In recent years, with the development of a stable internet environment and the explosive spread of smartphones, the opportunities for consumers to interact with SNS have increased, and the use of SNS has become commonplace.
SNS exists naturally in our lives and is growing day by day, but there are still many people who use it without understanding what SNS is in the first place. Is it?
In addition, “SNS marketing,” the use of SNS for business development, is actively being practiced by companies and marketers, and is attracting a lot of attention in a variety of professions.
In this article, we will start with the basics of “What is SNS?” and introduce in detail the differences between SNS marketing and social media.
What is SNS?
First, we will introduce the basics: “What is SNS?” To begin with, SNS is an abbreviation for “Social Networking Service.”
In recent years, many media exist for the purpose of transmitting information, but SNS is more of a tool used for the purpose of obtaining interpersonal communication. The ease with which anyone can start using SNS is probably the reason why it has gained support from so many users.
Not only users with the same hobbies and tastes, but also co-workers, family members, and friends can come together and communicate with each other while enjoying shared entertainment time, allowing close communication within a relatively limited space. is also possible.
In recent years, the number of companies that have strengthened their contactless business services has increased, and the use of SNS in companies and corporate organizations is rapidly accelerating. It is believed that we are now entering an era in which SNS tools are indispensable for the development of the business scene.
There are many SNS with various features, but basically all of them have the feature that you can have your own homepage within the SNS.
Although this cannot be said to be common to all SNS, it is actually possible to post detailed profiles of users and favorite images that introduce themselves on the homepage. Additionally, as the times evolve, some social networking sites are now equipped with features that allow users to post their favorite music and videos on their profiles.
Looking at SNS from the perspective of personal information protection, which is attracting worldwide attention, there are functions on the homepage that allow users to restrict the scope of information disclosure or non-disclosure based on their decisions. , you can use SNS with peace of mind.
Another feature is that the functions available within SNS can be further expanded by installing applications that can be charged and linked, allowing users to customize their SNS to suit their own hobbies and interests. You can also freely expand your area.
SNS technology is developing year by year. Among them, there are “messenger functions” and “chat functions” that are increasingly being used in business settings. It has gained support from many users because it allows for easier message exchange than using webmail. There is also a “group function” that allows files and information to be exchanged only among a limited number of friends, and SNS is equipped with a wide variety of innovative functions.
Furthermore, as the spread of smartphones and tablets has accelerated, the use of the revolutionary SNS functions introduced above is not limited to PCs, but can be used on a variety of smart devices anywhere and at any time as long as the internet environment is in place. Please keep in mind that there are some features that can be used without restrictions.
Difference between SNS and social media
Nowadays, due to the explosive spread of the Internet and smartphones, the ways in which users transmit and obtain information are diversifying. Anyone can easily send and collect information without being restricted by location or time. Social media is a tool that is increasingly being used to disseminate and collect information and has gained a lot of support.
Many people may think that SNS and social media are the same thing. However, SNS and social media are different things, and SNS can be seen as one type of social media.
It is important to understand that so-called social media is a relatively new form of media. Generally speaking, when people think of media, they tend to think of things like TV and magazines. Social media refers to media that utilizes the Internet environment to exchange information between people, and represents “a two-way communication medium that anyone can participate in.” From this, it can be understood that social media is a type of “media.” Typical examples include blogs, video sharing sites such as YouTube, and information sharing sites such as Tabelog.
As mentioned above, SNS is different from “media” whose main purpose is to transmit information, and is basically a medium whose main purpose is to obtain communication. For this reason, SNS is a type of social media that specializes in communication elements that emphasize “user-to-user” and relationships with users. Make sure you understand that. Typical examples of SNS include Twitter, Instagram, LINE, and Facebook.
What is SNS marketing?
SNS marketing, which has been attracting attention in recent years, is marketing that aims to activate communication between companies and their customer base by utilizing “Social Networking Services” in the development of business and services, as mentioned above. It’s a method.
By utilizing the powerful tools of SNS, companies can effectively disseminate their business, services, and products, which can help spread the word to more users and gain sympathy. In addition, it is important to continuously promote understanding of the products, services, and business that you provide, expand the company’s brand power, increase the number of fans, and lead to purchases and repeat purchases.
Difference from other marketing
In recent years, the marketing methods used by many companies and marketers can be broadly divided into two types: “stock type” and “flow type.”
Please keep in mind that the SNS marketing we are explaining this time is classified as flow type.
Let’s briefly explain the “stock type” and the “flow type”.
[Stock (accumulation) type marketing]
- This applies to blog articles and video-specific content posted on the web.
- A method that attempts to increase the number of accesses to a targeted business by accumulating a variety of content.
- Effective functioning leads to continuous revenue acquisition
[Flow-type marketing]
-
Applicable to SNS,
e-mail magazines
, web advertisements (listing/display advertisements), etc.
- Unlike the accumulation of content that is the goal of stock marketing, content is developed in a “flow” manner in small units such as “every second, every day, every hour.”
- Leads to earning profits in a relatively short period of time
As you can see from the above, SNS is classified as “flow marketing”, so continuous efforts that are carried out every day are extremely important. It is not enough just to post, but it is important to filter and post information that will be useful to users through continuous efforts.
In addition, in recent years, due to the spread of internet connections and the penetration of smartphones, the internet is overflowing with countless amounts of information. We are living in an era in which it is extremely difficult for companies and marketers to effectively deliver their businesses, services, and products to their intended users. Therefore, it is important to approach them using as many marketing tools as possible.
Therefore, in marketing activities for companies and marketers, they do not only implement “flow marketing” on SNS, but also use accumulated content, which is “stock marketing” such as corporate
owned media
and blogs. The trend of running a business is also becoming mainstream.
Background for companies to strengthen SNS marketing
The number of companies using SNS marketing is increasing year by year.
From here, we will briefly introduce the reasons why companies are strengthening their SNS marketing.
Explosive increase in SNS users
According to the 2020 SNS Usage Trend Survey conducted by ICT Research Institute, Inc., the domestic SNS usage rate has increased from 65.3% at the end of 2015 to 80.3% at the end of 2020. It is also expected to reach 83.3% by the end of 2022.
Additionally, the use of SNS by companies is becoming more active.
According to a December 2021 survey by Tanabe Management Co., Ltd., companies that answered “SNS (excluding advertising)” when asked about the sales promotion measures they are currently working on, were asked about the social media they are using. When asked about Facebook, it became clear that all companies use Facebook.
Companies are increasingly using SNS, with 66.94% using Instagram, 50.67% using LINE, 50.00% using YouTube, and 32.76% using Twitter.
Increase in users conducting SNS searches
Until now, the typical search behavior seen by general consumers was to collect various information using search engines provided by Google and Yahoo!. However, in recent years, there has been a shift in the trend of gathering the information that general consumers need from SNS. According to a survey released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 2019, the most frequently used purpose for using SNS among SNS users is to obtain communications, followed by “to collect information that you want to know.” is ranked. This percentage has increased by about 6 points compared to 2018.
Reference:
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “2019 Communication Usage Trend Survey”
What is SNS advertising?
“SNS advertising” is an indispensable presence in the modern business market. To begin with, SNS advertising is the use of SNS such as Twitter, Instagram, LINE, and Facebook, which are used by many users around the world, to distribute advertisements for businesses, services, and products developed by companies and marketers within those platforms. The purpose is to.
When using SNS on a daily basis, many users have probably experienced situations where advertisements for products and services that match their interests appear on the platform.
In the past, SNS advertising did not attract this much attention, but as the times change, companies and marketers are reaffirming that it is an important tool for building contact with consumers, and are starting to actually deploy it. My understanding of how to effectively contribute to the expansion of business and services has deepened.
Additionally, as SNS is updated on a daily basis, it becomes more and more convenient year by year, both from a user’s perspective and from a business perspective.
Nowadays, it is not only possible to display advertisements with just “text + banners”, but also to display video-format SNS advertisements using high-quality images, catalog-style advertisements, and multiple photos of the products you want to promote. The number of SNS advertisements that appeal to users by selecting various formats that match the purpose of advertising, such as the carousel function that is available, is also on the rise.
Similar to “listing ads,” which are synonymous with web advertising and display ads in conjunction with consumers’ search results, SNS ads are classified as “programmatic ads,” and are categorized as “budget, target goals, creative, and distribution methods.” By implementing improvements such as “on a daily basis,” advertising effectiveness can be maximized.
summary
In this article, we have introduced the basics of “What is SNS?” and the differences between it and social media marketing and social media.
SNS marketing is now being actively used by many companies and marketers, but it is understood that there are various marketing methods based on SNS under the broad umbrella of “SNS”. It’s done.
It is predicted that SNS will continue to evolve in the future, so it is important to keep your ears open for even the smallest changes and be prepared to respond to the trends of the times.