Introduction to Social Media Part 7

Just to be sure, if you are in any way, shape or form unclear as to the value of social media marketing, here are just 8 reasons why it needs to be part of your comprehensive online marketing plan. Maybe your current plan puts more emphasis on search engine marketing, maybe you're currently focused on outreach—those are all well and good. 

But to really round things out and add a lot more value to your current online marketing campaign, social media marketing has to be part of the equation. It doesn't have to take centre stage, it doesn't have to be your overarching priority, but it has to be part of the total mix.

Here are just 8 of the thousands of reasons why your company, regardless of its size, needs to do social media marketing.

Reason #1: Social Media's huge direct and viral reach

If you build a solid page on Facebook, you develop a direct reach. This means that a certain percentage of people who like your page will see your updates. While it is true that Facebook has been reducing the organic reach of Facebook pages recently, there's a workaround to that. When people go to your page, you can instruct them to like your page and then click your page's setting to show your updates first.

You might want to show a video that teaches people how to do this. You might even post an animated gif. Whatever you do, clue people in that they can fix their settings to see your updates first. Now, for people to take the time and bother to do this, you have to offer content that is really valuable. This puts the onus on you. There has to be real value on your page for them to want to do this. But you can increase your direct reach by instructing people.

On top of that, when people like your content, they can share it on their wall. Since people on Facebook have friends and their friends have friends, this can easily have an exponential effect. In fact, even if your page only has a hundred likes, but these are real people with real friends, don't be surprised if one of your posts gets really viral and spreads all over the place.

Social media enables you to have a large direct reach. It also provides you with a tremendous opportunity to enjoy an exponential content coverage.