Until recently, when purchasing a good or service, we had to do so in person. Were we missing household products? We had to go to the super; Did we want a new dress to wear at a party? We had to go to the store to buy clothes. Buying “something” was 100% rooted in people's spatial movement. Hence our relationship with businesses, even “trustworthy” ones, became distant.

This “distance relationship” that we had with different companies has been changing in recent years thanks to the evolution of social networks and the media in general: they have ceased to be mere “objects” and have become environments in which we interact with others, digital environments.

With this short introduction, we are in a position to effectively analyze the topic that interests us: How does this new digital environment impact companies?

It is a fact that, currently, we do not “use” networks, but rather “live” in them, and when managing any type of business/company, it is essential to have a presence in all the environments that consumers' lives go through. This implies, logically, also encompassing this new collective space that we talked about previously.

However, “appearing”, or “being” on the different digital channels, is not enough. The presence of a company on social networks must always be accompanied by a correct marketing strategy. This will allow us to define which channels are most suitable for the sector, which public or audience we want to target, which communication tone is the most appropriate, among other aspects. We are not going to dwell much on the development of this strategy, but we do mention it so as not to lose sight of the fact that the presence on networks must have a “GPS”, it must be oriented towards specific objectives.

“SELLING” ON NETWORKS IS NOT EVERYTHING.

Although it is the end of every company, e-commerce, also known as electronic commerce, is not the only functionality and benefit that social networks provide us. And perhaps at first, increasing the sales of your business with networks is more of a medium-term objective. By this we mean that don't expect instant results on your digital channels. Although we are talking about platforms with more than millions of active users per second, understanding them and achieving a real connection with them is not at all a simple task, but it is very necessary.

So, why do we need to have a presence on social networks?

1- First of all, to shorten that “long-distance relationship” that we talked about in the first paragraphs. The creation of a community is perhaps one of the most advantageous characteristics that social media offers us. 

Having a presence on networks is a way to strengthen the relationship with our audience. It allows us to get to know you more in depth, to know what your needs and desires are. It allows us to build aloyal audience. 

Although consumer loyalty is not exclusive of the digital world, it has been perfected with it due to the possibility of obtaining statistics and metrics from those who are part of that real audience, which gives us the possibility of polishing the ways of relating to it, in order to obtain greater “empathy” or engagement.

2- Secondly, to be part of the “digital showcase”. This is as if we were literally walking down Fifth Avenue in the center of Manhattan. Each business with its own window, carefully prepared to impress pedestrians, waiting for them to stop as long as possible to admire it (and in the best of cases, enter the premises to buy).

Exactly the same thing happens in the world of social networks. Everything we publish begins to form part of a great exhibition, but with global reach. So, exposing your company on this great avenue will allow you to gain visibility, strengthen your brand, reach a greater number of people and express its vision and positioning.

3- Thirdly, to boost online sales. Although the subtitle of this section makes it clear to us from the outset that this is not the only thing we should focus on, it is true that it is the reason that acts as the driving force behind this entire issue. We seek to sell more, and that is why we are in networks. 

Meta Platforms, Inc., parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has incorporated various exclusive tools and formats for business growth in recent years, becoming the best options for businesses around the world. However, there are other platforms that also function as sales channels, although to a lesser extent, such as X (ex Twitter), YouTube and the emerging TikTok. 

SUMMARY A LITTLE…

Taking your business to social networks stopped being a differential and became an obligation. Therein lies its importance in business. With the large numbers of active users, taking your brand into the digital environment means taking your brand to where your clients and target audience are. 

Accompanying the changes in the way of consumption and marketing with a correct strategy and well executed, will bring countless benefits to your business: from approaching and connecting with new customers to achieving more sales.