Social Media: It's Not Just for the Kids Anymore
Facebook, blogs and other social networks are no longer purely a platform for social sport or passionate enthusiasm. While still fairly new to social media, companies are easing into the sector and experimenting as they up their budget for this area.
According to Nielsen, time spent globally on social media sites is up 82 percent year over year. This rapidly increasing audience, along with new advertising options are just a couple of the many reasons companies are realizing the relevance and some may say – necessity to have company presence on at least some social networks.
Not only has there been an increase in unique visitors, time spent on social sites is increasing. In the U.S., total minutes spent on social networking and blog sites is increasing 210 percent year-over-year (Nielsen).
As companies look to future budgets, it’s expected that more funding will be directed to social media marketing. eMarketers reports that, in 2009, “marketers spent the largest portion of their social media budgets on customer communities, followed by podcasts and blogs.”
Having a social media presence demonstrates an understanding of meeting consumers where they are at. Even better, social media provides an opportunity to establish your brand or company as a thought leader.
Social media is your chance to develop a relationship with consumers that goes deeper than the products and services level. Will you communicate to your audience in a way that is relevant and relatable?