Why Social Media?
Social Media is rapidly changing the way people communicate and the way consumers buy products and services. Traditional marketing campaigns are losing their effectiveness – consumers don’t trust advertising. The world of social media opens up a world of opportunities and some challenges for businesses.
Social Networks Are a Major Influence in American & Worldwide Cultures
- 96% of Generation Y Are Part of a Social Network*
- Social Media is the #1 Activity on the Web*
- If Facebook Were a Country, It would be the 3rd Largest
- 80% of Companies are Using LinkedIn as Their Primary Tool to Find Employees*
- YouTube is the 2nd Largest Search Engine in the World*
Blogs and Bloggers Are Influential
- There are Over 200,000,000 Blogs*
- 34% of Bloggers Post Opinions About Products or Brands*
- 73% of Active Online Users Have Read a Blog
Traditional Advertising Isn’t “Cutting It” Anymore
- Only 14% of Consumers Trust Advertisements*
- Only 18% of Traditional TV Ads Generate a Positive ROI*
- 70% of 18-34 Year Olds Have Watched TV on the Web*
- 24 of the Largest 25 Newspapers are Experiencing Record Declines in Circulation*
Benefits from Social Media
Social media can be a lot of fun for people who use the various sites for recreation. It also offers some serious benefits for businesses that know how to use it as a marketing tool, including public relations, customer service, loyalty building, collaboration, networking, thought leadership, and most importantly, customer acquisition.
According to the results of one major industry study, the Social Media Industry Report by Stelzner, businesses who use social media found the following benefits:
- Generated exposure: 81%
- Increased web traffic: 61%
- Increased search engine rankings: 51%
- Generated qualified leads 48%
- Reduced marketing expenses 45%
- Helped close new business: 35%
Benefits of Facebook
- 68% of Fans indicated that they would recommend a business
- Facebook Fans are reported as spending $71.84 more per year than non-fans
- Facebook Fans are showing an average Total Yearly Value of $136.38 per year (through direct business and referrals)
*Socialnomics
