Marketing has evolved from print ads, billboards, and TV/radio to more modern digital marketing methods. But the question remains: How has social media changed marketing? What role did it play?
The gist of it is that social media has opened up a more direct line of conversation between the brand and its customers. Consequently, this helped both parties discover each other more conveniently and efficiently.
The benefits of social media extend far beyond that, though. It has completely changed the landscape of business as over two-thirds of small businesses now employ social media tools to compete with larger companies.
That being said, below is a list of how social media influenced how businesses, including physical therapy clinics, market their products and services.
Social media made doing businesses feel more personal
“We have ___, you should buy it because ___. But wait! There’s more! If you order now, you get ___ off your purchase!”
Does that sound familiar? It’s the same old script that all companies used to market their products on TV. It’s generic, it’s annoying, and nowadays, ineffective.
Social media helped make the shift from this proprietary style of marketing to what now feels much more personal. Credit this to the more convenient communication between end-users and businesses that exist because of social media.
Social networks have given businesses access to more data
This includes data on your audience’s demographics, engagements, and patterns. In turn, this allows businesses to form an accurate representation of their target customer while also providing content that relates directly to them.
Access to this much data was much harder, if not impossible to get before the advent of social platforms.
Smaller businesses can now operate on a global scale
Social media has made it capable for brands to scale up their operations internationally, which effectively tore down the geographical limits of marketing in a way that none before it ever has.
Let’s say you run your physical therapy clinic in New York but your plans are to potentially expand your business to other countries. Without social media – or digital marketing for that matter – your audience would likely be limited to nearby towns.
But, with social networking, you can put up ads on a much wider scale. I wouldn’t be surprised if you garnered interest all the way from Madagascar.
Social platforms have forced companies to retool their budgets
According to statistics, companies spent 69.4% of their total media spending in 2021 on digital ads. This, of course, includes ads you find on social media. On top of that, this spending is projected to increase to 77.5% in 2025. That amounts to roughly $315 billion.
That’s a huge increase from 2016’s $72 billion which, by the way, was also the first time ads spent on digital media surpassed TV. Needless to say, the world of business hasn’t looked back since.
E-commerce gave small businesses a “rent-free” avenue for business
Before the rise of e-commerce, a good majority of businesses had to have brick-and-mortar shops to sell their products and services. Today, an e-commerce site is all that’s needed.
Moreover, there are many website builders all over the internet to help you set up shop. You do have to pay for your domain, hosting, and other things necessary to run a website but it’s still going to be much cheaper than brick and mortar. And, do you know where all these e-commerce websites market their products? You guessed it. Social media.
Heck, I’ve seen a lot of businesses run their operations entirely off of different social platforms that have some sort of marketplace (e.g. Facebook). You can do that, too, particularly if you’re running a home PT practice but having a website makes your efforts more effective.
Social media made it easier for businesses to shift strategies
This circles us back to the different social networks opening up a 2-way conversation between brand and customer.
Now, customers can post their feedback about a product or service any time they want to, anywhere they go, for free.
Loaded with that type of information, businesses can then shift their strategies to give their customers exactly what they want. This not only helps them gain more customers but fosters brand loyalty, too.
Ads have now become targeted rather than generalized
Social media allows you, the business owner, to promote your ads to specific people. How specific? That’s entirely up to you and the data you’ve gathered. The more accurate your buyer’s persona, the better your results will be.
Plus, you can spend as much or as little money as you want. “Boosting” your ads on social media is pretty affordable, too.
The specificity paired with low-cost advertising makes social media the most practical way for small businesses to market their products and services.
Brands now have the power to control their narrative
Brands had little to no control over what was being said about them in the press back then. If one reporter, newspaper editor, or magazine didn’t like them, they had the upper hand in influencing the opinions of the general public.
Thankfully, social media has given brands – especially smaller ones – the power to tell their own story. On their page, in front of their audience, in a way that they deem best.
Conclusion: Social media changed marketing for the better
I don’t know about you but I’m excited to see what the future holds for marketing, particularly for young and growing businesses.
I mean, it’s already changed so much in favor of the consumer since the rise of social media. I can only imagine how tailored and convenient it will be to shop for products and services in the next few years.
From an entrepreneur’s standpoint, it has also made gathering leads incredibly easier. So, if you haven’t created a page for your businesses yet, I suggest you do it now.
And, should you need help with growing your physical therapy clinic, you can always reach out to us.
