It’s estimated, that by the end of 2016, nearly a third of the world’s population will be on social media. It’s become clear that social media as a marketing channel can no longer be ignored. A few years ago, having a social media marketing campaign was nice, today it’s essential. Here’s a look at seven reasons why.

Your competition is doing it

Whether you have a social media marketing campaign or not, you can be sure your competition does, or soon will. Once a marketing channel reaches saturation, it’s a little late to jump on the bandwagon. Now’s a great time to get started before everyone else is doing it.

Traditional marketing is on its way out

If you’re content to rely, on more traditional marketing channels, you might want to look at the writing on the wall. A lot of research suggests that traditional marketing methods are on their way out. And while that is still many years off, you can be sure that as social media marketing grows, older marketing channels will decrease in effectiveness.

Your target audience is using it

Whoever your target audience is, you can be sure they’re on social media. Whether you’re marketing to pre-teens, teenagers, the middle-aged, or the elderly, you can find them online. In fact, the fastest growing demographic on social media is the over 65 age group. It’s no longer limited to the younger generations.

It’s cheap

As marketing channels go, there’s nothing cheaper than social media. After all, you can’t beat free. That’s right, you can start several social media accounts for your business and begin posting content all without spending a penny. If you do choose to invest further in social media marketing, you can do paid advertising as well and it will still be cheaper than many other forms of marketing.

It generates leads

Because so many people are on social media these days, it’s a great way to generate leads. Social media is a great way to be noticed by those who might not hear about you otherwise.

It helps you study your market

Most social media platforms allow you to get an in-depth look at your social media followers. By studying their likes, dislikes, check-in behavior, etc… you get a good look at the market. As you get to know your audience better, you can know how to better reach them.

It turns your customers into advocates

Every small business has that small group of loyal customers they could never live without. Now imagine you can make those same customer your advocates in gaining more loyal customers. Social media marketing allows you to do just that. Your loyal customers become your advocates as they share your business with their friends and family online.

Source: mensxp.com/work-life/business-skills/23164-7-reasons-why-social-media-marketing-is-an-absolute-must.html