The importance of Social media Marketing

There is little doubt that Social Media has changed the way we interact with each other. No longer do we sms or phone but we Post, Tweet and follow each others updates. News travels at a far greater velocity online than it ever has before. So why is Social Media so important in a business context?

The power of Social Media lies in the ability to get information in real-time. Want to know what a friend, a celebrity or a brand is doing right now? Simply check your Facebook Page or twitter account and you're up to speed with exactly what's happening, where and when. The emphasis on real-time updates is what the Search Engines thrive on. Their mandate to serve the most relevant information to the end user has been heavily influenced by what the Social Networks are talking about. The ability to trend and aggregate news allows them to serve relevant content to an audience who are all about what's happening NOW.

So how does this affect you as a business owner? Well how often do you perform searches on the internet for your company, products or staff? Not necessary you say? There is no better way to follow and react to trends than to find out what is happening in the market place than through the internet. By diligently researching you will be in a far better place to act and react to trends and news that affects your brand.

What does search have to do with this? Well that's simple. If Google and Bing are placing a large amount of emphasis on search, by getting your brand on the Social Networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Linkd in and diligently updating content, you are able to reach a far wider audience and boost your SEO at the same time.

Using applications to syndicate your content can prove vital in boosting your sites ranking in the Search Engine rankings. It also allows you to communicate and interact with your audience.

Don't most companies ban Social Media websites? Sadly, yes. In my opinion this is incredibly short sighted. Rather than embracing new technology business is often last to come to the party and it's usually a case of too little too late.With smart phone sales on the rise, users don't need a traditional terminal to access these sites anymore.

As I write this, the rumour mills are churning about Google's plans to launch a new Social Network - Google Me. Whether it is a revamp of Orkut or an entirely new product, only time will tell. One thing is for certain, with the learnings from Google Wave and Buzz, they are in a unique position to offer a well rounded product. Facebook is already in a sort of 'lockdown' in a bid to respond and refresh it's offering in order to compete. The question is, will you be an early adopter or will your business be playing catch-up?