If you are trying to figure out where your target market gathers, look no further than social media. There is a group, a discussion forum or a community for any and all. The expanse and reach of social media is endless.
Twitter has 284 million monthly active users.
Facebook has 890 million daily active users.
LinkedIn has 332 million registered users.
With numbers like that, you are bound to run into more than a few of your target stakeholders when building a social media presence, especially if you engage in an intentional way.
Still not convinced? Here are some other reasons why engaging on social media is important for your mission-driven brand.
- Social media engagement takes you to where your audience lives. As proven with the statistics above, getting active on social media will put your audience in front of your stakeholders. Once you have established your presence, your engagement with stakeholders will grow exponentially as they help you spread your message to their own networks.
- Social media engagement is free (aside from the time). Although you will need an employee to manage your organization’s community, the rest of the engagement costs nothing. Many hours and thought go into creating an engaging social media presence, but the time investment is well worth it.
- Social media engagement creates buzz. Your organization can benefit from the discussions that get carried from the real world to the digital world. People talk, share, ask questions, listen and ultimately, act, based on what they see on social media. You will see growth in your communities the more you can tap into the discussions that are trending in real time.
- Social media engagement creates a content outlet. Blog posts, e-books or other content pieces are some of the most effective ways to engage with your audience and capture their content information. Yet oftentimes the question of how to get them to your funnel is a struggle. That’s where social media comes in! When you push your content out on social media and ask others to engage with it, you create conversations that build your credibility as a thought leader, and can ultimately direct to content on your website that is focused on capturing leads.
- Social media engagement is fun. It may sound corny, but being active on social media is a fun, enjoyable and effective way to engage with your stakeholders. There are many creative ways to use social media, from Twitter chats to photo sharing on Facebook, all of which build your brand, your mission and your community.
What are you doing today to engage?
Photo Credit:Wilgengebroed on Flickr
