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website traffic

are social media platforms #bigpharma new homepages

In a social media-oriented world, many companies are asking themselves *do we really need a website?* Here are some questions, along with my responses, I get asked by #bigpharma.

So if you are on social media do you need a website?

Yes

Which is the more important website or social media?

Both

Reasons why you do need a website?

  • It is your corporate brand
  • Allows for more in-depth information about your company
  • Google search – people are still searching online and you need to come up in the search
  • Blogging:
    • this is probably the first reason people will come to your website
    • enables you to be the expert in your field
    • brings traffic to your website

Reasons why you may not need a website?

  • People are on social media – you need to be there
  • Social media is free and great for marketing
  • Easy to engage with people on social media than a website
  • Social media platforms like FB allows for company pages
  • YT channel allows to inform and educate and aggregate all your channels in one place
  • LinkedIn allows for your business contacts and recruiting
  • Social media is your new customer service (for example @GSK_ResponseCtr)
  • #Bigpharma CEOs on Twitter – bring expertise in their field
  • Social media platforms are a great source of information and information sharing

So how should #bigpharma go forward?

  • You need to invest in both website and social media platforms
  • Different channels to reach different audiences
  • Content needs to be designed for the different platforms
  • Need to cross promote – for example, add links to your website blog on Twitter
  • Make sure you have a website that loads fast- people want fast access to the information they need otherwise they will go to another website
  • Invest in social media community management and listen and engage

web traffic or audience building which is more important for pharma

Is it more important for pharma to draw traffic to its website or work on building an audience on social media platforms? Both are very important. Driving traffic to your website allows for people to learn more about your organization. Building an audience on social media platforms allows you to gain a broader reach. Of the two I would choose to give priority to working on building an audience first and traffic to your website will subsequently follow.

Why is it so important to build an audience?

  • You need an audience
  • Time spent on social media platforms is greater than on websites
  • An audience builds social currency
  • An audience gives you reach
  • An audience is made up of real people making real connections
  • An audience shares your *quality* content information with their friends/followers
  • If you don’t have an audience then how will anyone find out about your website
  • An audience makes you an authority on something

Does it really matter how big your audience is?

  • You would think the bigger the better, however, smaller audiences appear to be more engaged and share more (micro-influencer)
  • Size is not the answer what is important is to engage and build a trusting relationship with your audience

How do you grow your audience?

  • It takes time to build an audience
  • An audience has shared values and a common interest, in your organization or brand
  • Think about how you can be engaging and sharing quality content so as to grow your audience:
    • Events
    • Conferences
    • Behind the scenes (BTS)

Should you build an audience on one social media platform or several social media platforms?

  • Social media platforms are just a way or means to bring people together
  • People are on different social media platforms – ask yourself who are you trying to connect with
  • Never abandon your audience (aka zombie community)

What can an audience do for you?

  • An audience can be your most important marketing asset
  • An audience gives you competitive edge
  • An audience listens to what you have to say
  • An audience can share your posts (and linking to website will drive traffic to your website)
  • An audience can help you in understanding the patient journey, pain points, interests and this can help you to adjust your strategy accordingly