Social Media - Of The Moment Or A Useful Way To Market Your Business?

“More sales, more customers, more profit” is surely a mantra for all business owners regardless of the size or type of business they run says Linda Donaldson, Managing Director of Bath based PR firm Geometry PR.

Long term success requires a long term strategy, preferably one which is focused on marketing your business to the right people.   While identifying the right customer, the right product at the right price should be second nature, actually creating and implementing an effective communication plan to reach that customer is often a little bit harder. 

The cost of marketing has often been assumed to be prohibitive particularly for small businesses.    Marketing tools such as advertising, literature, promotions, events and PR are frequently viewed as simply margin off the bottom line rather than essential expenditure required to ensure a profitable and sustainable return.  Consequently, many businesses have eagerly embraced the dawning of so called ‘free’ social media as a way to market their business. 

The benefits of social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn is they can quickly help to create a personality for your business and your brand.  As communities interact more and more online, social media can successfully be used to create a strong reputation and following for any type of. But nothing in life is free and managing a social media campaign can and does take a lot of time if it is to be done well.

So what works, with whom and when? Well, content is king.  Video, interactive competitions, surveys and engaging images are what people want.  This is where great product shots, top tips, usage suggestions, informative videos and reviews really work.

Social media is certainly of the moment but like the internet it is here stay.  It needs careful handling and planning like any marketing technique.  Done well, it can be a good way to help you differentiate your brand and, importantly, it can help you engage, attract and ultimately sell to more customers.