Social Media is Trending
Social Media is Trending
History shows that “enterprises and economies have a long history dating back to ancient eras”. Though economies have existed for centuries, marketing has not necessarily. Therefore, whilst our economy adapts to new environments and there are new and upcoming ways of promoting merchandise, social media being a relatively new form of promotion, marketing is ancient. Social media has, throughout the years, become an integral part of our society and thus the way that our businesses must market and promote their products. What began as a telegram that functioned as a means to communicate across distances, became a lifestyle by which people understand and created their reality.
We live in a new world. Wake up. Check your socials. Respond to emails. Get dressed. Go to work. Generally speaking, this would constitute the average morning routine for anyone living in the 21st century. In our current state, most consumers spend their daily lives in a virtual atmosphere. According to Pew Research, “employment in digital newsrooms has increased 82%” because social media has changed much of the way our society functions, even how we get our news. The way we get information has changed drastically.
Even in 2018, people heavily relied on social media to receive information. So, for companies to thrive it is necessary that companies tailor their marketing strategies to a virtual appeal. That is the trend; where the consumers go, business follows. That is, essentially, the thread that led to the creation of social media management.
For those that work in the social media field, you might as well add on one more “check your socials” to your morning routine as your day is spent monitoring and analyzing your companies’ social media. In reiteration, your entire workday is spent gathering information about consumer social media habits to use to the advantage of building brands and companies. In fact, social media management is such a necessity to businesses growth that you can get your master’s degree in the study of it. Understandably so, considering the fact that successfully using social media as a tool to market your business successfully, requires specific skill sets. It is more than likes and shares, it is the thought behind the content and the knowledge of how and why people use social media.
You see, social media management may have begun as a means of marketing, but due to the nature of social media it connects businesses to consumers in more intimate ways. To understand this, one must look behind the psychology of social media and its effects on people and then apply that to marketing. Considering facts such as people feel more comfortable on social media, they trust what their friends share, they are more open to conversation.
I work as a Brand Ambassador for a sports team. I can tell you, firsthand, it can be a daunting task, that takes skill and finesse, to approach guests in-person and strike up an impactful conversation. Being a Brand Ambassador is a fun form of marketing which often requires fact to face interaction with guests. On a regular day, I might pass out t-shirts or other merchandise and attempt to speak with people about the company. Often the most engaging conversations happen after guests have made ample use of our beverage facilities! From there, I can discuss cool events that we are having and other ways to engage with the company without any hesitancy. However, until that point most people just believe I am merely selling a product and politely decline further conversation outside of niceties.
For this reason, social media management has overtime become a process by which companies strive to understand the needs and desires of their clientele. This position pushes the bounds and is constantly growing and adjusting to the climate. I would even gander to say that the further we move into the endless possibility of virtual reality, the more creative social media managers are going to have to become to continue to be accessible and more personal in how they reach consumers.
Overall, social media manager is a position that constantly adjusts to its environment. The changes that have led to its current state are all consumer led; by understanding the needs of your consumers you open your company up to providing those needs. To quote Hootsuite, “you don’t have to be Freud to understand your audience of social media”, but you do need a willingness to understand your audience!
