I am always surprised by the number of people that ask "what is the use of social media.
" It is understandable that people see social networks as a place for people to chat and share experiences - after all, that's what these platforms are for.
But many people cannot seem to see beyond that element or, more importantly, people cannot see the potential rewards of being involved in this networking.
And, of course, I am talking business and profits.
Imagine you are at a party.
Let us say that you have just bought a new camera - a nice digital one with a few mod cons like video and self timer.
You are bound to tell your friends at the party about your new toy.
They will ask you what it is like.
They may ask if it is easy to use, what it feels like, if it is fast, if it fits into the pocket and a whole host of other potential questions.
Why do they ask these things? Well, many people may ask simply because they are being polite or because they are making a conversation.
But other people will ask because they are trying to decide if they wish to make the same (or a similar) purchase.
Some people will be ready to buy and will take any positive recommendation as a powerful stimulus for their decision.
Others will not yet be ready, but will take the information they glean from informal discussions to inform them about future purchases.
Social media platforms are your virtual parties.
You meet and greet people in a similar way and the conversations are almost identical.
The content of those conversations will incorporate the likes and dislikes of the particular individuals and, more importantly, the experiences they have had with a product or service.
Social media helps people to make buying decisions.
If your company is part of the conversation then you can be part of those decisions.