10 Stats the Prove Your Small Business Needs Social Media
Social media is no longer an option; it is a necessity.
There once was a time when your small business could succeed by having only a well-designed website, but that time is no longer. Now, social media is the key to small business success. You want leads? Time to set up a LinkedIn profile. You want fans and followers to praise your products? Get on Facebook and Twitter. Ready to promote a new product? Start with a photo on Instagram. Still don’t believe that your business really needs social media? Take a look at the following stats.
Every second there are over 20,000 people on Facebook
Yes, you read that correctly. 20,000 people. Every second. Nowhere else can your business achieve that kind of reach for free. Take a minute to think about all of the potential customers you could reach every second just by being on Facebook. Even without using Facebook Ads or posting a photo every minute, you’re still reaching a massive audience just by having a page and a presence. Out of those 20,000 people, one of them is bound to be interested in what you have to say or sell.
Twitter has 310 million monthly active users
You don’t need to be active on every social media platform, but make a plan to commit to at least two social channels.
Again, that’s a huge number of people. And a huge number of potential customers. Just by creating an account and sending out a couple tweets every day, your chances of attracting fans, followers and customers are pretty high.
48.8 percent of brands use Instagram
That number is expected to grow to 70.7 percent in 2017. If you’re not already one of those brands, go sign up right now. We mean it.
Instagram is an invaluable tool for businesses. The site allows you to share your product with potential customers in a casual and non-salesy kind of way. Customers like looking at pretty pictures and watching video tutorials; they don’t like being bombarded with sales pitches. Instagram lets you make a sales pitch in the form of a fun picture or entertaining video. It’s a win-win for you and your followers.
The average American spends 50 minutes per day on Facebook
That might not seem like a huge chunk of time, but The New York Times breaks it down a little farther:
“That’s more than any other leisure activity surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the exception of watching television programs and movies (an average per day of 2.8 hours). It’s more time than people spend reading (19 minutes); participating in sports or exercise (17 minutes); or social events (four minutes). It’s almost as much time as people spend eating and drinking (1.07 hours).”
People spend almost as much time on Facebook as they do eating and drinking. That’s crazy, but it’s also the reason social media is so valuable to businesses. In those 50 minutes, your followers are practically guaranteed to see your posts and products. If you make your content entertaining and engaging, maybe those followers will end up spending 50 minutes shopping your website instead.
75 percent of Instagram users take action after seeing an Instagram advertising post
Your business has nothing to lose by using Instagram, but a lot to gain.
That stat alone is a pretty good reason to create an Instagram account for your business. You could be just one photo away from making a sale. Why not at least give Instagram a try? You don’t lose anything by posting a photo, but you have a lot to gain.
54 percent of users reportedly took action after seeing a brand mentioned on Twitter
Are you seeing a trend here? Social media inspires customers to take action. A simple picture, video tutorial, or mention of a sale or discount might be all it takes to get a customer to visit your website and make a purchase. Sites like Instagram and Twitter are great because brands can be genuine and personable, and customers don’t feel like they’re receiving a sales pitch. Not to mention, tweeting is free.
50 percent of 18-24 year-olds go on Facebook when they wake up
Your business and/or product has the ability to be the first thing these Facebook users see when they wake up. Schedule a piece of entertaining or informative content to be posted in the morning, and you could have customers thinking about your business all day long.
93 percent of Pinterest users use the platform to plan purchases
Pinterest users are actively looking for things to buy. When they’re using this platform, they’re searching for your product. All you have to do to attract customers is post pictures. It really is that simple. Post a photo of your product, your product being used, or something a customer can make using your product and the pins will follow.
Engagement with brands on Instagram is 10 times higher than on Facebook
It’s also 54 times higher than Pinterest and 84 times higher than Twitter. If you want to use social media to interact with consumers and/or potential customers, Instagram is the way to go.
Videos earn the highest rate of engagement on Facebook
We know posting a photo or text is a lot easier than posting a video or live streaming. Unfortunately, videos are the new, hot trend, so it’s best you learn how to work with them. Social media users want short, entertaining clips of your product. They want to be entertaining and informed. Give them something fun, like a makeup or hair tutorial, and you get a new follower and possibly a new customer in return. It might be a little more time consuming to create this kind of content, but the benefit is worth the cost.
Social media is demanding. It’s ever-changing, time consuming, and absolutely mandatory. Take a little time every day to devote to creating a social media strategy, and watch how fast your business grows.
If you don’t have the time to dedicate to social media, send us an email and we’d be happy to help create and plan a strategy for you.