There’s a rumor going around that social media is dead, or at least on the decline. The fact is, social media is still growing day to day by leaps and bounds. When it comes to social media used for business, you see continuous growth at warp speed. If you are in business and aren’t using social media, you’re not really in the game.

Why is Social Media so Important to Business?
Statistics show that 3.2 billion people around the world use social media. This number represents 42 percent of the total population. The odds are that your target market, the customers you have or will have, are hanging out on social media. Putting your business on social media presents one of the best ways to reach your market efficiently.

You also have the ability to research your prospective field of clients. Social media has analytics and search tools that are difficult to top. Complete reporting gives the ability to tweak your advertising to reach your perfect audience.

Creating Conversations on Social Media
Remember, it’s called social media. This platform not only helps you find your prospects and customers, but it also allows you to speak directly to them. Work towards engagement with your audience and learn more about them, as you help them learn more about you. In the land of social media, conversations are king!

Tell people what your business is doing. Ask them what they are doing. Take a poll; ask a question. Comment on other people’s posts; respond to those that have sent you a message. Communicate with each other; give insight into the type of company you have.

The general consensus among digital marketers is that social media is an excellent way to develop and reinforce brand awareness. The interesting thing about social media marketing is the ability to build and maintain these two-way conversations online — and with ease.

Don’t Assume All Social Media Platforms are Identical
You will find that certain social media platforms are used by specific demographics. This helps to ensure that your message reaches the right audience. Let’s take a look at the major ones:

•  Facebook — This giant towers over all the rest, with 60 million active business pages, and 5 million active advertisers. Every day, 1.23 billion users log into Facebook and stay on the platform for an average of 17 minutes.

• Twitter — There are 500 million Tweets sent every day. Over 65 percent of businesses in the U.S. that employ more than 100 people use Twitter as part of their marketing strategy. Although Twitter has 1.3 billion accounts, 500 million people use Twitter without having an account or logging in.

• Instagram — More than 95 million photos are uploaded to Instagram each day. Ninety percent of all Instagram users are under 35 years of age. Many teens name Instagram as their favorite social media site.

• LinkedIn — LinkedIn is social media for business. More than 3 million companies have LinkedIn accounts, and more than 1 million LinkedIn members have published content on LinkedIn. Most people think that LinkedIn is more of a place to find business associates, look for jobs, find employees, etc. For the most part, it attracts a more mature audience.

• Snapchat — Snapchat tends to attract younger users. Sixty percent of its users are younger than 25 years old. U.S. teens claim to like it more than Facebook or Instagram. If this is your target market, this is the place to find them.

• YouTube — With video on the rise as a fast-growing medium, YouTube is thriving. Every minute, 300 hours of video are uploaded to this platform. Wow! It may surprise you to know that there are 1,148 billion mobile videos viewed each day!

Your Best Strategy for Social Media
When you decide to use social media, you must formulate a plan that is based on your product or services, and one that keeps your target audience in mind. The most important thing to consider, especially if you are developing your brand, is consistency.

Lots of people make the mistake of trying social media to promote their business and then quitting after a few weeks, less than thrilled with the results. They decide social media may not be effective for their company. Like many ways of promoting your business, it takes time to develop your social media presence. You need to stick with it for a while before you see results.

Remember, the keys are communication, connection and developing relationships. That’s going to take time and strategy. If you’re not thrilled with your results, take a look at your stats and adjust your plan. Or it could be all that’s needed is time.

Consider Social Media a Long-Term Strategy
There are several things you can do to ensure that your social media campaigns are as effective as possible. The first, planning a content calendar, can save your life when you’re having a busy, hectic day and don’t have time to sit and strategize. Plan your posting calendar ahead of time, and set it to upload automatically.

The most important thing is the interaction. When someone posts something relevant and exciting, react or respond to it. Responses that you make will help your post be seen more organically. You will be recognized as someone participating in the discussion.

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of patience. Successful companies continue a disciplined approach to leveraging social media to humanize their company. These companies understand that it is a marathon and not a sprint.

Watch a video of RJ Grimshaw of UniFi Equipment Finance on Embracing Social Media.