Given the limited advertising budgets of SMBs, the reason more and more of them are starting to use social media as a marketing tool is the potential reach these platforms allow without the need to spend big. These social outlets are becoming a popular way for brands and local businesses to connect with, inform and reward followers and fans.
In addition to organic reach, many of the most popular social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) offer paid advertising opportunities with the capability to target very specific audience segments. These targeting capabilities are powerful on these platforms, especially when trying to reach local consumers.
Here are some compelling stats that show how the impact social media is having on consumers and local marketers:
- Close to 6 in 10 global consumers say that friends’ social media posts influence their purchase choices. (IBM Institute for Business Value)
- 56% of millennial local consumers said that they have interacted with social media in the past 6 months at some point in the purchase funnel. (BIA/Kelsey)
- 94% of SMBs said they use social media for marketing and 61% said that social media helps them gain new customers. (LinkedIn)
- Of online adults, 71% use Facebook, 18% use Twitter, 17% use Instagram, 21% use Pinterest and 22% use LinkedIn. (Pew Research)
- Facebook has about 25 million active small business pages. (Facebook)
Be sure to check back next week for our next edition of Top 5 Local Ad Stats of the Week. Have a great weekend!