In recent years, the number of users using SNS has increased, and the importance of SNS marketing has increased. By engaging in SNS marketing, you can expand awareness and attract customers.
In this article, we will explain the overview, methods, and success stories of SNS marketing.
table of contents
What is SNS marketing?
SNS marketing is a marketing method that uses popular SNS such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. With the spread of SNS, it is attracting attention as a new marketing method.
SNS marketing can increase product awareness and communicate with consumers, leading to purchases. An increasing number of companies are adopting SNS marketing as a non-traditional sales promotion method.
Why social media marketing is important
One of the reasons why SNS marketing is becoming more important is because the number of SNS users is increasing every year. According to a communications usage trend survey released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the SNS usage rate rose from 73.8% among all age groups in 2020 to 78.7% in 2021.
Reference: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “2021 Communication Usage Trend Survey”
Another reason why SNS marketing is important is that SNS usage is increasing not only among young people but also among people in their 40s and above. By utilizing SNS, you can reach out to a wide range of age groups. Additionally, the rate of SNS usage among companies is also on the rise.
Furthermore, the purpose of using SNS is also changing. According to a survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the second most popular purpose for using SNS was “to find information about something I want to know.” SNS marketing efforts are important because more and more people are gathering information about products and services not only through search engines but also through SNS.
Reference: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “2019 Communication Usage Trend Survey”
social media marketing
When companies engage in SNS marketing, they need to understand the characteristics of each social media and choose the SNS that best suits their company’s objectives. Before you start using SNS, be sure to understand the differences between media.
The main characteristics of SNS used for SNS marketing are as follows.
Twitter is an SNS that allows you to post short sentences of up to 140 full-width characters called “tweets.” Tweets can include not only text but also images and short videos. Twitter has a wide range of users, from those in their teens to those in their 50s, making it possible to reach a wide variety of users.
Twitter has a “retweet function” that allows you to share other users’ tweets with your own account. Twitter is characterized by its high virality, as interesting tweets are retweeted by many users. If your company’s tweets become popular, you can spread awareness among many users in a short period of time.
However, tweets that users find offensive are likely to be spread, and there is a risk of a firestorm. It is important for marketers involved in SNS operations to check that tweets do not contain inappropriate content.
Instagram is a social networking site where you can enjoy visual content such as photos and videos. Although there is an impression that a high proportion of young women are users, in recent years the number of men and users over 30 has been increasing, and it can be used for marketing in various industries.
Another unique feature of Instagram is that there are multiple ways to post content. Content posted using the Stories feature will be automatically deleted after a certain amount of time. Additionally, by using the live streaming function, you can stream videos in real-time while interacting with users.
When using Instagram for marketing, be sure to understand the differences between each type of post before approaching SNS operations.
Facebook is a SNS that allows you to send information by combining text and images. We recommend that you register your account using your real name. Therefore, user information is highly reliable, and it is possible to reach out to your company’s target audience.
The number of monthly active users (MAU) worldwide has reached 2.93 billion as of June 30, 2022, making it the most major SNS overseas.
In Japan, the main user group is people in their 30s to 50s, and users who use it for business purposes are also common. Marketing measures targeting business people can be expected to have particularly high effects. Let’s work on SNS operations after understanding the attributes of Facebook users.
LINE
LINE is an app that allows you to chat one-on-one, over the phone, and in groups. The number of monthly active users in Japan exceeds 90 million, and it is used by a wide range of users.
LINE allows you to use various features such as stamps and official accounts. It can also be used for marketing measures such as distributing coupons to encourage product purchases and store visits. If you are in charge of SNS operations, consider introducing marketing measures using LINE.
YouTube
YouTube is a SNS where you can post and view video content. A wide range of users, from children to adults, enjoy watching YouTube videos.
The number of users of the function to search videos on YouTube is 2 billion per month. It is the second most used search engine after Google.
YouTube allows you to display a link to your website on the video or in the summary section. You can carry out marketing measures such as publishing videos for your target audience and connecting them to your website.
TikTok
TikTok is a social networking site where you can enjoy short videos such as 15 seconds. The main user group in Japan is people in their teens and 20s, but the age range is gradually expanding.
TikTok is unique in that it uses a unique algorithm for its video recommendation function. Even if the number of followers is small, videos that get good reactions from users will be actively spread. One of the appeals of TikTok is its high virality.
In addition, recently we have seen the platform evolve into a platform that is easier for companies to use, such as collaboration with the e-commerce platform Shopify and expansion of advertising services.
SNS marketing methods
Even though it is simply called “SNS marketing,” there are a wide variety of methods. It is important to understand the characteristics of each method, as the costs and time required to produce results vary depending on the method.
Here, we will explain the main methods of SNS marketing.
Operation of SNS account
Operating an SNS account is a basic method of SNS marketing. Create an official account and send out the latest information on products, services, and company activities.
The advantage of using SNS is that you can communicate closely with your customers and increase your points of contact. You can thank people who have posted good reviews about your products, or suggest solutions to people who have complaints or concerns.
If your company’s SNS posts are spread by users, you can spread awareness without spending advertising costs. You can also use your SNS account as a gateway to encourage access to your website.
The content that users tend to respond to differs depending on the type of SNS. Operate your account on the most suitable SNS based on your target audience and the characteristics of your products.
SNS advertising
SNS ads are advertisements that can be distributed on SNS platforms. You can create ads that include not only text but also images and videos.
The advantage of SNS advertising is that you can set precise targeting based on age, gender, hobbies, etc. You can also check important metrics for SNS marketing, such as click rate and conversion rate, and optimize your advertising content.
SNS advertising is a marketing method that is easy to implement even with a small budget. You can start with a small advertising budget as a test, and then expand the scale after confirming sufficient cost-effectiveness.
SNS campaign
An SNS campaign is a user-participatory SNS marketing method. We are running a project where users who post their impressions of new products on SNS will be entered into a lottery to win presents.
Utilizing hashtags, retweet features, etc. is the key to enlivening your SNS campaign. Once your hashtag is trending, more users can become aware of your campaign.
influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a social media marketing method that involves having influential users introduce your company’s products and services.
Users who have a strong influence on a particular SNS are called “influencers.” Influencers have a large number of followers and are highly trusted, so they can promote effectively.
For example, you can promote apparel, cosmetics, beauty goods, etc. by enlisting the help of influencers who disseminate fashion-related information. In addition, there are various user groups that can be approached by influencers, such as gourmet information and gadget information.
social listening
Social listening is an SNS marketing method that collects and analyzes posts from users. By analyzing information posted on SNS, you can obtain useful information for product development and marketing measures.
Social listening allows you to learn about the needs and concerns of your target users. You can improve the precision of your measures by developing products and creating advertising creatives that meet these requirements.
The advantage of social listening is that it allows you to extract the information your company is looking for based on real user feedback.
There is no cost if you collect and analyze information in-house. However, the skills to extract specific information from SNS and the skills to analyze the collected data are required.
Examples of SNS marketing
You can get hints for successful SNS marketing from the success stories of other companies. Here we introduce two examples of companies that utilize Twitter and Facebook.
Twitter SNS marketing example: Sharp Corporation
Sharp Corporation’s Twitter account is characterized by posts that do not seem like the official account of a large company. Tweets that quickly incorporate trends and tweets that give a glimpse of the real thoughts of the operations staff have been well-received by many users.
The reason for its popularity is that it is not only interesting but also provides information that is useful to users. It is also helpful to see that other users actively retweet tweets that mention your company and communicate with them.
Sharp Corporation’s official Twitter account
Facebook SNS marketing example: Domino’s Pizza
Domino’s Pizza’s Facebook account is unique in that it uses images and video posts to visually convey the appeal of its products. The timing is also clever, with many people posting around 5:30 p.m. when they are thinking about their dinner menu.
Another helpful point is that posts that recommend take-out pizza include not only images but also information such as “half-price take-out.” Posting information that benefits users will increase the effectiveness of SNS marketing.
Domino’s Pizza’s official Facebook account
summary
By engaging in SNS marketing, you can expand awareness and promote sales to new user groups that your company has not approached. There are various methods of SNS marketing, including not only account management but also SNS advertising and social listening.
If you are looking for a new way to attract customers, why not start using SNS marketing by referring to the examples introduced this time?
