by Marina Shemesh

Created on: March 23, 2010   Last Updated: December 06, 2010

Reasons to use social media marketing for your company

As we are moving deeper into the information age and Web 2.0 is becoming more accessible to more people, companies have to start using social media marketing. Social media marketing can be used in tandem with a traditional marketing campaign or may even be the only way that a company chooses to advertise.

It is not a question about IF social media marketing should be used. The question now is how social media will be used and who will take care of the social media marketing of a company.

Here are a few reasons why companies cannot afford not use social media marketing:

You must have an Internet presence

One of the first things customers do these days, before they make a purchase, is to research your company and its products online. Most companies have at least a website to advertise their products and services and to provide contact details. A company will only look suspicious if it does not have any kind of Internet presence.

You can reach a much wider audience

Twitter, a FaceBook page or a blog will allow you to reach a much wider audience. Let us say for example your company is the only one to sell strawberry-flavored soya milk. By blogging about your company and its products, customers in other states or even other countries will learn about your strawberry-flavored soya milk. They will insist on having it stocked locally and suddenly you are delivery strawberry-flavored soya milk all over the country.

You get to know you customers want

Using social media to interact with your customers allows you keep your fingers on the pulse. Musicians learn which songs their listeners liked and which ones not. Potential viewers informed movie makers which actors they would like to see in the film version of their favorite comic strips.

What better way is there for a company to make money? Ask the customers what they want, deliver and make a profit. Why produce products that may or may not sell? Social media allows you to involve your customers at the drawing board stage.

You get feedback about your products

Another reason to use social media marketing for your company, is that you get feedback straight away from your customers. No waiting for a sales person to talk to a regional manager who takes his time writing a report to headquarters. If a button on a new cell phone causes problems, your customers can let you know before you even ship another million units.

It is cheap

One of the most attractive reasons of using social media, is that it is cheap. Twitter, FaceBook and even a blog can be maintained for free. It would be wise to spend a bit money on the social media campaign but still, it is going to cost much less than a regular advertising campaign.

Companies are well advised to start using social media as a marketing tool. They just cannot afford not to.

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