One obstacle many businesses face is the challenge of finding a way to connect to their customers.
Consumers ignore billboards, change the station when an ad comes on the radio, and mute the TV during commercial breaks.
The best estimates for impressions and results for these media are just that - estimates.
Social media campaigns, on the other hand, are primarily opt-in, allowing for high quality, narrowly targeted impressions with tangible, easily measured results.
In a report from 2010, Web measurement firm Compete Inc.
found that Facebook directed more online users than Google, becoming the top source to major portals like Yahoo or MSN as well as a being a leader among other types of sites.
In increasing volumes, consumers are using Facebook and similar platforms as an outlet to find news, entertainment, products and information based on their friends' recommendations or activities.
In June 2010, Syncapse released a study pinning the average worth of a single Facebook fan at $136.
38 Fans were also found to be 28 percent more likely than non-fans to continue using a brand and 41 percent more likely to recommend a business, product or service to their friends.
Word-of-mouth has long been recognized as one of the most effective forms of publicity, as most consumers tend to trust their friends and peers, and social media marketing is built on the same premise.
Not only is a dynamic social media campaign an excellent tool for connecting to existing customers; it also has the potential to improve your search rankings.
Although social media was previously not considered to be a factor in search engine optimization (SEO), Google's Matt Cutts announced in December that Google is now using this in its ranking algorithm.
Although a successful social media campaign requires an investment of time, the potential ROI is substantial.
Social media is an effective tool for building brand loyalty, driving traffic to your website, and bringing in new and repeat customers.
With a positive impact on SEO as well, social media is a clear choice for any business hoping to strengthen its online presence.