Do i need a social media marketer ?

Social marketing—at one point, this term represented an entirely new facet of marketing not fully understood by businesses.  To use social media, e-campaigns, and online advertisements as a means of reaching an audience was an unexplored area.  As social marketing has become a more common approach, businesses were still left with the question: “Is social marketing right for mybusiness?”

If you’re still wondering, here’s your answer.  Today, social marketing is no longer a question—it’s an absolute necessity.  The use of social media and other online amenities has grown past being a temporary fad.  The entire process is an ongoing, evolving conversation, and businesses need to be part of it to continue reaching their audiences.

So, you know you need to have a social marketing strategy—but why?  Ultimately, social marketing will help grow your business by using online advertising, search engine optimization, and social media tools.  Like traditional marketing, the business reaches out to their target audience, but unlike traditional marketing, your audience can talk back, interact, and be a part of the medium itself.  This interaction is very different from what most marketers are used to, but embracing this marketing style can lead to a new understanding of consumers and deeper relationships.

Companies who understand the importance of social marketing and how to market effectively will find themselves reaping the benefits of this addition to their marketing mix.  So, what exactly are these benefits that successful social marketing can provide?

• Increase in communication:  An advertisement in a traditional campaign, such as a television commercial, is sent from the business to the audience in a one-way message.  Using social media or email campaigns means that companies can talk directly to their audience about their business or product and then prompt conversations.  The two-way dialogue with social marketing increases communication efforts in businesses.

• Improved customer service:  Because of this two-way dialogue, businesses can use social marketing to be more alert to their audience’s problems and needs.  Today’s consumers tend to prefer the Internet over personal interaction (such as calling or going to the physical store).  Businesses need to meet their audiences on their “turf”, so to speak.  Using instant-messaging services, direct messages, or emails, businesses can evolve their customer service into something that consumers prefer.  By adapting to respond to problems and concerns online, consumers will appreciate the extra effort, and customer service will improve.

• Relationship building:  With the increased communication and improved customer service, relationships should quickly develop between the business and their audience.  Consumers should feel that they are important to the business, not just nameless faces in an anonymous consumer crowd.  The formation of strong relationships as a result from social marketing shows how integral it is to your marketing mix.