4 Benefits of Social Media Marketing

The importance of  Social   media  in  marketing  cannot be over emphasized. It is easy to believe that  social   media  is nothing more than the latest craze; something that will fade away in time. The truth is,  social   media  has forever changed the way we see the internet and the way people relate. Therefore it only makes sense to utilize this change for the benefit of your business.

Small scale businesses (including home businesses) have a lot to gain from efficiently making the most of the advantages that come with  social   media   marketing . For one thing, it is a low cost (and sometimes cost free) method of marketing your product or service to prospective customers while keeping up with those you already do business with.

If you are still wondering about why you need to get in on  social   media   marketing , below are four reasons why you should not waste the opportunities provided by the  social   media .

Gaining Information about Your Target Market

Twitter is a very useful tool when it comes to knowing what your target market wants and what they are saying. With the 'list' feature of Twitter, you can easily create lists of people in your target market, either by geographical location, age group or other demographics. Listorious.com is very useful in finding a specific group of people to follow.

Knowing what the Competition is Up to

In the same way, Twitter can also help you 'spy' on your competition so that you know where you are not picking up the ball. The list feature is perfect for this because you can actually include in your list, people that you are not following. The best way to do this would be to create a private list which is not open to anyone except you.

Connecting with Current and Prospective Customers

More and more, people like to do business with those they can relate to in a personal way. Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn give your current and prospective customers an avenue where they can see your back story. They do not just feel like they are patronizing a faceless entity but they can connect with you and ask questions directly. This also helps with direct feedback and where there are customer relations issues, you are able to sort them out as soon as they occur, leaving you with satisfied customers. And satisfied customers are usually returning customers.

Build your Brand

 Social   media  is a free way to build your business brand and get your message out there. If you do not have one yet, opening a Facebook fan page for your business is necessary. Also, maintaining a blog is a good marketing strategy as search engines like blogs so they show up in searches a lot, plus the comment box in the blog creates a less stressful way for customers to reach you.

 Social   media   marketing  has so much to offer businesses and big corporations are beginning to understand and leverage the power of  social   media   marketing  in their marketing strategies.

Source by Vic Lahure