Your colleagues brag about the number of likes they receive on Facebook posts, the number of retweets on Twitter and the number of shares they get on Linkedin. But this information is uninteresting and irrelevant to you, and all you want to do is move on and discuss where everyone will meet for lunch.
Chances are, you are among the business owners who believe that social media is strictly for recreational use, and it’s a complete waste of time and effort. But if that were the case, why do lucrative companies depend on it?
For many reasons! First, unlike many marketing tools, social media marketing is completely free. Yes, free isn’t always the way to go, but social media has proved it’s gold numerous times. Take computer technology giant, Dell, for example. It combines promotions, engagement and photo sharing that keep followers informed of what Dell is up to. And it pays off. Its Dell Cares and Dell Cares PRO Twitter accounts had a 34% conversion rate for turning ranters into ravers.
Additionally, there is a social media platform suitable for every business and every target market. Facebook is now becoming more popular among seniors, millennials love Instagram, Linkedin is popular among the college educated and women dominate Pinterest. What does this mean? Whether you are a company that targets one or various audiences, if you use social media as a marketing tool, you can choose the platform your audience most frequently uses, and tailor your messages to make your company more favorable.
Now, you may say that traditional media accomplishes the same goals, and it has worked for you so why change it now? Always remember this: go where your customers are. If your customers are using more social media, so should you. One in seven people worldwide uses Facebook, and more than half of all Americans are on it. Twitter reaches 175 million tweets each day, and Instagram has 7.3 million daily users. Imagine how quickly you can spread the word about your business locally, nationwide and globally.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kylemccarthy/fivefactsaboutsocialm_b_6515334