Social Media

Social media: Is it for you?

By Cameron Nichols

Today, social media is putting businesses, customers and potential customers in direct, real-time contact with one another at an unprecedented rate. Social media is more than just a trend; it is one of the ways that we do business. Many organizations have already joined the rush. Is your company taking advantage of these powerful tools? And more importantly, should they be?

Using social media tools doesn't have to be expensive. Businesses of any size have the same access to the same tools and the same customers. Social media levels the playing field between companies with multi-million dollar marketing budgets and those with more limited means. Some of the more popular social networking tools include Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Delicious, Flickr and YouTube.

These diverse social media tools allow you to reach your target audience in a number of different ways. But just because these tools are trendy, readily available and financially viable doesn't mean your organization should automatically use them.

Remember, social media tactics support your strategy; they don't replace it.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when determining if social media tools will benefit your company:

  • Who are my target audiences?
  • What key messages am I trying to convey?
  • How do these tools support my marketing strategies?

If social media is the right fit, keep in mind the following:

  • Use social media to engage with your audience, not preach to them
  • Content, content, content - a <insert social media tool> account does you no good if its not updated regularly
  • Have some fun with your content, but remember volume does not equal value

Unsure how social media can support your company's marketing strategy? Feel free to contact us to help you get started.