The social
media is a phenomenon that has taken the world by storm in the recent years. Various
social media sites are some of the most popular and most frequented online
sites today. More and more people are
finding their way to different social media sites to connect with one another,
especially with the advent of portable computers and smartphones that made
connecting to the Internet a lot easier.
Consequently, more and more business organizations are also maintaining
their presence on these sites because these are where their target markets are.
Aside from
attracting millions of people from all over the world to its folds, the social
media has also changed the way many things are done. This is especially true as far as internet
marketing is concerned. After all, the
social media provides low cost, even free, marketing tools that are very
effective.
The
importance of the social media in internet marketing can never be
underestimated. In fact, the use of the
many marketing opportunities given by the social media is an important
component of every online marketing plan.
So, how can the social media benefit any organization’s internet
marketing efforts? Let us count the
ways:
Branding.
Having social media presence and improving it can greatly help the
branding efforts of any business organization.
These sites give voice to a company so that it can communicate with
others, specifically with its target market.
There are many tools made available on these sites that can be used by a
company to establish its unique brand and for it communicate its message in a
conversational and relaxed way.
Build Relationship With Target
Market. With the help of the social media, a company
becomes “real” to its target market since the mode of communication on these
sites is on a very personal level.
Engaging the prospective customers and interacting with them will
certainly do wonders for any business. When
done right, a business can make new customers while retaining its existing
consumer base. This way, a company can build it reputation, improve its brand
credibility, and enjoy brisk business.
Traffic.
A company can also increase the traffic to its business website with the
help of social media sites. Links can be
included in social media content like articles, pictures, posts, tweets, status
updates, and the like. These links can
generate organic and quality traffic to any business website.
Lead Generation.
As we all know, lead generation is very important in the success of any
business. The social media is a great
way to generate leads for a company.
After all, these sites are where a business’ target market can be found
and easily tapped. Remember, it is a lot
easier to gather important market data and to reach out to prospective clients
if they congregate en masse in a single place.
Customer Feedback.
A business can also readily get feedback from its consumers via the
various social media sites. After all,
consumers can easily post comments on these sites and companies can readily
read them. This way, a company can get
the pulse of its target market and can act accordingly at the right time.
Return Of Investment.
Aside from letting a business reach, tap, and interact with its
prospective clients, the social media also offers free marketing and
advertising potentials that can greatly lower marketing costs.
In
traditional advertising, serious money needs to be spent on ad placements but
these ads may not reach its intended audience.
On the other hand, most of the advertising that can be done via the
various social media sites are free and are more effective. Many companies have reaped great benefits
when their social media marketing and advertising campaigns went viral. For them, lower marketing and advertising
costs meant higher return of investments.
