The Power of Social Media

Social media plays a big role in many lives today. It is how we can connect and rekindle relationships from our past and expand our social circles, being able to send pieces of our lives to those far away. But, it is often looked past upon how these tactics can play imperative roles in the business world, especially startups and primitive companies. When starting a business, most will open up a LinkedIn, and maybe a website. But have you looked into Instagram? Facebook? Possibly even TikTok? With these social network platforms having many users, such as over 1.1 billion active TikTok users, any type of company could find an audience on any of these platforms.

Of course, you would need to be creative and to catch the eyes of a prospective client, but these platforms are very generous with their algorithms, especially TikTok. With the #ForYou section of TikTok, it is very feasible for any TikTok to be noticed by a few sets of eyes. And when seen by the right audience, your video might go viral and reach thousands, and even millions of screens. Additionally, messaging features on all of these platforms allow users to quickly contact your business. On your TikTok profile, you can add your other social media platforms and links to possibly your website. By catering to people with its personalized algorithm, it can be a great app to build your network.

Networking is imperative to success in the business world. While LinkedIn is a great way to start growing connections, other social media platforms will give you networking and connections to different groups of people, ultimately growing your circle. According to Clement, around 97% of all Fortune 500 enterprises use social media for promotion and communication with their customers. For instance, Instagram is perfect for startups. Instagram is free and accessible, not to mention their upcoming shopping feature, which allows businesses to make money through Instagram directly. This feature and Instagram’s use of hashtags and graphics allow your company to be creative and reach out to target audiences. This allows your company to reach potential customers and partners, making it a great way to get your company out there. 

What a lot of these social media apps have in common is the communities they foster. When a company begins to amass followers, it also creates a circle of people, who all enjoy the ideas and initiatives of the company. This is great for companies to be able to reach their target audience. Also, almost all social media work will not cost you anything. If you want to go the extra step, with Facebook ads, that’s another great way to push your name out into the internet. With Facebook Ads, you can directly pinpoint your ads to a targeted audience. If your company is directly for young adults who enjoy yoga, you can make sure your ads are advertised to that same demographic! According to Berns, Facebook claims that they are “89% accurate with their targeted campaigns”.

The biggest companies in the world are constantly using social media to attract new viewers to their posts. This makes it all the more important for smaller companies to follow in their footsteps! With these social media platforms, you can connect with your audience and customers, and create long-lasting communities.

Works Cited:

Berns, Sarah. “The Importance of Paid Advertising on Facebook.” Overdrive Interactive, 11 Feb. 2020, www.ovrdrv.com/blog/the-importance-of-paid-advertising-on-facebook/

Clement, J. “Inc. 500 Corporate Social Media Usage 2017.” Statista, 2 Sept. 2019, www.statista.com/statistics/626872/fortune-500-corporate-social-media-usage/.