I need to rethink Social Media

I confess that, with a snub of my nose, I have advised my business to business clients that social media is great - if you're selling Easter Eggs. The reality is that the days of neglecting social media as part of your strategy are over. It is now essential that your company be part of this dominant form of communication in our society. Here are the numbers:

• Facebook now has over 1.6 billion monthly active users, and is used by 64% of Americans ages 12 and up.

• As of 2016, over 50 million businesses use Facebook pages, and 1/3 of users engage with brands on a regular basis.

• Over 400 million users are active on Instagram each month, and an enormous 68% engage with brands regularly.

• LinkedIn now has over 430 million users, and is essential for B2B engagement. Over 90% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content, and 50% of users say they are more likely to buy from a company they engage with on this platform.

• Twitter has over 300 million monthly users, and is a great place for people to interact with brands. Over 42% of users learn about a product or service through this platform, 41% provide opinions on products and services here, and almost 20% look for customer support on Twitter.

Facebook still dominates the landscape of social media and has users that cut across every demographic category, meaning it is an essential component of virtually any marketing plan. The numbers listed prove that other social networks should not be ignored in your plans, but instead incorporated in a targeted and integrated communications program. And the social media landscape is constantly changing – so be ready for new and exciting ways to connect with your customers.