What can we use Social Media for?- Build relationships
- Network with like-minded people
- Drive traffic to our website(s)
- Sell our services/products
- Show our expertise
- Get support & motivation
- Organise & promote events
- Integrate with other websites
- An alternative to a website
- Monitor your brand awareness
Whether we like to admit it or not, social media is now a major part of our lives. From our homes, phones, businesses, educational systems and now health and not for profit sectors, we simply cannot escape the power of this major communicative tool.
Social media promotes participation, contributions and feedback within communities, which form quickly and communicate effectively, making them excellent for both personal and business needs. Most kinds of social media flourish on their connectedness, making use of links to other popular and useful websites, resources, groups, organisations and people.
Through social media you can find vast information, inspiration, like-minded people, varied communities and collaborators faster than ever before. You can get new ideas, products, services, business models and technologies emerging and evolving at records speeds.
Social media is like the glue that holds the online world (and ultimately all of us) together. If we lost this virtual reality, life would never be the same again, on or offline.
Internet gurus predicted that 2010 would see the integration of social media tools and platforms, through a single, unified experience. And moving forward in 2011 we can see that this unity is vital to meeting the ever growing digital and web user demands.
Facebook recently announced its user rates at 350 million, and this phenomenal figure accounts for 25% of the entire web’s traffic. 300,000 people are added to Twitter every day and YouTube exceeds 2 Billion views per day, with 24 hours of video uploaded every minute. We simply cannot escape this virtual monstrosity, with each set of figures rising each and every minute.
Businesses are starting to embrace social media, and now a cracking 94% of all enterprises are planning to invest in social media tools for business growth. Due to business user’s growing online stipulations, social media platforms are now adapting to meet, (and for many ardent webpreneurs), ‘exceed’ such virtual needs.
Social media can be massively time consuming. With the emergence of newer ways to communicate, share and promote online, it can often be seen as a virtual maze. When using social media for business, how do we best use our time and money? With only a few minutes a day, let alone hours, how do you even know the best route to success? And even for those who know how to utilise social media, many do not have the time to maintain their online brand presence.
Just because more people and businesses are starting to realise the positive effect social media has, doesn’t mean they know how to use it productively.
For most marketing plans it is vital to communicate to your clients and customers in the most original and relevant ways. And for now, this means following them into this virtual bubble. Therefore, it up to us, the web experts, to meet these expanding needs with innovative web platforms and through training people in business to utilise the power of social media, in the most simplistic, yet effective ways. Social media is fundamental to online success, and that is a fact that will continue to shape the future of our online communities.
Looking forward, social media users can expect to see solutions for saving much needed time and money, with the convergence of digital products and platforms. Mobile, TV, web, social media and video are now becoming entwined experiences, and in the evolving digital battle with virtual reality, people need simplistic solutions.
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About Lilach
Hey Lilach – great blog post – especially the bit about it being massively time consuming – but it’s time well spent allowing people to know you, like you, and to trust you. Thanks for sharing
Greg & Fiona Scott recently posted..Entrepreneur Mindset
Twitter: gandfscott
Hi Greg and Fiona
Many thanks for your comments. Yes social media is and can be time consuming. I agree it’s time well spent as long as you are getting a ROI (return on investment).
Building relationships with people does take time, on or offline and leveraging social media is an excellent method to do this.
Lilach
Is a great post indeed.
There is something being discussed lately you have mentioned it in an indirect way. You said network with like-minded people. Now there was a presentation in TED and he was talking about how Google and Facebook are filtering the information coming in to us so we will only get what we are interested in. But if you think about it what about the other ideas the extreme other side?
What do you think about that Lilach and how do you feel about the filtering issue going on?
Thank you for your time my dear.
Thanks Mohamed:) I think the great thing about Google + and Facebook is that it’s us creating the news and sharing what we want. If I choose to post something unless 100′s of people report it and it gets blocked it stays up there, therefore I’m confused as to how they filter the information? We choose what we see?
The technology and tools don’t take long to understand and use for most people and businesses. You’re right, it’s the time involved that is the biggest barrier for many. You have to use it regularly to get some return. It’s okay to back off a bit once you’ve established a presence and built relationships, but getting there takes a lot of time and effort.
Thanks Jeff. Yes you’re absolutely right and I get very frustrated by people claiming that you can get fast results from social media when it’s definitely a more long term strategy.
Social Media does take up a lot of time, just responding to comments alone on my blog can take time not to mention all my Twitter mentions and Facebook etc. I guess that’s why there have been a surge of social media marketing companies like myself – people just don’t have the time to carry out their social media but see the value in having it.
To know and be known…that is the ultimate goal of any human interaction. What more is social media than a facilitator of human interaction? Of all the points, #1 (Build Relationships) is the heavy hitter. Funny how many use Social Media as shameless self promotion – forgetting that in any healthy relationship, 10% of it is about you and 90% of it is about the other person with whom you’re interacting.
Social media is INCREDIBLY time consuming. I’ve been pretty amazed that for as much time as I feel that I spend there, it’s come back to me when I really least expect. It’s interesting that in a post where you talk about businesses embracing the medium, you also refer to getting support when you need it. I’ve seen that happen many times. I believe that we’re cultivating our business connections into a network or friends and confidants when it comes to social media.
Thanks Maranda:) I agree, it is incredibly time consuming. Which is why it’s even more important to not only have a strategy but also be disciplined with your time. Now more than ever people are looking to get a positive return on their time spent.
It takes time to build any relationship – I have used social media to build relationships with people around the world and it’s been a wonderful experience. Yes, it takes time, however, if you have a plan it’ll be worth it in the long run.
Ziz recently posted..Just be Curious
Thanks Ziz:) Absolutely, building relationships doesn’t happen overnight but by using social media as part of your marketing strategy not only, like you say, can you build relationships with people from all over the world but you can also enjoy the experience too:) Rome wasn’t build in a day and I’ve found the best things in life take time, but when you start to see the results, it’s so worth the wait:)
You have a very diverse and well done marketing site here with one exception…Your pop-up is preventing me from gathering any information from your articles. I may be interested in your book but I can’t be sure because i am unable to read more than two sentences before the pop-up covers it. It detracts from an otherwise very nice site.
Thanks Susan, appreciate your comment. If you don’t wish to see the pop up simply push the x button and it disappears.
Hi Lilach, You have identified one of the main issues for businesses (corporate,SMEs and sole traders), how do you manage social media and the multitude of social media tools that seem to change weekly? I can see outsourcing social media to consultants happening very quickly and a new advisory industry emerging. It is going to be interesting times ahead for business owners. Have you written many blog posts under the category of managing social media efficiently? It appears to be a very significant issue.
John Cosstick recently posted..Social Media Marketing Inisghts and Power Tips
Twitter: frelanceWkGuide
Thanks John:) Well as a social media manager/consultant I have this challenge on a daily basis, not just for my clients but also managing my own social media.
For me it’s about spending time researching trends and the latest tools. Finding out which are the best tools to help me save time and yet get the best results – that may not mean the new and most expensive tool.
From time to time I write reviews on tools that I use and you can see them throughout the blog.
Totally agree you can use social media for all types of different things! What i mainly do is build relationships rather then promoting products and services. It’s a great post and some really interesting facts and attention to detail!
Thanks for sharing!
Danny
Thanks Danny:) I agree social media is about building relationships and sharing value:)
Great article! Objective and simplified.
Twitter: Miccainfo