Why Social Media Marketing?

Social Media is the blending of technology and social interaction. This instant form of “networking” is in turn blurring the line between professional and personal relationships. Friends are becoming clients and vice versa. Becoming a member of some of the top social sites allows you to turn your business information into an interactive dialogue with current and potential customers. In addition, companies and organizations can communicate unified internal information to employees using social media sites. There are multiple sites available that serve to maintain these social contacts for you; social contacts can be a person of any age demographic, organization, object or idea that you encounter during your daily routine.

With this blending of personal and professional boundaries, social media sites have given a new power to the consumer, allowing them to instantly search the web and self-educate when it comes to making purchase decisions. Situational examples of how social media is being used today can include but are not limited to:

• People can now see who their “friends” on Facebook are affiliated with, and who was invited to this or that professional event.

• People can now “tweet” to their contacts on Twitter asking for advice on a place to eat or get their hair cut in any given location.

• Professionals and job hunters can now research companies based on a variety of criteria (location, business type, alumni associations) on Linked-In to see who has received the highest professional “recommendations.”

• People can now utilize Google Places and Yelp to locate vendor contact information and read customer reviews.

It is even possible now with social media to reach people directly on their cell phones. With these endless possibilities in mind, it is highly beneficial for professional businesses to maintain an up-to-date brand identity online.