New England retailers spend a considerable amount of time and money marketing their small businesses on social media. Is this effort paying off?
Each month, according to Nielsen, 2.8 million Boston area adults use Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. This equates to 71.2% of consumers. This reach is rather anemic compared to Boston radio and TV, which attracts considerably more users in a single week than these social media platforms do over 30 days.
Among local millennials, the monthly reach of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is eclipsed by the weekly reach of Boston radio.
The number of consumers reached by an advertising campaign, according to Nielsen, is the media consideration that has the most significant effect on increasing sales.
So, is there something intrinsically different about social media platforms that can compensate for their smaller reach among New England consumers?
A recent report from Rival IQ, a company specializing in the analysis of social media data, shows a retailer's investment of time and money in Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter marketing may not be producing the powerful results hoped for.
The report shows that engagement with social media posts by retail brands range from .031% to .67%, depending on the platform. Engagements measured include likes, comments, favorites, retweets, shares, replies, and reactions.
According to the Rival IQ report, social media engagement among retail brands was far below each platform's median rate across all business types.
If Boston small business owners do use social media as part of their advertising and marketing plans, then they should consider the following takeaways from the Rival IQ report:
- It's All About Giveaways: Contests and giveaways were popular hashtags across almost every industry, so brands should seek out opportunities to engage followers with contests.
- Carousels are key for Instagram: Carousels lead to high engagement across all industries, so brands should look for opportunities to combine photos into carousels. Why? Instagram carousels get re-served to users who don’t engage the first time, earning them more impressions.
More Advertising Advice For Boston Small Business Owners
- Why Boston Area Mortgage Lenders And Brokers Need To Advertise Now
- Small Business Advertising In Boston: Target The Spenders
- Retail Boom: How Your Boston Small Business Can Benefit
- Advertising On Boston Television vs. Local Radio
- Advertise In Boston: Reaching Millennial Parents
- Why Used Car Dealers In Boston Should Advertise Now
- Boston Small Business Owners Ask: How Do Consumers Spend Their Money?
