It can be quite difficult to explain the importance of social media to people who do not use it. Often there is resistance with comments like, “Why do I care if my 3rd grade best friend just ate a sandwich?” or “It’s just a cluster of random thoughts and spam”. Despite common myths, like social media is a time waster, there are great benefits for brand awareness, customer interaction and company growth.
Twitter
There are currently 106 million Twitter users. 57% of Twitter users are between 24-44 years old. And what statistic is most important to companies? 25% of users follow brands on Twitter; 67% of those purchase from brands they follow. *
Twitter allows you to connect to customers directly. You can reach out to them with news, updates and contests. Twitter also gives your customers access to your company- they can ask questions, share information about the product or just say hello. By being visible and accessible on Twitter, you are not only creating brand awareness but solidifying brand loyalty among your customers.
Facebook
Though it can be, Facebook isn’t just for spying old friends or procrastinating. Facebook can be a very effective tool to engage with potential and current customers, as well as, market products and services.
Facebook allows companies to create a business page where you can add both personal and professional flare. By having your company on Facebook, you can, be found potential customers, create a community based around your business, promote content such as, webinars, blog articles, or other resources. You can also add personal touches like, photos around the office, from company outings or tradeshows.
YouTube
YouTube is a great outlet to promote your brand and product. Custom videos let you reach out to entire customer base in a whole new way. Are customers having troubleshooting issues with a product? Create a video with an in-depth tutorial or step-by-step instructions. Show off new products or services with a virtual guide. YouTube also help build brand awareness by giving customers a better sense of who exactly the company is. Have employee spotlights or a tour of the office. The more a person know about a company, the more invested they will become.
*Twitter statistics provided by: http://www.marketinggum.com/twitter-statistics-2011-updated-stats/
How important is mobile to Facebook? Already, 350 million of its 800 million monthly active users are on mobile devices, and that number is just going to get bigger. “Fundamentally we view it as a really big shift for our company, as fundamental as the shift from desktop apps to the Internet,” Facebook CTO Bret Taylor tells me in the TCTV interview above (which was shot at the Web 2.0 Summit earlier this week). “Companies really need to redefine themselves in this world of devices rather than browsers on people’s laptops.”
Posted by zBoost Your Life 
