Yes. You do need social media, and here’s why:
Everyone else is on social media, including your competitors. In 2004, Facebook was just a start-up. According to the WSJ, Facebook just reported quarterly earnings of over $1 billion dollars. Even more, there are over a 1.4 billion users worldwide. LinkedIn? Founded in 2003 and reporting over 400 million users. Twitter? Founded in 2006 and reporting over 300 million active users. The fact is, social media has wormed it’s way into the minds of people across the world, spanning generations, and it’s not going away.
Social media makes two-way communication easy. In today’s economy of a million different options, name brands and ad campaigns are becoming less and less important. Instead, more value is being put on communication. People like brands that make them feel important and heard. They like getting responses to their inquiries and complaints, in real time, which is what social media allows you to do. This simple act can create brand ambassadors for life, all for a simple tweet.
Social media finds your audience for you. Want to target a group of young adults in the Bay area? No problem. Looking for people that really love superhero movies? Done. Trying to find software developers on the east coast? Simple. Unlike traditional marketing methods, social media accounts filter people for you. The profile people fill out traditionally contains 90% or more of the information you’d ask them on a form, and they’ve already provided it. You just have to use it. Also, you know how you looked at a product page and then that product followed you around for the next several weeks? Like Facebook just knew you needed that service? Yeah, that’s called “Retargeting.” Retargeting can be a very valuable marketing tool when used correctly and is available on most social media platforms.
Social media is inexpensive compared to other marketing channels. For a lot of sites, having a business page is free. You can post business updates, make lead generation posts, comment on other company’s sites and interact with your consumers, directly, for no other cost than your time. Why not take advantage of a free way to expand the reach of your content? You’re already putting the work in to create meaningful messaging and campaigns, it makes no sense not to utilize every avenue available.
The fact of the matter is that social media is no longer a specialty or a novelty idea and should be a standard part of your cohesive marketing strategy. By utilizing it in your campaigns you can ensure you are promoting your name and controlling your brand in every available avenue. By not utilizing social media in your campaigns, you can’t.
So, what are you waiting for? Get started! Not sure how? Reach out to us, we can help.
