Social media has forever changed the way we discover, connect, chat, and share information. It’s the technology that connects us all together – whether it’s to simply sit and chat with friends and family or to share great content to grow your brand.

Some of the top popular social networks today include: Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, WhatsApp, SnapChat Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Social media isn’t just important – it’s a critical component of your marketing mix.

Let us explain …

Social media marketing can be used in order to drive repeat business, build relationships, interact with your customers, and even bring in new customers. This can be done with something as simple as friends sharing with friends. If you think about it, social media marketing has turned into society’s modern-day “word-of-mouth.”

For those of you just getting started don’t worry, social media platforms won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Today, consumers both young and old visit social media sites in order to review services and products before they make their buying decisions. It isn’t just consumers either, there are many business professionals that visit social media sites in order to do research on potential vendor partnerships, looking to hire new employees and even product research. It doesn’t matter what niche you’re in, social media should be added to your marketing mix.

Research indicates that around 75% of people are likely to share content that they like with their online friends and 49% of them do it on a weekly basis. For example, when you see something you like on Facebook, don’t you click that “share” button and add it to your timeline?

There is no denying the fact just how vital social media is because of the many different benefits. The biggest benefit for your business would be the ability to have an ongoing dialogue with existing customers and prospects. This will give you the opportunity to influence potential customers to buy from you.

No, social media isn’t going to replace the conventional marketing channels, those channels will always be needed. But they are no longer useful if you use them on their own.

Social media will help push you towards a more honest dialogue with your audience, all while increasing brand awareness and sales. That’s why it’s a critical component in your marketing mix!