The introduction of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell on March 1876 was the closest thing we had to ‘innovative global communication’. And that was about 135 years ago.
Today, some children may not even know how an ordinary phone sounds like or what it looks like. When they hear the word ‘communication’, the common activities that would probably enter their minds are the following:
- Tweeting
- Posting status updates
- Sending emails and instant messages
- Joining discussion boards
- Online chatting
There is no wondering why they think these given the wide popularity of global interaction on the Web. They possibly have little idea that it is communication at its best. Well, who could deny the ease of getting in touch online?
And, to whom do we owe this convenience?
We have the founders of social media to thank. With the rise of blogging, networking, sharing, and streaming (to name a few types) channels, virtual correspondence has never been more convenient.
This advantage applies mostly to entrepreneurs, especially those whom are running small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and are looking for cost-effective means of marketing their business.
If you look at social media from this viewpoint alone, you cannot entirely fathom its importance. Hence, let us check out the following insights to know more about its great uses.
1. Social Media is great for creative marketing and advertising
Promoting through social media is one of the best ways to present your products or services to the consumers in a more personal way. For instance, you can show them your company’s milestones. You can also upload images and videos of your latest events. Additionally, you can communicate personally with the people by responding to their comments on your profile pages.
But you have to know that you can only obtain wonderful results if you carry out your strategies well and monitor their results regularly.
2. It helps with publicity and reputation management
Now, your activities are not limited to posting content about your products or services. You can also manage public relations through your social pages. And, if some third parties or previous customers give you negative comments, you can state your side of the story without sounding too defensive.
3. Social Media’s reach is global
Most leading social media channels, such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter and YouTube, cater to worldwide audiences.
So, if you are using top platforms, you can extend your marketing messages to other nations. Who knows, you may just expand your business?
4. It boosts website traffic
With Google intending to integrate its SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) with personalised queries, you can expect to see a combination of social and algorithm-ranked content. This only means that your Facebook posts or Twitter messages may just appear on search results. And, if you have not forgotten to include your site URL or essential webpage link on your profile, you may just obtain quality traffic.
5. Social media marketing helps establish good customer relationships
You can create a community with your affiliates and consumers where you can interact with them regularly. You can find out what they have to say about your products or services and your business helping you determine which aspects you need to improve. In the process, you can establish credibility and transparency, letting the people see that you value customer satisfaction.
Importance of Social Media – Conclusion
As a final note, Social Media is not just about giving updates, it also serves as a great medium for most of your corporate activities. Through it, you can keep up with the competition and cater to your customers.
With that said, it pays to create an account with the biggest Social Media websites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Note from the Editor:
ROI of Social Media
Here is an excellent Infographic from MDG Advertising about the ROI of Social Media that goes well with the topic of this post:
What about your Social Media strategy?
Are you already using Social Media in your marketing? If you are, what are your favourite Social Media websites and/or tools?
[Main image: Moffett Studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Infographic : MDG Advertising]
Emma Tomlinson is the Head of Retail at Smart Traffic, a leading SEO agency London providing technical resources to its clients.
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