Social media marketing has grown tremendously in the last few years.

More and more consumers are using online social communities to:

• Shop
• Research
• Compare products
• Read testimonials and reviews
• Connect with brands
• Receive customer support

Social Media Examiner reports that 64% of marketers use social media for 6 hours or more a week. 37% Of marketers use it for 11 or more hours a week!

There are many benefits to social media marketing but the top two reported are:

1. An increase in exposure
2. An increase in website traffic

92% Of all marketers using social media said their efforts generated more exposure. 84% Of them reported increased traffic.

Of course there are other benefits as well such as:

• Connecting with new customers
• Strengthening relationships with existing customers

More than half of marketers using social media for at least 3 years say it’s lead to increased sales.

Over 50% of marketers using social media for just 1 year say it’s resulted in new partnerships.

66% Of marketers who spent just 6 hours a week on social media reported increased leads.

And almost 50% of them reported reduced marketing expenses overall.

Shocking Statistics About Social Media

You might be surprised to hear that there are over 2.3 billion active social media users. This number increased by 176 million in 2015.

1 Million new active mobile social users join every day. That’s 12 every second!

The biggest social media sites are:

• Facebook: 1.71 billion users
• YouTube: 1 billion users
• LinkedIn: 450 million users
• Instagram: 400 million users
• Twitter: 320 million users
• Google+: 300 million users
• Pinterest: 100 million users

This is an absolutely massive audience and it’s ready to connect with you.

Why You Need an Official Social Media Marketer

Having an official social media marketer is no longer an option for most businesses.

Every marketplace is dominated by social consumers now.

They’re researching what to buy online.

They’re engaging with brands they love.

Most importantly of all, they expect a quick response.

According to a survey by Lithium Technologies more than 70% of Twitter users expect to hear back from brands they contact. 53% Of these users want a response within the hour.

Without a quick response 60% of respondents said there would be negative repercussions for the brand.

29% Of users would tell their friends and family about the negative experience.

26% Of them would try other methods of communication to escalate their concerns potentially leading to a complaint.

Without a designated employee handling these interactions you will miss out on some very important opportunities.

Everything from conversations to purchasing now takes place on social media networks.

For many businesses the amount of time spent on social media marketing has definite benefits.

Yes social media marketing can be a lot of work but the result is increased sales and client retention.

Even just a small amount of social media work can have big benefits.

At the very least you need some kind of online presence.

Start small and increase over time if that’s what you have to do.

Post regularly.

Provide relevant, valuable content for your audience.

Avoid making sales pitches, no one wants to be sold to on social media.

Remember, you’re not just competing with other brands for attention. You’re also competing with your followers’ friends and family for space in their news feeds.

In Conclusion

Social Media is one of those things where you get out of it what you put in.

The more time you spend building your presence, the more benefits you’ll see such as:

• More traffic
• Increased engagement
• Brand recognition
• More sales
• Word of Mouth

Building relationships with your clients is never a bad idea, especially on social media.
There are tons of people out there in your market ready to connect on social media.

What are you waiting for?

P.S.

If you need some help with your social media strategy or you’re not sure what to post I highly recommend you check out the book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World.

This is quite possibly the best social media book there is. You’ll learn strategies and see exactly what to post (and what not to post) on each of the major networks.

I can’t recommend this book enough.