Over the past 10 years there has been a fundamental shift in the marketing paradigm.
Traditional “outbound” marketing tactics such as TV, Print and Radio are becoming less effective and being replaced with lower cost, “inbound” marketing tactics such as Search Engine Optimization, Pay Per Click and Social Media.
Here are 5 reasons why every business needs to establish a Social Media presence:
1. The golden rule of Marketing: Be where your customers are.
Social Networking is now the #1 activity on the web.
Globally, the average person spends 6 hours per day on social media sites.
Facebook just recently surpassed 500 million users. More than 2.5 million websites have integrated with Facebook, including over 80 of comScore’s U.S. Top 100 websites and over half of comScore’s Global Top 100 websites. Oh, and uh…. did you happen to see the movie about the global phenomenon called, “The Social Network”???
Your customers are networking online. If you’re not there too, your competitors will be.
2. Create and establish trust.
78% of people trust peer recommendations, while only 14% trust ads.
There are a few ways people will trust you: They’ll establish trust by working with you first-hand; they’ll get a good recommendation about you, or they’ll learn about you through friends.
With Social Networking you can help create and build trust through peer recommendations, establishing your company as an industry expert or “thought leader”. Most importantly, you become part of the conversation.
3. Lower cost when compared to traditional media.
Internet Marketing as a whole offers a lower Cost Per Lead (CPL) than traditional marketing tactics. In fact, a recent study by Hubspot found that inbound marketing tactics cost 60% less than outbound marketing tactics.
4. Build content that will last forever.
Unlike a printed piece, great content never goes away on the internet. Companies have written things in 2006 that continue to pay dividends today.
The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll build an overwhelming collection of compelling, thought-provoking content that will last forever on the Internet.
5. Create a presence before your competitors.
Many companies do not understand Internet Marketing, let alone Social Media. This is a golden opportunity for the proactive business that can establish a solid, well-formed internet marketing effort.
The time is now. The opportunity is yours. Gain the upper hand in your marketing efforts and jump into social networking. Today.