Social media may be a place on the internet but for communication addicted masses of the world, it is as real an important as a real place on the face of the earth. Since everyone and their great aunt are on one social media site or the other these days, it is but natural that businesses too should jump on the bandwagon and try to get customers’ attention through social media pages. For those that don’t use social media (read: your technologically challenged relatives), businesses using social media is an unnecessary fuss. We investigate why it has become near essential for businesses to use social media these days.
It’s where the customers are at
For a business, being seen and heard by the target demographic is key. Today, social media has become “the place” where a large portion of the world’s [population “goes” each day. Facebook alone has around a billion members. For a business, having a social media page, thus becomes the modern day equivalent of having a big shiny billboard in Times Square!
It’s free, word of mouth marketing
Marketing, since time immemorial, has relied on word of mouth to promote businesses. And the very nature of social media allows businesses to market and advertize themselves without involving middlemen or paying exorbitant sums for it.
It helps businesses bypass ad agencies and polling/customer feedback providers
Most ads are at best a good guess at what customers might find appealing and cost businesses a heck lot to get developed and displayed. Customer feedback providers and polling agencies also reach a limited audience and hence cannot provide an accurate estimate of the customers’ wants and needs to a business. However, the use of social media helps businesses bypass both ad agencies and polling services and connect the customers directly.
