MBOMBELA – Social media may have transformed the way some of us do business, but it has not replaced other forms of marketing altogether.
As business owner in the digital age, you might have already combined your traditional and digital marketing strategies, but now you need to get a process in place to coordinate all your marketing messages and tactics to compensate for one another’s weaknesses.

The importance of social media for your business

1. Social media is an easy way to learn about your audience
2. It helps target audiences more effectively
3. It helps find new customers and expands your audience
4. Social media allows you to receive instant feedback from your customers’ perspective
5. It improves market intelligence and to get ahead of your competitors with social media
6. Social media can help increase website traffic and search ranking
7. Share content easier and faster with social media
8. Social media helps generate leads for much cheaper
9. Create meaningful relationships with customers through social media
10. It lets you increase brand awareness and reach with little to no budget.

While newer methods such as social-media marketing work well, it is a good idea not to completely replace traditional methods such as print or older forms of online marketing such as display or banner advertising.
Combined, the three yield results much greater than the sum of the parts as each medium appeals to different people and audiences.
Both social media and online display advertising require an understanding of how to get the most out of them, and taking an integrated approach will always be a recipe for success.
But social media can be time-consuming, especially if you’re doing it right.
This means maximising your social-media productivity and getting interactive by looking for the newest and best content to share with clients or your industry, responding to fans and followers, and facilitating conversations that result in relationships with potential clients.
However, getting results can take time and you may find that you are spending a lot of time online and neglecting other tasks as a result.

Contact the Lowveld Media sales department on 013-754-1600 to advertise on Lowveld Media’s online platforms.

Also see:

• Advertise in the right publication

• Study finds advertising locally is more effective