I think we want social media but we don’t really know why!

I have had a few interesting new business meetings recently with intelligent marketers from brands across several industries and I have noticed that the desire for social media is increasing.

However, although the desire is growing this is usually accompanied with a strong need to understand the real tangible benefits of SM. I am sure many social media specialists across the globe are noticing the same thing.

It’s normal for people to want to understand what they are buying. The new business process normally consists of us going through all of its benefits and then being told “we are only interested in one thing – increased sales.”

To be honest every client I have met seems to have a different reason for using social media and each solution is usually bespoke and I think this is going to continue for the foreseeable future until everyone starts to fully understand its benefits.

I see the main benefits at present as follows:

• Stronger relationships with key audience influencers/bloggers
• A possible increase in website traffic through better SEO
• Increased membership of clients social network channels
• Increased positive blog and news coverage
• Useful ideas, initiatives and feedback via direct interaction with key customers

As social media is still in its infancy sometimes I still detect a small amount of cynicism from marketers, which is is understandable after the Dot Com crash of the nineties.

The truth is social media is cost effective and extremely easy to measure but very hard to evaluate. If people are already talking about your client or brand – why not get involved in that conversation? It just seems daft to stick your head in the sand and wait.

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