Social media has immense power to connect people and build relationships. There are over 3 billion Internet users worldwide and over 2 billion social media accounts. The advent of social media has changed the way we communicate forever.

Many marketers wonder whether social media is a passing fad and if it deserves the kind of budget and attention that are now bestowed. But, today we live in a world of shared experiences. The first social media platform that was born almost a decade ago opened our eyes to the marvels that social media conversations can bring about.

Small-time entrepreneurs unlocked the

power of social media

in the early days. Home-based businesses and craft shops were able to rake in sales by means of recommendations and reviews by members of their friend circle. And with the business potential becoming evident over the years, it is not surprising that every marketer is on the social media bandwagon.

Here are a few points to help you understand why social media is not a passing fad and why you should not miss the proverbial bus.

1) Social Media Is a Huge Part of Our Lives

Contrary to how things were a few decades back, a lot has changed in the way we live, work, eat, shop, travel and celebrate.

There is very little about our lives that is strictly private anymore. A majority of us live far from family and native land, and have built our homes and social lives in alien cultures and countries. As a result, we find that our cultivated social circles have better ability to appreciate our struggles and successes.

Social media sites help people connect with family and friends, and a few days back Facebook made history with a mind boggling

1 billion users logging in on a single day

.

The need to connect and share, and be validated and liked is one of the most primal needs of man which social media meets easily. It also provides almost instant gratification, so it can be said with absolute certainty that social media will not be going away anytime soon.

Also, an increasing number of youth are using social media to voice dissent and make their collective voice be heard. It has serious pros and cons, but its potential is of galactic proportions.

Fads are trends or popular interests that happen suddenly with no real consideration for the attributes of the fad. The growth of social media has been an offshoot of a gnawing need that was felt by people in all corners of the globe. Social media helps you live a colorful online life, have fun on the go, and stay clued in to what’s happening in your world regardless of where you are.

2) Social Media Helps You Know Your Customer Better

One of the biggest benefits that social media presence gives to companies is valuable insight into what their target market is talking about and is interested in. Businesses get to know their customers and potential buyers better.

Social media is a goldmine of information for intelligent marketers.

Listening in on social media chatter will help companies get insights into how their brands are perceived and evaluated. Marketers can use this information to build an improved brand image and carry out more effective brand campaigns.

Social media marketing Utah

has done this for clients successfully.

Another benefit is that companies get to know their competitors better. Which marketer would not love to have that inside information about his arch rival?

Marketers can decode and analyze competitor campaigns and understand what worked and what didn’t.

3) Social Media Helps in Brand Outreach

Social networking and sharing sites reach millions of users. If you can craft sharable, interesting, relevant, original and juicy content, or tidbit that grabs attention, then you will be able to harness the viral potential of social networks.

This is a hard-to-achieve best case scenario. But with the right amount of thought, research, pro-activeness and genuine social media interaction, it is not very difficult to garner impressive shares, likes, tweets and follows.

Networking sites are a great hunting ground for businesses. These sites are the hangout places for your existing and potential customers. But, do not be the irritating and overzealous salesman barging into conversations and groups shamelessly selling your product and promoting yourself.

Mark your presence in communities, groups and forums with quality, helpful and relevant contributions. Make sure that you have something to contribute by way of your social media presence. Targeted online marketing will only work if it appears natural, non-promotional and non-intrusive.

4) Social Media Marketing Is Cost-Effective

Which advertising platform allows you to reach millions of fans and potential customers without investing millions in marketing dollars?

Social media sites allow you to bring your marketing message in front of potential leads and users with the click of a button. Sensible use of social media platforms help you spread the word and announce contests, offers and launches in the shortest possible time.

The golden rule of social media marketing is that you need to be consistent on social networks. You need to carefully build the brand image you need to project and pivot all your activities around it. Your image and social media activities should be aligned to the interests of your target market and brand.

Since content gets easily distributed and shared, your marketing message is ensured of a long and continued presence in your network or community, and you continue to get relevant referral traffic to your site.

As per the latest Parse.ly data, referral traffic coming from social media sites account for almost 38.2% of overall traffic to major publishers including the likes of Mashable, Fox News and Business Insider. Google searches drive only 35.2% of referral traffic. You cannot afford to miss this massive traffic potential that social media sites hold.

5) Quality Social Media Activity Promote You to Influencer Status

Quality, original, informative, useful and sharable content is the biggest driver of traffic to your site. If you are consistent with your efforts, you will be looked upon as an authoritative source for the latest information and facts relevant to your niche.

For example the official website of Panatgonia, seller of high-end outdoor clothing and gear, has blogs that give exhaustive information on a variety of outdoor activities and silent sports. Panatgonia is a powerful influencer in its category and has used social media activities, particularly blogging, to build a massive fan following.

Conclusion

There are very few people around who hate social media, and definitely no one who can afford to ignore it. So analyze your brand personality and business needs to decide whether social media is your ultimate marketing tool. If you see a fit, there is no better way to reach out to and build a loyal customer base.

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