Social Media & The Digital Age:
Why Businesses shouldn't ignore it.

Are Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok merely platforms for viral trends, or are they powerful marketing tools?

In a world where dance challenges go viral on TikTok and cat videos dominate Facebook, it makes sense that some business owners would question these platforms when considering using them for their brands. I mean, last time I checked, posting a selfie with your morning coffee didn’t exactly skyrocket sales—or did it?

So, how precisely can you use these digital playgrounds, where memes roam free and lip-sync battles are a legit career path, to elevate your brand from meh to marvellous? Well, buckle up because we’re about to take you on a journey through the wild and wacky world of digital and social media in ways you never imagined possible (through statistics and facts)!

Digital Use in South Africa:

Did you know that South Africans spend an average of 9 hours and 24 minutes on the internet daily, with 3 hours and 41 minutes on social media? In January 2024, there were about 26 million social media users in South Africa, which is about 64% of the population (18 and above) at the time!

So, how do you use this to your business's advantage?

Firstly, have a website!

A survey of South African Internet users showed that:

  • 65% primarily use the internet for researching products and brands,
  • 62% research brands online before making a purchase,
  • 40% use the brand’s website for research,
  • 57.6 % have visited a brand’s website in the last 30 days.

Then why should I also have a Social Media Profile?

Internet users in South Africa surveyed also reported that:

  • 99.1% visited or used social media in the last month,
  • 42.7% discovered new brands through social media (the second largest source after TV Ads with 46.5%),
  • 60 % use social networks to research brands,
  • 44% use social media to find inspiration for things to do and buy,
  • 88% use Facebook each month,
  • 73.6% use TikTok each month,
  • 71.8% use Instagram each month,
  • Web traffic indicated that 68.7% of referrals to websites were via Facebook link clicks,

Another excellent example of a brand utilizing digital and social media is how Terence Reilly created the marketing campaign that made the Stanley Cup go viral and took their sales from $75 million a year to $750 million a year in 2023. Read more here: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/how-the-stanley-cup-went-viral

As we end our journey through the wild and wacky world of digital and social media, it is evident that platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram are more than just places for cat videos and dance-offs. A Screen time Study (https://www.electronicshub.org/the-average-screen-time-and-usage-by-country-in-2024/ ) showed that South Africans lead the world in screen time and spending the most time on social media worldwide, with the average person spending 22.26% of their waking hours scrolling social media. With South Africans spending so much of their time on their phones and social media, there is no denying the potential for a business to thrive by using this digital playground.

So, whether you are a digital and social media newbie or an expert, now is the time to take advantage of this digital playground and take your brand to the next level!

What are you waiting for? Take the first step into the digital age – contact us today, and let's get social!

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