If you are focusing on the core of your business, it might seem distracting to simultaneously work on a social marketing strategy. After all, aren't places like MySpace and Facebook only populated by kids? The answer is no – the average age of MySpace users is now in the mid-thirties, and more and more e-businesses are discovering that social marketing is not just effective but actually critical.

Here are four important reasons why your business needs a social marketing strategy:

To Improve Your Search Engine Placement

Search engine marketing is the cornerstone of many businesses. What other advertising method can provide such a steady stream of highly qualified potential customers for free? And the higher your company ranks in the search engine results, the more traffic will flow to your website.

One of the ways to be better placed in search engine results is to receive links from other websites in your field of interest – and social marketing is a great way to attract these links. When you get people talking about your website, they'll naturally want to tell their friends and readers to check out your information, and they'll do it by linking to your site. Those links can help make you more visible to people trying to find sites like yours in search engines.

Make Your Brand Memorable

People won't be able to buy your product if they can't remember who you are or what you do. Social marketing is a great way to emphasise your brand and help people remember what your company is all about – without annoying them with unwanted advertising. Social marketing can help you tell your company's story in a way that engages and interests your clients.

To Learn More about Your Customers

The more you know about your customers, the better you will be able to understand their problems and tailor your products to help them solve those issues. Social marketing is a great way to connect with your customers on a new level, and engage them in a conversation that will benefit you both. Best of all, you can discover this information from those most likely to use your products and services, without costly focus groups and surveys.

To Provide Information about Your Products and Services

Social media is a wonderful place to provide information about your company to people who are curious about what you do and how you do it. You can educate, inform, and tantalise potential customers, which is critical in helping your customers through the buying process. Social media is a means of promoting your business to a different audience in a way most people appreciate.

Social marketing is a low-cost marketing method that can be extremely effective in creating buzz and spreading the word about your business. If you would like to explore how it can help your business, please call 08452 579606