The Role of Social Media Marketing In The Covid-19 Pandemic Era

In 2020, there was a Covid-19 pandemic which caused the Indonesian economy to slow down.  The government imposes restrictions on social activities for the community, where the community is required to do more activities at home, and if they are forced to leave the house, they must use masks to avoid the spread of the Covid-19 virus. One of the impacts of this government policy is a decrease in sales. To solve the problem, it is necessary to make marketing efforts. In the era of information and technology that has advanced as it is today, one form of effective marketing is to utilize social media or social media marketing.

Social media is information-containing content created by people who utilize information and communication technologies, is highly accessible, and is intended to facilitate communication, influence, and interaction with a common fellow audience.  This medium uses web-based technology to enable communication to interactive dialogue. Based on data from Hootsuite (a social media analysis company in Canada) in 2020, Indonesia’s total population reached 272 million people, of which 160 million or 59% of the total Indonesian population were social media users. The widely used platforms are Youtube (88%), Whatsapp (84%), Facebook (82%), Instagram (79%), and Twitter (56%). The ease of using social media where it only uses an internet connection and a smartphone or computer so that it has the potential as a promotional media or the right marketing and its reach is wider than conventional promotional media.

Tribs of profits are obtained through social media marketing.  First, provide a window to marketers not only for products/services, but also to listen to consumer complaints and suggestions. Second, it makes it easier for marketers to identify various peer groups or influencers among various groups. Thirdly, usage is free of charge because most social networking sites are free of charge. Based on a survey from WeAreSocial (February 2022) social media users in Indonesia based on potential reach for ads include Facebook (129.9 million), Youtube (139 million), Instagram (99.15 million), Tiktok (92.07 million), LinkedIn (20 million) and Twitter (18.45) but those that experienced growth were Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok, and LinkedIn. The general purpose of social media marketing is relationship building, brand building, publicity, promotion, and market research. Meanwhile, important elements in social media marketing include content creation, content sharing, connecting, and community building.

Emarketing productivity in social media marketing is the right reason for marketers so that their advertisements are right on target with a specific target. Most social media marketing platforms have provided ad features so companies or online sellers can promote effectively. But if you don’t master the ads feature and set the right goals then this promotion can be less effective.