1. Social media channels can provide direct access to your customers, clients, and prospects. Would you agree that the people you do business with are active on social media? If so, to find out which platforms they frequent, where they go on those platforms, then to establish your own presence there is a marketing fundamental.
2. Social media channels allow you to listen to the audience you desire to reach. The FIRST thing every company should do on social media is LISTEN. Do that and you immediately place yourself ahead of the pack. By hearing what your customers and potential customers have to say, by understanding their needs and desires, you gather the information necessary to frame your marketing messages in a way that will appeal to the people who can make or break your success.
3. Social media channels give you a way to learn from your competitors. You can leverage social media as a tool to find out what your competitors are doing. By analyzing their tactics, you can gain insight to their strategy and apply it to your own. You can get tips on what to do and learn (from watching them make mistakes) what not to do. Social media presents an idea platform for competitive intelligence.

In this whitepaper, we will walk through the why and how of social media. If you want to see your social media activity produce a healthy return on investment, download the paper.