We hear a similar question all the time: “Why does my business need social media?”

There are four pretty compelling reasons to consider this:

  1. You get to listen to your customers. Social media is not about the tools available but rather the conversations that are taking place on the web, whether you like it or not, people are talking about you, your products or your services. Participating in these online communities give you the opportunity to listen to what others are saying about you. It gives you the opportunity to tweak and tune your marketing and even your products and services.
  2. Brand building. Participating in social media is an outstanding way for small businesses, even start up businesses to gain exposure to what they are doing. The viral impact of being online and participating in these already established communities is an incredible way to let people know that you exist.
  3. Gather feedback. Where else can you go to get instant feedback from your customers? If you are thinking of making any changes to your business, your marketing, your messages, or your products or services, social media gives you the ability to create an instant feedback channel to give you input from what your customers are thinking.
  4. Add personality. It is a widely known fact that people are looking for connections online, just look at the impact of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, growing at unprecedented rates. With all these people online and having conversations in these communities, you now have the chance to show these people you are authentic, real, and gives them all the more reason to do business with you.