So Today...

So Today… I really took the time to study this year’s Social Media Marketing Industry Report by Michael A Stelzner. I found this report really interesting. It talks a lot about how social media marketers are increasingly using different outlets like Twitter, Facebook, etc. to grow their brand online. After surveying 3300 social media marketers and figuring out what questions they want answered the most about social media marketing, Michael came up with a great report and a lot of answers. Some of his major findings that I found important included the fact that social media marketing takes a lot of time, something that I think most people overlook. Which is another reason why you should outsource your social media marketing if you have the budget to do so. Not only is it going to save you time, but it will let you focus on doing more important things like running your business effectively. Generating business exposure through social media is very important. This report stated that companies that had a good involvement in social media have increased their traffic (72%) and improved their search rankings (62%) online. While there are a lot of benefits to social media marketing, a lot of marketers do not gain this success over night. The report states, “A significant 58% of marketers are using social media for 6 hours or more each week and 34% for 11 or more hours weekly.” Experience is a major part of how long it takes someone to manage their brand through social media. Letting someone with experience help you manage your companies social media presence will allow you to grow faster and maintain other important marketing strategies in your business. If we have learned anything it is the fact that it’s a time consuming process if you want to do it right. One of the biggest benefits of social media is being able to separate yourself in this online world filled with distractions. Don’t bug out about what you need to do and how you are going to do it, seek guidance from someone who knows how. It will be your best investment yet. 

I was at a conference in Vegas at the beginning of this week that really changed my perspective on certain industries. While many companies attend conferences to learn more on how to manage their business better and develop strong relationships with their partners, some businesses go to get opened up to new ideas and marketing strategies. If you are the CEO of an organization, you have to ensure that you are always on top of new things that are changing in your industry or you will get left behind. Social media is one of those things. Technology and networking are changing so quickly these days that if you do not have a social media presence there will be some question marks raised. This week I saw a lot of companies that want to get involved with social media but seem too hesitant to do so.

I can understand their point of view, they do not want to pay someone to tweet for them or update statuses when they can do it themselves? But can they really do it themselves? They can try, but most companies do not succeed at doing so. While some have tried before, their lack of constant presence can really hurt them. I say leave it up to the professionals. There is a reason that there are experts out there that have social media strategies that have worked in the past and will work for you.  Most businesses are scared to lose their margin of profit because they do not want to lose money on something that isn’t giving them immediate results. At the same time however, they see other companies that have flourished due to their social media marketing and gained profit. So when it comes to getting on board with someone that knows what they are doing in social media, don’t hesitate, let them help you. While you may be investing a small amount right now, your investment will double and triple over time. Don’t get left behind, take that first step to a real social media strategy and let your brand grow online before it’s too late.