What is Social Media?
‘Social Media’ is a term that is consistent in my conversations with business owners. It is a term that, over the last few years, has become an important piece of any marketing strategy – for any business. Social media is a way people share ideas, thoughts and interests online through the use of text, audio, video and images. It provides an opportunity to be engaged and engage others. You can find friends, business contacts and become part of a community or multiple communities. It is Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Pinterest, Google + and a multitude of other platforms that allows users to post, comment and share information.
It is also very time consuming and overwhelming for some business owners. I can’t tell you how many times that I have heard, “I have a Facebook Page for my business, but I don’t do anything with it.” My response is always the same, “How is that working for you?” Social media marketing campaigns are not a one-shot affair, they require constant maintenance and often take time to be effective and produce results. You have to prepare and maintain ‘killer content’ to keep your readers and fans engaged and coming back. Social media is necessary. You need to be a part of it, like it or not.
Social media is a great tool to use to reach and engage consumers. You can use some platforms for market research and there is nothing better in its ability for reaching your target audience directly. Do what you can to get involved, especially if you are a business looking to grow its customer base. If you are intimidated by all of the different platforms, pick one and find someone to show you the way. Enlist the help of your friends and colleagues or a Social Media Marketing Consultant (such as myself) and get started!
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