As the world changes, so do the ways in which we should do business: it's a simple fact of life. One of the biggest opportunities for innovation-and necessitators of change-to hit the business community and society in general has been the internet; there are simply countless new ways to proceed that weren't available or viable before the advent of the web.
Of heightened pertinence to businesses in general has been the rise of Web 2.0, in particular the various purposes and ways to use social media outlets at the moment. As is more than evident by now, such social media sites offer businesses perhaps the most efficient and massive means for growing their company's network connections and developing a strong market reputation.
Social media websites have flourished on the web at a rate that makes them seem almost like a plague-but this is one infection that any savvy business person will be sure to want to have! The basic reason for the burgeoning of social media online is that there is no single legitimate way for people to relate, online or otherwise-any site offering people a way to communicate with each other and a slurry of other interactive features is going to get users, though not necessarily as many as others.
This uncontainable urge to "socialize" online displayed by a wide segment of the population is a fertile breeding ground for business relationshipsone that should not be overlooked. The failure to embrace such means is by now tantamount to committing business suicide.
Regardless of whether or not certain people seem to think that social media sites are for kids and don't have much use, there is absolutely nothing that could possibly be more incorrect: despite the fact that some may use it so, that is not the defining feature of social media. In the end, these media platforms permit a businessperson to found a solid brand name, show their professionalism and raise the chances of people becoming their customers.
The biggest reason to use social media sites-beyond the fact that countless potential customers are lurking in such sites-is that they are absolutely free. That's right: an invaluable business-growing tool without a price tag! Such things actually do exist, and only on the internet.
With a constant and coordinated effort, it is conceivable to transform a roughly 10-minute daily chore into the central feature of your business's relationship and network building campaign (and, as a byproduct, marketing as well). That kind of effectiveness is extremely difficult to surpass, particularly when using offline methods.
Though several social media organizations have come and gone, the most successful and used at the moment include: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Delicious. The more of them that one uses for networking and relationship building, the larger the audience that is reached-though balancing depth and scope is always an issue to be handled wisely.
All in all, the potentially exponential growth in brand recognition and network connections that a business stands to gain via the use of social media means that these technologies will continue their drive at the heart of business priorities.
Of heightened pertinence to businesses in general has been the rise of Web 2.0, in particular the various purposes and ways to use social media outlets at the moment. As is more than evident by now, such social media sites offer businesses perhaps the most efficient and massive means for growing their company's network connections and developing a strong market reputation.
Social media websites have flourished on the web at a rate that makes them seem almost like a plague-but this is one infection that any savvy business person will be sure to want to have! The basic reason for the burgeoning of social media online is that there is no single legitimate way for people to relate, online or otherwise-any site offering people a way to communicate with each other and a slurry of other interactive features is going to get users, though not necessarily as many as others.
This uncontainable urge to "socialize" online displayed by a wide segment of the population is a fertile breeding ground for business relationshipsone that should not be overlooked. The failure to embrace such means is by now tantamount to committing business suicide.
Regardless of whether or not certain people seem to think that social media sites are for kids and don't have much use, there is absolutely nothing that could possibly be more incorrect: despite the fact that some may use it so, that is not the defining feature of social media. In the end, these media platforms permit a businessperson to found a solid brand name, show their professionalism and raise the chances of people becoming their customers.
The biggest reason to use social media sites-beyond the fact that countless potential customers are lurking in such sites-is that they are absolutely free. That's right: an invaluable business-growing tool without a price tag! Such things actually do exist, and only on the internet.
With a constant and coordinated effort, it is conceivable to transform a roughly 10-minute daily chore into the central feature of your business's relationship and network building campaign (and, as a byproduct, marketing as well). That kind of effectiveness is extremely difficult to surpass, particularly when using offline methods.
Though several social media organizations have come and gone, the most successful and used at the moment include: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Delicious. The more of them that one uses for networking and relationship building, the larger the audience that is reached-though balancing depth and scope is always an issue to be handled wisely.
All in all, the potentially exponential growth in brand recognition and network connections that a business stands to gain via the use of social media means that these technologies will continue their drive at the heart of business priorities.
About the Author:
Damian Papworth understands the influence social media can have on branding. This is why he actively uses websites like FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube for internet marketing strategies
