Social Media Marketing: What Are Its Benefits?

It is a truism of industry that wherever people go, businesses soon follow. A recent example of this principle can be seen in the emergence of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ as websites with profitable business potential. For a business to maximize its internet marketing possibilities, being a member of these websites is necessary. However, opening an account and creating a page is just the beginning.

To use social media pages to improve sales, businesses must boost them, using techniques similar to the ones used to boost business websites. For most businesses, accomplishing the right techniques needs consulting with a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) company that focuses primarily on marketing.

The Business Benefits of Social Media

As recently as five years ago, social networks did not seem like fertile ground for burgeoning businesses. They did not, and still do not, offer payment gateways, and their emphasis was not, and still is not, on industry. The more members the websites attained, and the more customers received information from the Internet, the clearer it became that social media sites offered a profitable incoming marketing chance.

As demonstrated by the 2010 Social media Marketing Industry Review, that chance is as profitable as ever. Based on the report, which includes responses from over 1,800 marketers in the Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) arenas, Social media websites offer the following business benefits, among others:

Business exposure- Eighty-five % of the marketers said the websites generated visibility for their business. The benefits below touch on the results of the visibility.

Increased traffic- Sixty-three % of marketers said their business website experienced more traffic, a rise in subscribers, or a larger opt-in list because of the websites.

New company partnerships- Fifty-six % of marketers said the websites assisted them form new business relationships.

Improved search rankings- Fifty-four % of marketers said the websites assisted enhanced the Search Engine Results Position (SERP) of their business website.

Qualified lead generation- Fifty-two % of marketers said the websites assisted them generate certified leads.

Improved sales- Forty-eight % of marketers said the websites assisted them sell products or services, or close business deals.

For most businesses, maximizing these benefits needs marketing techniques that improve the SERP of media webpages in the search engines of their respective websites. As more customers use social media to find businesses, the importance of accomplishing a high SERP in the search engines of social websites will improve.

Conclusion

To say that social media marketing is the new frontier of online marketing is accurate. It currently offers one of the best incoming marketing possibilities on the web or elsewhere. If your business is not receiving the benefits above from its social pages, consult with an SEM company that is an expert on media marketing. It may be the best decision you could make for your business online and your business in general.

In researching social media marketing, I studied the value of social media websites for incoming marketing.