Social media uptake by business in Australia is still surprisingly low. In our last blog post, we reported that 44.6% (ABS) of Australian business do not have any form of online presence.
With the media constantly reporting about young people and their engagement online, it seems that business owners around the country are hesitant to develop a social media strategy because they feel it is strictly for teenagers and young adults. However, a recent report from the US has found that as of May this year, 72% of US adults use social media, up 5% from five months prior.
Still not convinced? Here are some more findings:
- 1 in 6 US internet users aged 50-64 use a social networking site, and 43% of over 65s also engage online
- In 2005, only 8% of adults had some form of social media engagement
- 78% of internet users aged 30-49 use social media
Despite what social media critics might think, social media isn’t a fad.
It’s a concrete part of connected life and therefore should also be a concrete part of your business.
To encourage more businesses to take advantage of what social media has to offer, Facebook has set up a dedicated help section with tips and tricks to make the most of your business’ page. Not only can you engage with your customers and other local businesses, but you can “boost” posts for as little as $6 to promote your page to more users. Ads are also relatively cheap and can reach massive audiences, meaning more customers for you.
Every minute you remain without any online engagement is to your detriment. Gone are the days where people must rely on big, heavy phone books to get contact information about businesses. And why should they, when they could just type a few keywords into Google and be sorted within a minute. It’s time to face facts – social media isn’t going anywhere, and unless you jump on board, you might not be either.