It has been just about 10 years since social networks came into our world, and yet it is now hard to imagine our lives without them. From the initial forays of joining Facebook (or even MySpace if you go way back!) to the current dominance of all things social, it is fair to say that we as a culture are obsessed. Social media impacts so much of what we work, socialize, and interact. It has become clear that social media is an essential element of a business or medical practice’s overall marketing strategy as this is where customers and potential clients are engaged.
Just think about some of these amazing statistics:
• over 75% of all Internet users are also active members of social media platforms
• social media users fit important demographics for most business and medical practices. Over 76% of those ages 30 to 65 years old are social media users, and almost 80% of those on social media have household incomes of $75,000+.
• Facebook continues to dominate the social space – as of the third quarter of 2016, they boast an astonishing 1.8 billion monthly active users.
What does 2017 hold for us in regards to social media trends? Here are just a few things to expect:
• live streaming, especially now that social heavyweights Facebook and Twitter (through their Periscope service) have joined the party, will dominate the landscape. This instant and unedited video helps build trust and credibility with your audiences.
• organic social engagement is becoming more challenging as paid content becomes more valuable within the algorithms of what is being shown to users and what is not. This will lead to more paid social media ads and a renewed focus on other digital strategies like SEO optimization and email marketing.
• utilizing social influencers allows your business to cut through the clutter and reach your target audiences with credible thought leaders who have large social followings and are considered gatekeepers for your vertical.
Contact the expert social media team at Reach Beyond Marketing to help your business reach its integrated marketing and sales goals.