1. Introduction

Since web2.0 triggered the second revolution of the Internet, social media has entered its heyday: The scale of social media users is steadily growing, with a growth rate far higher than the global population growth rate.

Social media plays an important role in changing people's social and lifestyle, as well as business and cultural exchanges, while also having subtle impacts on social relationships, structures, and other aspects.

Firstly, social media platforms conduct precise analysis of user profiles by providing information such as user registration, interests, and behavior data to accurately reach the target audience. Companies can choose appropriate social media platforms and advertising strategies based on the characteristics of their products or services, and accurately convey marketing information to their target audience. It also provides a more convenient and efficient channel for communication between the company and customers.In addition, social media provides a platform to showcase brand image, spread brand stories, and values.By continuously publishing valuable, interesting, and creative content to attract users' attention and interaction, companies can enhance their brand awareness and reputation among users. Social media can directly or indirectly promote product sales. For example, users who share consumer experiences and comments on social media can influence the purchasing decisions of other users. Therefore, enterprises have more space to carry out various marketing activities. In the process of establishing and maintaining a brand, it needs a more humane and easy way to communicate with users, which is through social media communication.These not only help to increase brand awareness, but also shape brand image, showcase unique brand personality and values, promote user engagement and interaction, and implement precise marketing and marketing actions. When a brand is in crisis, social media is also an important channel for the brand to respond to public attention in a timely manner.

Interaction on social platforms can maintain brand activities in the market and attract consumers' attention. This is also more conducive to strengthening customer relationship management and improving customer satisfaction. Overall, social media plays a comprehensive and multi-level key role in brand building and development, from increasing brand awareness to deepening customer relationships, and then supporting brands to establish and sustain their presence in the market.

Based on the satisfaction theory (UGT), consumer brand engagement theory (CBE), and empirical research results, J et al. conducted an in-depth exploration of the impact of social media marketing (SMM) on brand awareness (BA), consumer brand engagement (CBE), and purchase intention in emerging economies. Research has found that social media marketing activities, with their rapid and viral spread, effectively attract consumers' attention and significantly increase their willingness to purchase [1]. At the same time, S. - H.'s research focuses on the impact mechanism of marketing communication mix on brand identity, brand image, brand love, and loyalty. The study suggests that marketing communication elements play a key role in enhancing brand awareness, and brand awareness and image have a positive impact on brand loyalty through the mediating variable of brand love.To further optimize brand strategy, S. - H. suggests analyzing customer experience preferences through data statistics, allocating marketing resources reasonably, and integrating communication mix elements to strengthen brand evaluation, ultimately effectively enhancing brand loyalty through the "brand recognition love" path [2].

Y. et.al, guided by the SPAR-4-SLR protocol, used bibliometric content analysis as a multi method review technique to systematically summarize existing literature on the intersection of consumer behavior, social media, and influencer marketing. This provides theoretical support and recommendations for subsequent related research, and suggests that social media influencer marketing research can benefit from testing the mediating and moderating effects of various factors to enrich the insights gained from their research [3]. Jos é - Luis Gald ó n-Salvador et al. conducted conceptual analysis, comparative research, and empirical research on social media influencers and content marketing, increasing online repurchase intention, enhancing brand trust, and customer brand engagement.The driving factors for brand trust and customer engagement are mainly content marketing and social media influencers; Social media influencers have high credibility, professional knowledge, and attractiveness, and enhance brand trust through trust transmission.The impact of high interactivity on consumer behavior and brand loyalty is particularly prominent, therefore leveraging low-cost and high return social media marketing is the best choice for enterprises and brands [4]. In terms of enterprises,A. S. et.,al discusses social media marketing strategies and strategic actions in the context of marketing organization theory,and analyzes the impact of social media on marketing.Through the N-REL framework, enterprises can develop more competitive social media marketing strategies.While emphasizing short-term marketing goals, emphasis is also placed on maintaining long-term customer relationships. Its core value lies in summarizing dispersed social media practices into a structured system, providing theoretical tools and action guidelines for academic research and business practice [5]. J.-S. et al. provided partial answers to the research question of how social media activities are related to brand assets at the corporate level.Enterprises need to target the results of relevant social media platform activities and then develop key strategies to enhance brand assets.There is a significant relationship between social networks, content communities, and brand assets. To improve these indicators, companies need to conduct targeted analysis on the results of relevant social media platform activities [6].

Social media marketing also has a significant impact on the relationship between fans and brands, affecting various aspects such as brand loyalty, brand trust, and brand maintenance.Penttinen focuses on the positive impact of social interaction from the perspective of social media taking over shared brand information through conceptual analysis and comparative research.Appropriate communication methods contribute to the development of quasi social interaction for brands. At present, social media has become a crucial marketing channel, and brands need to use it to constantly explore new ways of communicating with consumers.After receiving brand information shared through social media acquisition, consumers will experience stronger quasi social interaction. It can be seen that social media acquisitions have a greater positive impact on transactional brand information than on relational brand information [7]. Social media utilizes real-time interaction to enhance the connection between fans and brands, transforming athletes' personal achievements into brand assets and enhancing their commercial value.Social media utilizes big data to integrate fans' relevant preferences,strengthening the core of brand loyalty, which is emotional identification.It is possible to accurately target audience preferences and optimize content delivery.Simultaneously utilizing short video platforms to publish content can effectively enhance the participation of young people [8]. Frequent social media interactions can significantly enhance consumers' emotional attachment to the brand when responding to personalized needs.Consumers who understand brand related content will psychologically strengthen their sense of belonging to the brand and enhance their attachment strength. Emotional attachment enhances brand assets by strengthening brand trust and loyalty. Brands can accurately target their audience and optimize emotional attachment strategies by analyzing social media interaction data [9]. Chiu used structural equation modeling to analyze the impact of brand leadership on enhancing consumer identification and experience of brand image, as well as increasing satisfaction and repurchase intention.Brand leadership is reflected in innovation, market positioning, and competitive advantage, which can lead consumer trends and meet diversified needs, prompting consumers to prioritize and continue to repurchase [10].

With the continuous development of big data and artificial intelligence, online platforms have become increasingly mature, especially after the pandemic. The global e-commerce market has shown a significant growth trend, and consumers are becoming more accustomed to searching and purchasing goods online.Thanks to advanced intelligent network technology, social media platforms continue to introduce new marketing tools and features, such as targeted social media advertising, short video platform shopping functions, brand challenges, etc. These have laid the foundation for more effective brand promotion and sales, providing brands with more opportunities for development that are more in line with the times.This study aims to explore how constantly updated and advanced social media platforms can help brands build, promote, and increase their visibility and audience among consumers in the rapidly developing era.Social media plays an extremely important role in the development of brands today, playing an indispensable role in promoting, disseminating, and enhancing brand influence.Social media not only breaks down communication barriers between brands and users, providing a direct interactive platform for both parties, but also showcases the brand's personality and ideas through this platform, shaping a unique brand image.In addition, social media platforms can provide brands with more ways to directly promote product sales, guiding users to purchase products directly through images, short videos, etc., shortening the consumer's purchasing decision-making process and greatly improving sales conversion rates.Moreover, brands can monitor user evaluations and feedback on their brand, products, and competitors through social media platforms, and use big data to monitor market dynamics and changes in consumer demand in real time, providing a basis for brand product development and marketing strategy adjustments.

2. The development and characteristics of social media marketing strategies

The process of formulating social media marketing strategies can be divided into four main stages, each stage's characteristics are closely related to the technological progress of the times, changes in user behavior, and platform function updates.

2.1. Rise stage (early 2000s to early 2010s)

In the early 2000s and early 2010s, social media transitioned from a personal social tool to a commercial platform.At this time, the network bandwidth is low, the mobile penetration rate is insufficient, and the content is mainly graphic and textual, shifting from one-way propaganda to story-based content, but the quality of the content is uneven.Brands and businesses connect with users through simple forms of interaction such as comment replies and likes, but the frequency and depth of interaction are low, mainly to increase awareness through exposure.

2.2. Growth stage (mid-2010s to early 2020s)

After technological breakthroughs, 4G has become popular, smartphone penetration has exceeded 60%, and short videos (such as Douyin launched in 2016) have been launched for live broadcasting. Relevant data tools are becoming more and more mature, and Facebook Ads Manager and Google Analytics social modules have been launched to support user behavior tracking.

The new technology is based on the targeted delivery of LBS and interest tags, and the click-through rate is increased by 3 times by precise advertising push. Major platforms update technology to provide users with technical support. The rise of social platform e-commerce has achieved a closed loop, and at the same time, the sales model has been innovated, and the live streaming model has emerged. UGC and content IP, more and more businesses choose to cooperate with celebrities, Internet celebrities, and popular IPs to attract more traffic. Content marketing deepens, and enterprises focus on high-quality content creation.

2.3. Maturity stage (mid-2020s to around 2025)

Technology continues to deepen, CDP and MA tools are popularized, and cross-platform data is connected. As the platform features continue to improve, the social media platform continues to optimize and improve its functionality. User engagement has become higher, and users are not only consumers of information, but also creators and disseminators of content. With the emergence of UGC, brands have begun to pay attention to user word-of-mouth and social influence, and encourage users to participate in brand communication.

Brands' social media marketing strategies are more diversified and refined. At the same time, with the development of big data technology, enterprises can collect and analyze a large amount of social media data, and use it to formulate more accurate marketing strategies and improve marketing effectiveness.

2.4. Intelligent and stock intensive cultivation stage (2025 and beyond)

Today, artificial intelligence technology has made breakthroughs, and various industries are exploring ways to combine it with AI technology. Big data technology is becoming more and more mature, and cloud computing also provides powerful computing power and storage resources, lowering the threshold for enterprises to use advanced technology. At the same time, there is a growing demand for personalized content and services.

AI technology is fully empowering social media, and generative AI is used for content creation, data analysis, and strategy optimization. Social media has become the new search engine, and brands are optimizing keywords and content to capture traffic. KOS and entrepreneurs IP, professional sales employees build trust through knowledge output, and entrepreneurs create personal IP through high-frequency interaction to promote brand breakthrough. The user growth dividend has peaked, and the brand has turned to refined operations to enhance the lifetime value of users.

3. The Demand for brand awareness and development

3.1. Clarify brand positioning

Brands need to find a unique position in the market, which means accurately identifying market gaps, competitive trends, and unmet consumer needs. Identifying the unique position and core values of a brand in the market can enable consumers to clearly perceive the differences between the brand and its competitors. For example, Haidilao is committed to creating a dining table social culture that is loved and participated in by global consumers. With "service first" as the core, we position ourselves as a catering brand that provides high-quality hotpot experience and excellent service, allowing consumers to feel a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere and thoughtful service when dining at Hai Di Lao; Tesla is positioned as a high-end intelligent electric vehicle manufacturer, opening up a new field of new energy intelligent vehicles in the market dominated by traditional fuel vehicles, meeting consumers' needs for environmental protection and high-tech travel.

3.2. Establish brand image

Create a brand image that leaves a lasting impression on consumers through unified and unique visual elements, brand stories, and communication styles. Unified and unique visual elements are an important component of brand image, including brand logo, color, packaging, store design, etc. The simple Apple logo, predominantly white product color scheme, and minimalist packaging design of Apple have all formed a unique and consistent visual style, strengthening the brand's high-end and technological image. Describing a brand's origin, development process, values, and other related content is more likely to evoke emotional resonance among consumers. For example, Starbucks tells the story of starting from a small caf é in Seattle and striving to spread high-quality coffee and unique coffee culture to the world, allowing consumers to not only enjoy coffee but also feel the cultural heritage and emotions behind the brand. In addition, language expression, advertising creativity, social media interaction, etc. in the process of brand promotion are more likely to reflect the overall image and style of the brand. Coca Cola's red themed logo and unique bottle design are deeply ingrained in people's hearts, creating a passionate and youthful brand image suitable for young people.

3.3. Enhance brand awareness

To make more potential consumers aware of the existence of a brand, it requires extensive brand communication through multiple channels.Brands can use various online and offline channels for extensive brand communication, such as social media platforms, WeChat, Weibo, Tiktok, etc., as well as search engine marketing, email, website advertising and other ways;Offline marketing is also important, outdoor advertising, television advertising, store promotion, etc. are all good ways to quickly increase visibility. Xiaomi is an excellent case of online and offline dual marketing. First, it started through online marketing on the Internet. It used official websites and social media platforms to publish product information and hold online activities, attracting a large number of young users. At the same time, it opened Xiaomi Home offline, allowing consumers to experience the products themselves, further improving brand awareness.

In addition to online and offline marketing promotion, direct word-of-mouth promotion between consumers is more credible, attracts customers more quickly, and expands the scope of brand diffusion rapidly. The Haidilao hotpot mentioned earlier has won consumers' spontaneous word-of-mouth promotion with its excellent service experience.

3.4. Enhance brand reputation

By providing high-quality products and services, winning the trust and praise of consumers can enhance the brand's reputation in their minds. Actively fulfilling social responsibilities, paying attention to environmental protection and public welfare initiatives advocated by society, can enhance the brand's image in the minds of consumers, and subtly shape a responsible, responsible, and trustworthy high-end image of the brand. Alibaba has taken into account social responsibility while making profits. By creating the Ant Forest project, it has driven the public to contribute to environmental protection and made environmental issues increasingly important in society. Planting real trees in desert areas not only contributes to environmental protection, but also enhances the brand's reputation.

3.5. Establish brand loyalty

By telling brand stories and conveying values, consumers can develop dependence and love for the brand, establish deep emotional resonance, and encourage them to continue purchasing the brand's products or services, and actively recommend them to others. At the same time, brands can establish a membership management mechanism that encourages consumers to consume while enhancing their stickiness and loyalty. For example, Sam's Club attracts consumers with high-quality products, affordable prices for large packaging, and excellent membership services. Providing unique shopping experiences for members, such as free tasting and exclusive discounts, can improve their satisfaction and loyalty by continuously meeting their needs.

4. Suggestions and inspirations

4.1. Recommendation

Brands can utilize the data analysis tools of social media platforms to collect and analyze user data, understand user behavior and preferences, conduct precise positioning and push, formulate more accurate marketing strategies, and enhance the accuracy and conversion rate of marketing.

In addition, increase the frequency of communication with users on the platform, deeply understand the target market and consumer demands, and clearly define the brand positioning to make the brand stand out in the competition.

With the development of social media, in addition to pictures and texts to attract users' attention, video and audio are another pillar to attract users, brands can carry out official certification on social media platforms, and use platforms to verify accounts to continue to publish valuable and creative content, such as using video to create an audio-visual feast, attract users' curiosity, and then guide attention and interaction, and enhance the brand's followers and popularity.

With the continuous advancement of technology, brands can make full use of big data technology, use big data to drive marketing, collect and analyze user data, understand user behavior and preferences, formulate more accurate marketing strategies, and improve marketing efficiency.

User participation and interaction on social media platforms is also important for brand awareness building, and user-generated content should be encouraged to enhance users' interaction with the brand and enhance users' sense of identity and loyalty to the brand.

In terms of marketing models, brands should continue to explore new marketing models, such as cooperating with Internet celebrities, celebrities, and IPs, carrying out live sales, etc., to attract more consumers through fan exchanges.It can also cooperate with the metaverse, virtual idols, etc., to create a new path for brand rejuvenation. Brands should also establish a sound brand crisis management mechanism, respond to public concerns in a timely manner, and maintain brand image.

4.2. Future outlook

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence will be more deeply integrated with big data to achieve more accurate personalized marketing and meet users' needs for personalized content and services,at the same time, it can also make it easier for brands, merchants, and platforms to conduct data analysis, market according to their own conditions, shift from traffic operation to user asset operation, and build a "data-emotion-value" trinity ecology.

The integration of social media and e-commerce will be further deepened, forming a more complete social e-commerce ecosystem and driving product sales. With the diversification of social media platforms, brands will pay more attention to cross-platform integrated marketing to achieve unified communication of brand information and consistency of user experience. With the development of emerging technologies such as 5G, VR, and AR, social media marketing will usher in more opportunities for innovation and bring new experiences to users.

Consumers' attention to corporate social responsibility is increasing, and brands should actively fulfill their social responsibilities while focusing on commercial interests, follow the concept of green and sustainable development, and enhance brand image and credibility.

5. Conclusion

The aim of this study is to reveal the significant role of social media marketing strategies and their impact mechanism on brand awareness. By analyzing practical cases such as Haidilao, Coca Cola, and Sam's Club, the key needs for brand maintenance are proposed, providing theoretical support for various brand strategies. Existing research has shown that social media marketing (SMM) significantly increases consumer purchase intention through viral transmission, while brand image and loyalty rely on emotional connections .In the above research content, whether it is consumer purchase intention, consumer loyalty, brand image, or marketing strategy, customer relationship management, etc., social media platforms that constantly update their technological level can be well utilized to achieve low-cost, high return online marketing and maintenance.

Social media marketing has gone through four stages, from the early stage of simple graphics and low interaction, gradually developing into precise promotion based on LBS and interest tags, and now to the stage of rich and complete platform functions, high user participation, and extensive use of big data technology. Brand recognition and building require clear brand positioning and establishing brand image, while social media marketing is a low-cost and effective marketing method that companies and brands can quickly utilize to enhance their brand awareness. Combining social media marketing with brand building can quickly enhance brand awareness, improve brand reputation, and establish user loyalty to the brand. In addition to marketing methods, maintaining and connecting with users in the later stage is also a very important part. In the era of rapid development of information technology, almost everyone has a smartphone; In the era of increasing social media users, almost anyone with a mobile account will have a social media account. Social media platforms use their backend to constantly monitor every user, and through big data monitoring, accurately push the content that everyone follows to everyone's phone. At this point, as long as the brand effectively utilizes the data provided by the platform, it can easily understand its audience, grasp the preferences of each user, and then use the chat or communication functions of social media platforms to attract these targeted users to chat software or directly establish group chats using platform functions. Regularly release some new product previews, actively communicate with members in the group, and actively encourage users to return pictures and speak in the group. This not only closely contacts users, collects opinions and suggestions more directly, but also promotes spontaneous word-of-mouth promotion among users. For easier management, social platforms can also be used to establish a membership level system, increasing the stickiness between consumers and brands.

In the future, social media marketing will develop towards a deep integration with artificial intelligence. Social media is expected to improve its content professionalism and become a trend for new search engines, while also placing greater emphasis on user refinement and operation.With the continuous improvement of the functions of social media platforms, they may integrate e-commerce functions, chat and call functions, graphic and video publishing functions, search functions, graphic and video AI generation, and question and answer functions. The main competitive arena for various brands in the future will gradually spread from e-commerce platforms to social media platforms, and the competition will become increasingly fierce. To establish and develop a brand, it is necessary to seize opportunities, deeply integrate with social media platforms, fully utilize platform functions, comprehensively showcase itself in front of consumers, and strive to stand out in competition.