The number of businesses with a social media presence has leapt this year in every category, up from 31% to 48% for SMEs and from 56% to 79% for large businesses, according to the 2016 Social Media Report.*
Our study surveyed 800 Australian consumers and 1100 Australian businesses and found the gap was narrowing between businesses with a Facebook presence – 89% of small, 79% of medium and 89% of large businesses – and consumers on social media on the platform – 95%.
The survey showed businesses were maturing in their adoption of social media strategy, however SMEs still had some way to go as only around a third had a plan – 31% of small and 36% of medium, compared to 76% of large businesses.
We know through our research that consumers are spending more time on social media, with 57% of people accessing social media every day or most days, and 26% of people checking social media up to five times per day.
Capturing their attention, whether it be through advertising, organic posts, discounts or give-aways, are all valid, however, it is important businesses have a strategy first and understand the return on investment they are seeking.
Knowing your audience is critical – the report found 18-29 year olds are most likely to use visual platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, while 40-49 year olds primarily use Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
The obvious opportunity is for SMEs to increase their presence on social media in order to reach their audience and increase sales, however they have to be smart about it and ensure the content is relevant, up to date and targeted.
Key findings from the 2016 Sensis Social Media report include:
- Consumers are more likely to trust a brand if it interacts in a positive way on social media – 52%, they find the content posted engaging and relevant – 52%, and content is regularly updated – 51%.
- While Facebook dominates as the most likely location for businesses to advertise – with eight out of 10 SMEs and nine out of 10 large businesses choosing to spend their advertising dollars there – the report found LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram are all gaining traction as channels for advertising.
- The proportion of businesses that believe social media investment will contribute to an increase in sales has grown in all categories: 61% to 62% for small, 54% to 59% for medium and 58% to 68% for large businesses.
- The number of businesses that measure ROI remains low among SMEs – 21% for small and 27% for medium businesses – but has more than doubled for large businesses this year, from 29% to 61%.
- Managing social media strategy internally is more common than outsourcing – 89% of small and large, and 79% of medium businesses.
Developing a social media strategy is one thing, having someone to execute it who knows your brand is another, and this year we are seeing more businesses bring that function in-house.
Utilising tools to assist with scheduling your posts is important, especially when you consider the most popular times of day to access social media are in the evening and early in the morning – well outside the nine-to-five work day.
Alice Mentiplay, General Manager – Digital, Sensis
*change in the percentage of businesses with a social media presence from 2015 to 2016
