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Why use social media marketing?
Many of today’s successful companies have been around for years, long before the Internet was a viable option for marketing a product. While billboards, television commercials, and print and radio advertisements have been successful in the past, they will not have the impact that they have in today’s marketplace. Many people no longer check the newspaper for movie times, they reference places online. Many people no longer write letters by hand, but compose emails electronically. Many avoid garage sales when they can use Craigslist. While some may resist the facts, this country and the rest of the world are increasingly dependent on technology. This is not something to fear or think about; is something to take advantage of!
For anyone born after 1980, it is easy to see the growing popularity of social media and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to identify the direction in which the popularity of the global social media market will continue to move. People ages 20-29 use social media more than any other age group, with 41% spending more than 11 hours a week on social media sites. The next most frequent user base for social media is ages 30-39, with 37% of them also spending more than 11 hours a week on social media sites. While the younger age groups on these networking sites will be more interested in social status, the older age groups will focus on marketing and advertising. Understandably, most people have heard of Facebook, which has become the largest social media website to date. Facebook has more than 500 million users, half of whom log in at least once a day. Among the US Internet population, 72% are members of Facebook, with ages 18-24 experiencing the fastest growth. That is, 36% of Internet users in this country visit only one website every day! It would be exceptionally difficult to find another channel with that kind of impact. Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs are just a few of the other popular social networks available today, and they all provide remarkable accessibility to a large group of people.
Social media is the fastest growing marketing tool, and any business that doesn’t take advantage of its many capabilities could be at a disadvantage to its competitors. Waiting and not taking advantage of this ever-growing marketing tool is an opportunity that companies are missing. Business is constantly evolving and so must marketing campaigns to keep up with the competition. So why wouldn’t someone get immediately involved with social marketing? It can’t be money, as most of these networks are free. It can’t be experience, because anyone can outsource their social marketing for very little money. Most people just don’t know. They do not know what it is, nor do they understand its capabilities. But the most important thing is that they are unaware of the positive economic growth that it will potentially have in their company.
Social media marketing is the attempt to spread various forms of media through social media technologies, plain and simple. Some of the benefits of social media include increased exposure, increased lead generation, gaining new partnerships, increased traffic, and reduced marketing costs. On average, 88% of marketers using social media reported higher exposure for their business. Almost half of these people who used social media marketing tactics for 12 months or less reported that they had gained new partnerships. Users who spent 6 hours or less per week saw their lead generation increase, and 58% of small business owners using social media marketing were more likely to see reductions in marketing costs.
The Internet is providing this world with new products, capabilities, and tools that have never been possible before. Social media marketing provides the ability to potentially influence hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people for a fraction of the cost of outdated marketing methods. It is the responsibility of today’s entrepreneurs to focus on the future of each market and the direction in which it is headed. Social media is a smart investment for almost any company and will be more beneficial the sooner it is integrated into a company’s strategic initiative. Social media is only going to grow, and my best advice right now is to establish your brand as soon as possible through these mediums.