With the evolution of social media, the concepts therein have become a powerful tool for brands to bolster audience engagement, foster on-going dialog with those who matter most and keep one’s brand perpetually on the mind of customers and prospects.
A new study, conducted by social media magazine Social Media Examiner, indicates that perhaps the largest advantage of social media use for businesses is brand awareness. The study found that 85 percent of marketers surveyed believe generating exposure for their business to be the number one advantage of social media marketing as a whole.
Respondents of the survey also indicated that increasing traffic, subscribers, or opt-in lists were high on the list as well, cited by 63 percent of total respondents. Building new business partnerships came in third, with 56 percent of responses, while improving search rankings came in as a close fourth with 54 percent.
Social media has evolved into a very effective indirect marketing channel, and as such has opened the door for businesses to communicate with their audience on neutral ground, without the “in-your-face” nature of traditional channels. This ecosystem provides opportunities for marketers to think outside the box and create a strategy that goes well beyond simply driving revenue, allowing for on-going communication through a medium consumers are more than comfortable with.