However, previously businesses were restricted by geographic boundaries.

If we make an estimate these platforms collectively host billions of users from diverse corners of the globe, like Facebook has 3.8 billion users, and Instagram has 1 billion monthly users.

It means that a small startup in the United States can effortlessly connect with customers in Asia, Europe, or anywhere else.

Social media marketing has changed marketing, allowing businesses, regardless of size, to think and act globally.

Targeted paid and organic campaigns

Social media allows businesses to run conventional ads without any paid promotion. However, in the meantime, you can also run paid campaigns on the same business profile for wider and more targeted reach. This mixture of advertising on social media impacts the audience and nurtures them to take actions like buying from the brands.

The targeted reach can eliminate the audience that is not genuinely interested in the specific brand and its products and services.

Delivered right at the consumer's doorstep

Social media marketing not only increases reach and provides cost-effective solutions to advertising but it also changes the fate of e-commerce brands.

Amazon, Alibaba, and Shopify are examples of e-commerce giants that are getting boom with social media platforms. With the help of these e-commerce services businesses deliver products to the consumers right at their doorsteps.

Amazon delivers to almost 185 countries, and Alibaba has 1.2 billion annual active users. But these providers can't work alone. Social media roar online shopping and thus e-commerce brands integrate with social media and excel without geographical boundaries.

Social media not only offers new marketing avenues but also extends the platforms for selling products. Platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Shops, and Instagram Shop, along with features like product tagging, seamlessly integrate with Shopify stores.

E-commerce brands existed before social media but online shopping and the trend of showcasing your products and services changed by social media marketing. Consumers now expect convenience and speed in their online shopping experience, making doorstep delivery a foundation of modern marketing and business strategies.

Discover more: How to use AI in Social Media Marketing?

Enhanced customer services

Social media platforms not only changed the marketing strategies and advertising norms. It also reshaped the way brands interact or communicate with their customers.

With the help of messaging services on these social platforms customers and brands can easily communicate around the globe at any time zone. Not only this, customers can get prompt responses from the brands that work with virtual assistant services to enhance their customer relationships.

Even social platforms provide tools and default settings for businesses to set and save their responses. Many big companies like Apple use Twitter to support their customer services and address issues and inquiries of customers.

Customers can easily access the brand, complain or give feedback about the purchased product and service, communicate their concerns, and make decisions after a satisfactory conversation.

With the help of social media, it’s much easier for customers to talk to brands even for minor details.

Discover more: Benefits of hiring a marketing virtual assistant.

How social media has affected businesses.

With social media marketing businesses can build their reputation and brand image in front of their audience. Before social media, it was difficult or expensive to build a profound and influential brand image.

Remember people spend their free time scrolling social media. So having their interests and fondness in front of them makes them stop and follow their idealization and tenderness.

Social media has changed the relationships of businesses with their audience. Businesses now emotionally connect themselves with their audience and describe that they are not offering products, in fact, offer a lifestyle and routine that resonates with their customers.

Plus, customers are more interested in the social media shop of any brand instead of a website store. In this way, brands can increase their online store’s reach. In addition, businesses can easily increase their sales and generate leads with social media advertising.

Discover more: How to increase your social media followers?

Conclusion

With a wider, targeted reach and diverse marketing channels, digital marketing has already entered into a new era with social media advertising. Businesses are more extended and can benefit more from Social media Marketing.

Social media is now crucial for both small and big enterprises. The business’s approach is not always to sell. It’s like you have to stay on the top of the minds of the customers whenever they decide to buy.

Moreover, integration with e-commerce makes social media marketing a vital tool for business success.

Businesses have possibilities that are boundless and strategies that are ever-evolving. However, with the increased demand for various platforms, managing your business accounts on social media is not an easy game.

It takes time and learning and brain to dig into the techniques and strategies. At the same time, you cannot run your business and social media marketing at the same time. Your best bid is to either hire a social media manager or outsource your social media tasks to a virtual assistant.

You need experts for different marketing platforms. However, it's not something to worry about. Take the next step towards your social media marketing journey and reach out to the expert team of Vaforus.

Our virtual assistant services are tailored according to your brand image and products. The specialty we have is that we continuously communicate with you to ensure that your business is aligned with its online reputation and image. Schedule a meeting here.