Building Social Media Platforms for Growing Brands

By: Heather Smith

Posted: July 6, 2009, from the July 2009 issue of GCI Magazine.

page 2 of 6

Considering these results, it is difficult to come up with a compelling argument against the implementation of a social media marketing campaign.

Further, the study indicated businesses should use social media to:

Solve problems, 43%

• Obtain user feedback on product and services, 41%
• Enable consumers to interact with the company brand, 37%
• Market to consumers, 25%

Finally, the companies in this study who were currently using social media reported the following:

• Improved feedback, 78%
• Improved customer satisfaction, 66%
• Improved customer support, 71%
• Increased sales, 40%
• Improved public perception of company, 75%

Keep in mind that although social media is among the driving force behind successful—and economical—sales, marketing and PR right now, there can be a lot of noise out there too. So be strategic and efficient with your social media campaign. It will only be a time drain if you let it, so make a schedule. Be sure to have goals, focus on your brand and your community.

Work Flow