The Importance of Being (un)Earnest...

Why is social media so important for businesses?

Not insinuating that I am old (tsk-tsk), but I have been in the crazy world of marketing and media for almost two decades. For a while we had the privilege of working and creating magic on behalf of clients with ridiculous budgets. There was a time when, if clients wanted to launch a product or promotion, the budget usually exceeded a cool million. It was staggering, I've jetted to lavish and sometimes exotic locations to do a quick photo/fashion shoot. I've gone to remote little towns, all in hope of creating the perfect pizza advert. It was a given; if you wanted to be noticed as a brand, it meant delving deep into marketing budgets to make it happen.

Furthermore; successful consumer reach back then, usually meant spending double the amount on airtime, print ads and outdoor media. If it wasn't on a billboard or in the Sunday newspapers, it simply wasn't out there! Agencies and media houses alike coined big time.

Somewhere between the 2007/2009 mark, suddenly the "world" as we knew it, started responding less to traditional media. There was a shift. Marketing experienced a "dead zone" where nothing happened. Regardless of the bait, no one was biting. This temporary "dead zone", was all thanks to the Zuckerbergs out there, Yahoo's Jerry Yang and Google's Larry Page.

"Initially (I think) no one ever imagined the impact social media would have on media and marketing (and basically everything else out there). But it truly shaped and rerouted life as we know it. With less reach in traditional media, brands still needed to get their voice heard and what better way than to jump on the social band wagon."

Oh my, how things have changed in the "social scene"? I remember when we first suggested to clients to have social pages for their businesses, most were so reluctant and hesitant. Looking at social media currently, as well as its reach and the price tags alongside it, it is truly astounding just what and who we can reach for very little dough.

It was unthinkable in my early years, spending $50 a day could not even secure a spot in the local newspaper's classified section. Now we are spoiled with selecting our target audience and demographics, (from their age, to location, interests etc), and being able to reach tens-of-thousands with these modest budgets.

Frequently I search for brands I admire, or support on social media, and what amazes me today however, is the lack of interest still from some businesses and brands to either fully penetrate social platforms or have a presence at all. With that said, I have also noticed how very small brands and startups exploded over night as a direct result of their online engagement.

With the help of social media, the competition pool for most industries have opened up and become so much bigger. It simply doesn't make sense when consumer-reliant brands are not active. Traditional advertising is going nowhere slowly and social media is the new word-of-mouth. By merely placing your product and services' marketing efforts on "auto-pilot" means at some point, one of your competitors (regardless of size or age), will overtake you, they will outshine you, which could kill you.