Monday, June 3, 2013

Making Social Media Work for your Business

Some people think that social media is merely a temporary fad that will go out of style once people grow tired of it. However, marketers see it as a new long-term channel for effective product and brand promotion – and for good reason. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are built on interaction between people – customers, prospective clients, their friends and families. It’s easier to spread the word about your business through such connections than any other online means.

Thus it only makes sense that companies utilize social media marketing in order to boost business. The role of social media in marketing relies on the type of business one has and how it suits company requirements. The extent of its efficacy also depends on how much time and effort you put into it. Remember that SMM only works if you dedicate a portion of your hour daily into it. Otherwise, momentum is lost.
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B2B businesses find it hard to cope with SMM. A research done in 2008 shows that around 69 percent of B2B consumers rely on social channels like Facebook for purchasing-related decisions. Given that fact, B2B firms can not simply disregard the need for them to use SMM as a dynamic means of spreading the word about their business.

There’s no better time to start than now. Networking through friends and their connections is now easier than ever. Potential customers can now be reached and they can find you as well in a click of a mouse. Various communities and platforms are available to help you in your promotional activities.

When it comes to video marketing, no other site beats YouTube for interacting with customers and eliciting viral responses. Use this to your advantage, and use it wisely so as not to scare customers away. Your uploaded videos must not only be a pulpit for discussion, but should also offer value.

Another effective marketing tool is Facebook. Perhaps the most widely used social platform in the world, Facebook’s power to make or break a business is unimaginable. With over 140 million users across the globe, your chances of being able to disseminate information about your products and businesses are limitless.

Last but not the least is Twitter. Nurturing one of the most rapidly growing online communities on the Web, Twitter is an excellent venue for both communicating with customers and promoting your brand. With more than a million subscribers (and growing), it’s no wonder how businesses are reaping enormous benefits using this website.