What’s social media really good for, anyway, when it comes to growing your brand and making more money?

Think of it this way:  Social media creates true brand advocates for your company, and they have serious power in carrying forward your good name and resulting in higher sales or leads. This is not the same as building hundreds of followers or sending out random posts daily without follow-up. Building brand advocates is the truth behind social media as part of your marketing strategy. And, here’s another critical note:  it’s just part of your marketing strategy. Social media can’t stand alone as your marketing efforts, and it can’t be omitted, either.

The truth is that social media is one avenue for having valuable, consistent conversation and dialogue with your leads or potential buyers (or donors). The keywords you utilize in blogs, posts, online polls, contests, Pinboards and LinkedIn conversations fit within the traditional marketing basics, such as releasing company news pieces, keeping your website fresh and new and utilizing a carefully planned mailer when the time is right.

Here’s another truth to ponder:  While you can establish a social media strategy yourself and carry it out, social media professionals have experience and training in how to put your social media strategy into your overall marketing efforts for maximum value. They know how it all fits together, and they know how to track, analyze, tweak and track again when it comes to gaining valuable leads and customer loyalty. This allows you to present real results to higher powers and to get your peers. It also helps you hone in on trends and overall tactics beneficial to your complete marketing strategy that zero in on your unique audience.

Social media isn’t the end-all be-all of marketing success for your company, just like any one tool you employ can’t represent all your branding efforts. It also requires a consistent effort and a planned strategy, thus avoiding random acts of post. It can seem expensive at first, while you’re growing your base of advocates. However, it’s also one of the most dynamic, creative, rewarding and effective ways to generate a loyal audience and keep them around for a long time.

Here’s a final truth to chew on:  As quoted by Zig Ziglar, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.” Start implementing a clear, planned strategy for social media as a tool in your overall marketing strategy today.