Social media have become one of the main communication channels and ways to reach customers and fans of the brand. It is also one of the most popular elements of marketing communication, without which it is difficult to establish a relationship with the recipient. Because it is mainly about relationships. The essence of social media is to establish contact with customers or potential customers, and this contact, unlike classic advertising, can be mutual. However, in order to achieve the desired results, social media should be run with a cool head. One of the key rules here is regularity.

Modern world ... social media

According to Digital 2021 Poland report, almost 29 million Poles use social media actively. This is 11% more than in 2020 and experts predict further development of the advertising potential of this medium. No wonder - social media, due to its specificity, significantly change the dimension of marketing, especially by promoting continuous contact with other people.

Social media, or networking media, is a form of information transfer that takes place via websites or applications on the Internet. An important issue here is the community created by the users of these sites and applications. The essence of social media is interactive dialogue, so users can communicate with each other, exchange content they create, and establish relationships.

There are many types of social media, and more sites and applications continue to emerge. The most popular of these are:

• blogs,
• microblogs,
• discussion forums,
• social networking sites,
• portals which enable sharing photos and films, i.e. content services,
• Internet information services with the possibility of adding comments and conducting discussions.

Currently, the most popular services are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Especially interesting is the latter application, which focuses on a completely different type of communication - namely short films with music.

Why is social media so popular? Perhaps not many people realize it, but social media is designed to be addictive. We like to brag about our accomplishments, but we also like to see pictures or posts inserted by others. The key, however, is the ability to easily communicate with users, sometimes from all over the world. This allows us to make interesting friendships, as well as nurture existing ones much easier than in the past.

Social networks also provide an opportunity to reach many people with your talent or... product. And this option is exactly what companies use when conducting marketing activities in social media. Importantly, the growth of social media has created new professions such as Content Designer, Social Media Specialist and Social Media Manager. If you are interested in these professions, check out Webinar Universe and discover e-learning, or courses taught online.

New idea - new tool

Along with the development of the Internet, marketing has gained new, attractive and very effective tools. The Internet allows you to reach your target group faster, but social media, due to their nature, allow you to do even more - to build relationships with your recipients. The material posted on social media can be discussed, commented, praised or, on the contrary, criticized. It can also be shared so that other users can see it.

So it's worth starting with the famous saying: if you're not on social media, you don't exist. This is not only true for individuals, but also for companies to a huge extent. If a brand does not have profiles on social media and does not publish content on them, it is very possible that many people from the target group will never find out about it.

Social media marketing is mainly based on adding content as well as paid advertising. However, the basis is to maintain the account systematically by regularly inserting posts, usually consisting of text and graphics or video. The type of content depends on the medium. Instagram focuses on photos and it is they that attract the attention of the recipient. On Facebook, the text is slightly more important than the graphics themselves. Almost as important as the content itself is the regular publication of posts. This increases the chance of new fans, engages existing ones and increases trust in the company.

When creating content for social media you need to be aware that it is mainly about engaging the recipient, and this requires the development of an appropriate strategy. You should start by defining your target audience and choosing a medium where you have the best chance of reaching them. It is also worth remembering that the posts should not be purely advertising - it is best to convey some value, publish substantial content that will interest the recipient and encourage them to discuss. This way, you can take care of your expert image and start building a relationship with your customer. To learn more about social media content design, discover online training on the Webinar Universe training platform.

Content marketing in social media

Content marketing works well in social media. In this context, the emphasis is on providing the recipient with useful, factual, interesting information. It helps to build a positive image of the company and additionally improves the position of the website in the Google search engine.

It has been accepted that content marketing is mostly about blog articles, however it is not true. Social media is an ideal place to distribute content that follows the rules of content marketing. And what are these principles?

● Firstly, the content should be targeted at the recipient, so the publications should be valuable and interesting, and above all, they should be adjusted to the target group, ● Secondly, the idea for the content marketing strategy should be matched to the company, the nature of its services or products - content for a drugstore will be different from content for a store with elegant suits, ● Thirdly, it is necessary to find a compromise between the substantive content and the product advertisement; it is best to try to make publications presenting ways of using the product in everyday life or discussing its advantages, but in a discrete way, ● Fourthly - the recipient is interested in specifics; water spouting or pushy advertising will not interest them enough to become a fan of the profile, ● Fifthly - content on social media should encourage discussion, sharing of opinions or sharing further, so it is worth to address the recipients directly and publish content that is useful for them, interesting and attractive, both in terms of text and multimedia.

Contact with the customer is the key to success

In short, it is all about image building. The specificity of social media is contact with customers. They can quickly react to the post, comment on it, write whether they like it or not, but also criticise it if something is wrong. Social media is also a place for questions from users who want to learn more about the product, service or the company itself. And users expect a quick response.

Most customers find it crucial that the brand listens to their voice. Then the recipient feels important and knows that their opinion matters. Additionally, a person who is satisfied with the level of service is willing to spend up to 40% more on a brand's products than other customers. In addition, a satisfied customer will recommend the service or product to their friends, and this is additional advertising - and very effective.

In general - responding to users' comments and posts helps to build good relations with customers and create a positive image of a company that cares about its customers and counts on their opinion.

Social media have significantly changed the image of online marketing. Today it is not only about one-sided advertising, but also about contact with the customer. This requires well-prepared, interesting and substantive content published regularly and quite often. A well-developed content marketing strategy in social media gives many benefits - it is worth spending some time and thinking about it carefully.