Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Flipboard 0 If social media consistently isn’t in your marketing arsenal, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful tools available to you. People aren’t using the phone book to find products and services anymore. They’re asking Facebook friends, turning to their Twitter followers, or using a search engine to get the goods. Here are the reasons social media is so powerful. 1. Social Media is Inexpensive Image via Flickr by kenteegardin Social media costs a fraction of what traditional advertising does. Setting up and posting to Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, Google+ pages, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Foursquare, and others is completely free. However, it’s inaccurate to say these advertising methods are completely free, because you’ll need to have someone on staff or a contractor with the skills to set up, promote, and post to these social media sites. Still, the cost of advertising per 1,000 people on social media is far less than traditional media such as TV, radio, billboards, trade show display exhibiting etc. 2. Social Media is a Direct Link to Customers Image via Flickr by pamlau.com All of the other traditional advertising media are inbound. This means you can get your message out, but there’s no way for customers to give you feedback on how they’re responding to your messages. You either get the sales or you don’t and by then you’ve spent a fortune. Social media lets customers find you and allows them to let you know how they’re receiving your products and your messages. 3. Social Media is a Direct Link to Industry Leaders Image via Flickr by MDGovpics Want to know what the top professionals and companies in your industry are doing to be so successful? It’s right there on their Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and LinkedIn accounts. Linking to industry leaders is an excellent networking tool and a good learning opportunity. Also, local customers can find you easier when you’re networked with the industry’s best. 4. Social Media Builds Relationships Image via Flickr by mozzercork TV ads, billboards, and radio ads are static, not dynamic. Social media lets your customers know you and allows you to get to know them. You’re not just tossing your message out, you’re interacting with your customer base and building a relationship with them. Reach out to your customers in a real and meaningful way on social media and you’ll see a customer loyalty you’d never achieve with traditional advertising methods. 5. Social Media Improves Search Engine Results Image via Flickr by jrbrusseau One of the best tactics for reaching the top of search engine results for your website is with social media accounts. Top search engines don’t just pull the search engine optimized content from your website, they also look for social media posts relating to what people are searching for. You greatly increase your chance of landing high in searches with well-linked social media accounts. Link these accounts to your website, blog, and to each other for the best success. With social media as a marketing tool, your efforts will go further for less money while reaching more people with a better message. The world (and its billions of potential customers) is literally at your fingertips. Twitter Tweet Facebook Share Email This article was written for Business 2 Community by Timothy Carter.Learn how to publish your content on B2C Author: Timothy Carter Follow @TimothyCarter Industry veteran Timothy Carter is the Director of Search for Hempsi & Chief Revenue Officer for SEO.co. Tim leads all revenue for the company and oversees all customer-facing teams - including sales, marketing & customer success. He has spent more than 20 years in the world of SEO &… View full profile ›More by this author:4 Ways to Become a More Empathetic Leader3 Proven Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website in 2020 and BeyondHow Often is Google’s Search Algorithm Updated?