Social Media Marketing

Change happens. We're seeing it today in the emergence of social media marketing. To survive it you must welcome it in and give it a big old hug.

Social Media is not a fad. It has arrived, it's growing like crazy, and it's here to stay. With the emergence of wildly popular social media networks like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace all kinds of businesses are using these sites to better understand and connect with their customers online. With over 75% of US adults on the internet tied to a social network, it's pretty obvious that social technologies have changed the way customers make purchasing decisions. Today, most customers receive information on products and services through a myriad of online social communities. The social territory is filled with hundreds of millions of people talking together about what they buy, what they use, how they use this, why they use that, what they would better buy and use, what's good for them, what's bad for them, what they like and dislike. That's why major brands are harnessing the power of social media to better engage their customers.

In a survey of social media marketing professionals, 92% of respondents said social media marketing was effective at influencing brand reputation and 91% said it worked for increasing brand awareness. However, savvy marketers are demonstrating the effectiveness of using social networks for direct marketing and lead generation as well. There is no doubt that consumers' decisions and impulses are more likely based upon a new set of criteria and rules that bestow tremendous power on "customer word-of-mouth," while reducing the power of traditional marketing. Those businesses that invest in and excel in Social Marketing will reap big rewards as folks turn to their trusted communities on these social networks for buying recommendations.

How big and important is the social media phenomenon?
• It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners
• Terrestrial TV took 13 years to reach 50 million users
• The internet took 4 years to reach 50 million people
• Facebook added 100 million users - in less than nine months

New Marketing facts:
• Only 14% of consumers trust advertising
• Only 18% of typical TV ads produce a positive ROI
• Direct mail responses are down 90%
• Social media is the #1 web activity
• Facebook has 300 million users
• There are 200 million bloggers
• YouTube is the #2 search engine worldwide

Social Media Marketing is where it's at. It has been shown to produce the best ROI of any marketing activities. This is truly a place where small and medium sized companies can excel and engage their customers and potential customers in ways they have only dreamed of. The social media marketing area is where you want to take the lead, not be left behind. Call us, email us, and let us show you how your business can prosper and grow with online marketing, and how it can be done on a modest budget.