Social Media Networks No Longer a Novelty
Just five years ago Social media networks were a novelty. Today their importance is no longer debated. Businesses have come to realize the power of social media and accept that social media marketing has to be part of their marketing and public relations mix. Statistics do not lie. Eighty six percent of marketers have stated that social media is important for all business Benefits of social media marketing are Increased exposure, Increased traffic, development of loyal fans, generating leads, improving search ranking, growing business partnerships, reducing marketing expenses, improving sales and providing marketplace insight.
Four Sites Reign Supreme
The leading four sites that get the most attention for social media purposes are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google. Facebook has over 1.3 billion users and has become a fixture of the daily online experience in its 10-year history. Nearly half of all Facebook users are active each day. When they visit Facebook, they spend an average of 18 minutes per visit. These users aren’t only browsing profile updates or viewing photos. Each Facebook user is connected to an average of 80 pages, groups, or events. The average user of Twitter, with their 208 average followers, 307 average Tweets, and average of 170 minutes each day, is a market segment full of potential. About half of Twitter users use it daily, and at least 29 percent of Twitter users are active several times a day. Great content from a brand on Twitter can elicit follows and retweets, but usually an existing customer will decide to follow a favorite brand. Every second, two new people join LinkedIn. Now, with more than 270 million users, LinkedIn is a force to be reckoned with. LinkedIn proudly touts its user base of professionals. Many of those professionals are connected with companies. These companies could benefit from the extra marketing love. It is not wise to neglect LinkedIn. Marketers’ prediction at the beginning of the year that Google+ would become a major factor in social media has become reality. Google+ has become a game changer in the social media world. When you combine Google Authorship with the world’s dominant search engine, and create a social media platform that integrates them, it’s no wonder that Google+ is turning up as a dominant form of online social interaction.
Businesses Need Social Media
As a business owner, you may be wondering if it is really necessary to be active on social media. Without hesitation, the answer is yes. Statistics show that social media is increasingly influential in guiding prospects through the sales funnel. In fact, about 46 percent of online users turn to social media when making a purchasing decision. Benefits to being active in social media are: increased traffic to your website, more visibility in search engines, social proof for an increased sense of security in your brand/product, better relationship building opportunities with potential and current customers and being able to show the human side of your business.