Social Media has become our second reality. We use the internet for social media and entertainment, as well as in business, education and more. In terms of business communication and marketing, there are numerous advantages of social media that we need to consider.

To begin with, we ask ourselves the question: What is Social Media? Simply put, this is the name given to all mobile and web platforms that are used to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Among them are Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, Linkedin, and more.

“Interactive dialogue” is the key word, as it directly suggests the importance of platforms at the business level. Next, Klain offers you 15 essential points of a company’s presence on Social Media.

I. General information

1. Almost 15 million Romanians, i.e. 74% of the country’s population, use Social Media, and their number is growing. This percentage shows that the target audience can be found in this environment, regardless of the industry in which a company operates.

2. In Romania, the most popular platforms are Facebook, Youtube, TikTok, Facebook Messenger and Instagram. At this point, however, it is important to note that traffic on these platforms fluctuates very quickly. For example, TikTok has recently seen substantial growth, surpassing Instagram in terms of number of users in Romania. However, Facebook continues to remain the most used platform in our country. These dynamics must be taken into account to create smart communication strategies.

3. Over 87.9% of companies in Romania in the Top 1000 by turnover in 2020 have a Facebook page, according to a Klain study. Thus, we can deduce that the success of a company and its online presence are interdependent.

4. On Social Media we are storytellers, not just business people. The presence of a business in Social Media is often aimed at creating a community and not direct sales. Even if the ultimate goal is to develop the company and increase profit, communication in Social Media is meant to form a community of followers who are really interested in the product or service offered.

5. Presence on Social Media can develop a business from the point of view of business strategy. Being present online means interacting often with the audience that matters. This dialogue helps in making business development decisions: the data collected will help in market research, reviews will highlight strengths and weaknesses, different surveys and questionnaires can be created to better understand the needs of potential customers.

6. Everything is monitored and kept under control through data. Online presence does not only mean creative texts and human interactions – it is quantified in dozens of types of measurements. There are tools that give us details about views, engagement rate, clicks, mentions, conversion rate, reach and many other indicators.

II. Content

7. Who can you address, as a business, on Social Media platforms? The short answer to this question is: all those who are part of the target, that is, current customers and potential customers. When we communicate, we must pay attention to the interaction with those who already know our brand, but also to attract new consumers.

8. Communication means trust and the gradual construction of a purchase decision. With the internet, the information process for purchasing a product or service becomes more accessible and easier. With all the tools at their fingertips, consumers make purchasing decisions based on research – whether through Google searches, websites or Social Media. That is why, in many cases, the business that manages to be the most visible and provide the most relevant information will also be the one chosen by consumers.

9. It is essential to choose the platform on which you communicate. Each network has its own specificity, both in the published content, but especially in terms of the active audience in it. For example, on Instagram we will build a strategy to target people in the most present age category there (18-25 years old), and on Facebook we can also address older people, up to 65 years old.

10. Creative ideas – the only solution to stand out. At the moment, social networks are experiencing an oversaturation. In this context, published content must attract attention. That is why a content writer has an essential role, implementing creative ideas and ensuring that the communication strategy gives results.

III. Tips and tricks

11. Watch your competition. In the age of Social Media, being aware of the activity of competitors in the market is an easy thing. Content on social platforms is public, so it’s much easier to see what competitors in your industry are doing, analyze their strategies, and identify exactly how you differentiate yourself.

12. The sooner you get into Social Media, the better. The presence on Social Media will only bear fruit over time. It is a constant and long-term process, which a business must start from its first steps. The sooner you develop an image, the more likely you are to absorb a larger part of your target audience, before other competitors intervene in the process.

13. Videos, please. By far the most useful and appreciated form of content are videos. The importance of video content is given by its ability to grab the attention of followers, in a way that simple texts or images will never do.

14. Being trendy means ensuring your relevance. On Social Media, it is recommended that a business show that it is up to date with new trends. Tracking and practicing the latest trends (specific types of posts or activity on TikTok, for example) can be fun and effective, demonstrating to consumers that the brand is human, authentic and anchored in everyday life.

15. Influencer Marketing – a path to success. With the digital age, this new “human typology” has also appeared: the influencer. He represents a public figure who, through the community formed, has the opportunity to inspire or convince his fans to act in a certain way. Integrating an influencer into a communication strategy can prove to be extremely useful. According to a Mediakix report, collaborating with an influencer brings an 8x higher engagement rate.

As a marketing and business communication environment, Social Media covers such a vast area that reducing it to a few ideas is difficult. The 15 points touched on in this article are meant to provide an overview and show that the online presence of a business is currently a requirement that must be met by any business that wants success.