Last Updated On February 2023

How Social Media Can Boost Businesses in the Philippines

You probably have a Facebook account where you see and share posts about various stuff—from photos of cats to the latest in world politics. But more than communicating with family or friends and having a platform where you can express yourself. Social media, like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok can be used for businesses as a marketing tool. In this article, we will discuss social media marketing and how small businesses can use it to their greater advantage. Read on!

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms to promote a brand, product, or service. It involves creating and sharing content and engaging with followers and potential customers on social media channels. 

The content should appeal to the target audience, encouraging them to engage with the brand by liking, commenting, and sharing the content. 

Social media marketing can also involve paid advertising, such as sponsored posts. This can help businesses reach a wider audience and target specific demographics or interests.

Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Businesses

By utilizing social media marketing in the Philippines, expect to enjoy numerous benefits for your business, such as the following:

1. Increased brand awareness

Social media provides businesses with an opportunity to reach a large audience and increase brand awareness through shares, likes, comments, and mentions.

2. Increased website traffic

By sharing engaging content on social media, businesses can drive traffic to their website and increase the number of visitors.

3. Improved customer engagement

 Social media allows businesses to interact with customers in real time, responding to their inquiries, complaints, and comments, building customer loyalty, and improving overall customer satisfaction.

4. Cost-effective advertising

Social media advertising is often more cost-effective than traditional advertising, allowing businesses to target their audience with precision and drive conversions at a lower cost.

5. Better audience insights

Social media platforms provide businesses with valuable insights into their audience, including demographics, interests, and behaviors, allowing businesses to tailor their marketing messages to better resonate with their target audience.

Types of Social Media Marketing: Organic vs. Paid

There are two types of social media marketing that a business can take advantage of: organic and paid.

Organic social media marketing is the use of free social media tools to build a brand's online presence. This involves creating and sharing content on social media platforms without paying for advertising. Examples of organic social media marketing strategy are posting regular updates, sharing educational and engaging content, engaging with followers, and using relevant hashtags.

Paid social media marketing, on the other hand, involves paying for advertising on social media platforms to reach a larger audience and achieve specific marketing objectives. Paid social media marketing strategies include sponsored Facebook posts, video ads, and influencer marketing.

Organic social media marketing may have a limited reach as it is dependent on how many followers a brand has, whereas paid social media marketing can reach a larger audience as it allows businesses to target specific demographics, interests, behaviors, and location. Organic social media marketing, on the other hand, does not provide the same level of targeting.

While organic social media marketing is ideal for building brand awareness, increasing engagement, and building a loyal following, paid social media marketing is better suited for driving leads and sales.

Social Media Marketing Platforms

There are many social media platforms available for businesses to use for marketing purposes. Here are some of the most popular social media platforms and their new features that marketers can utilize.

Facebook

With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the largest social media platform. It offers a variety of advertising options and is suitable for businesses of all sizes. One key feature of this platform is automated ad optimization, which can save social media marketers time and effort by automating the optimization process. It can improve the effectiveness of Facebook ads by allowing algorithms to analyze substantial amounts of data and make real-time adjustments.

Instagram

Instagram is a visual platform that is popular with younger audiences. It is great for businesses that have a strong visual brand and want to display their products or services through images and videos. A new feature is Instagram Reels. This feature allows users to create and share short-form videos with music, special effects, and filters. It offers an opportunity to create engaging, shareable content that can help build brand awareness and drive sales. 

TikTok

TikTok is a short-form video platform that is also popular among the younger demographics. It is a great platform for businesses that want to highlight their brand personality through fun and creative videos. For business owners, the platform has TikTok for Business, which is designed specifically for brands and marketers to create and run advertising campaigns. The platform offers a suite of tools and resources to help businesses create effective ads, including a video creation kit, performance analytics, and targeting options based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.

Social Media Marketing Tips for Philippine Businesses

Here are some social media marketing tips for small business owners.

1. Use the local language

Consider using the local language in your social media content to connect with your audience and make your brand more relatable.

2. Create engaging content

Social media users in the Philippines are highly engaged, so it's important to create content that is informative, entertaining, and visually appealing. You may use videos, images, and infographics to capture your audience's attention.

3. Engage with your audience

Social media is a two-way communication channel, so it's important to engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and reviews. This can help build customer loyalty and improve overall customer satisfaction.

4. Monitor social media trends

Keep an eye on social media trends to stay ahead of the competition and incorporate new ideas into your social media strategy. This can help your brand stand out and appeal to your target audience.

Get Additional Business Capital for Your Social Media Campaigns with Esquire Financing

If you noticed that business has plateaued despite employing the tips mentioned above, it might be time to replace your organic social media marketing strategies with paid ones. Doing so requires additional business capital, and if you need help with it, Esquire Financing Inc. or EFI is here for you.

EFI offers small business loan in the Philippines that has minimal documentary requirements and fast turnaround time—you can get your loan in 3 days or less! As EFI has been around for more than a decade, it truly understands the unique needs of small businesses. Therefore, if you need additional capital for your social media campaigns, visit our loan applications page today! For more information and updates, visit https://www.esquire.com.ph/ or follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram.