In a world where digital presence is becoming increasingly important, one question remains for many entrepreneurs: is social media really worth the effort? At Reward, we see social media as a "necessary evil"—something that exists, that everyone uses, but whose direct results are not always easy to measure. Nevertheless, it is an indispensable element in your marketing mix. Why? We are happy to explain.
Social media amplifies your brand awareness
Social media acts as a powerful amplifier for your brand. Social media is not necessarily the channel where you will generate the most sales organically. Its value lies in supporting other marketing activities.
It's an ideal platform for companies to interact with their followers, their customers, or their fans—whatever they may be. And it's the platform where you can also give your brand a bit of exposure.
Social media is mainly in what we call the See phase: the phase of awareness and contact. But it certainly also influences the conversion phase. Because if you are active on platforms such as Instagram or Facebook and you also run ads via Meta, you will see the effect of a good organic account reflected in the performance of your ads. Curious about which platforms are best suited to your brand? Read: which social platforms should your brand be present on?
Results from practice
A perfect example of the power of social media is our experience with a customer in the garden and park machinery sector. By creating content based on keyword research, we were able to respond to questions that really matter to consumers.
A video answering the question of whether you need a driver's license to operate a riding mower reached nearly 8,000 people organically—on an account with only 35 followers! The second video, which delved further into
technical aspects of ride-on mowers, even reached 12,000 views with 45 followers.
Did these people immediately buy a ride-on mower? Probably not. But they did come into contact with the brand, which is essential for your marketing strategy. If you had to buy those same views through advertising, it would have cost you considerably more.
Understanding the algorithm is the key to success.
At Reward, we see the algorithm of social media platforms as a kind of points system. If you tick all the boxes, your reach will increase. Combine this with insight into search behavior on Google, and you have the ideal mix for effective content. Read also: how to combine search behavior with social media for maximum relevance and reach.
By looking at frequently asked questions about your product or service (SEO) and translating this into social media content, you create relevance that is rewarded by the algorithm. This means that you can achieve substantial results without a huge advertising budget.
The 'social' in social media
A common mistake companies make is forgetting what social media is really about: the social aspect. Many entrepreneurs focus on reach and followers, but forget about interaction. Curious about what many companies are doing wrong? Read our blog about what most companies are doing wrong on social media and how you can avoid it.
My biggest irritation is that it's social media. There's something social about it. We see a lot of companies choosing not to interact at all. So we only look at reach. We only look at whether the number of followers is increasing.
Instead, he recommends actually investing time in responding to comments, following relevant accounts, and building genuine online relationships. This not only helps the algorithm, but also strengthens the bond with your (potential) customers.
How Reward can take care of everything for you
Managing social media takes time and expertise. At Reward, we are happy to take this off our clients' hands. We schedule quarterly shoot days, write texts, create content, and plan posts. We also analyze the results on a monthly basis to ensure continuous improvement.
By engaging our team of specialists, you can increase visibility without it costing you any of your own time. We look at what works, what doesn't work, and constantly adjust to achieve optimal results.
Social media as a valuable part of your marketing mix
Is social media relevant for every business? Yes. Does it generate immediate revenue? Not always. Is it a valuable part of your marketing mix? Absolutely.
Social media contributes to brand awareness, customer interaction, and strengthening your other marketing channels. It may not be as directly measurable as a Google Ads campaign, but it does play a role in shaping people's opinions: when potential customers encounter your brand in real life, you have already built a relationship.
