SRJ Marketing Communications

I'm sure by now you've read about the many advantages of leveraging social media as a marketing tool. It's pretty amazing how social media the business world is no longer seeing social media as "just for kids" and has adopted it into their marketing communications programs.  It has quickly become a social phenomenon that is actively being used by businesses everywhere to communicate to prospective stakeholders.

I often have people approach me and tell me their company just doesn’t have the resources to commit to social media use, or telling me that it’s useless for small businesses to use. Every time that happens, I wish I had some statistics to throw their way to show them how much social media really matters.

This week, I found those statistics. Here’s a quick summary:

• 48 percent of Americans have a Facebook or MySpace account. In 2005, that number was just 8 percent That’s an incredible number! Nearly half of all people in the United States, including all age demographics, can be reached instantly by using only two platforms. If you don’t believe that social media is changing the very way our world communicates, here is your proof!
• More than 260,000 small businesses in the U.S. and Canada are using social media tactics to communicate with publics. This is a telling statistic because it shows that corporate giants aren’t the only businesses than can effectively use social media – not even close. In case you didn’t catch the best part earlier – it’s free.
• The top 4 used social media sites are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and blogs. These sites are being used by both businesses and personal profiles, which provides an excellent avenue for instant communication.

So get on the bandwagon (if you haven’t already). Social media is changing everything about the way our world communicates, from the platform to the messages, the images to the dialogue. But always remember, social media should be just another tool in your toolbox. It’s a very important tool right now, but trends come and go. Make sure to maintain an integrated marketing approach and utilize all the assets you have.