Turn anywhere on the internet these days and you will see articles touting Facebook and Twitter to market your business. The television advertises which celebrities have the biggest Twitter followings. And even the news programs discuss the virtues of “staying connected” through social media sites. But, do you really need to use social media to promote and market your business?

Today, more than ever, businesses are struggling for market share.  Traditional advertising mediums are returning dismal results for many business owners. Honestly, when was the last time you dragged out the big, heavy yellow pages to find a particular business? For many people, the internet is their link to finding businesses in the market they are seeking.

How can social media help?

First, let’s look at what social media is, and is not. Social media is a way to interact, in a very personal way, with your customers and potential customers. It allows you to receive instant feedback on products and services, so you can gauge whether your market is satisfied or you need to make some adjustments.

For instance, let’s say you just launched your new widget. You think it’s a great widget, but within the first few hours of your widget hitting the market you begin to see tweets on Twitter saying that your widget has a problem. If you are looking to give great customer service (and you definitely should be) then you have an opportunity to respond, again through Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks, letting your customers know that you are aware of their concerns and you are looking at options. Not only will your customers see that you are responding, but everyone in their network of friends and followers will see this as well. This type of response can build a huge customer loyalty, as long as you follow through and fix the issue.

On the reverse side, when you launch your widget and it makes your customers very happy many of them will post a testimonial on their social networks, if you have a presence there as well.

While social media is a great way to build customer relationships and loyalty, it is not intended to be a direct marketing outlet. There are online solutions for direct marketing, but social media is intended to be, well… social. It is intended that people will interact with one another.  It’s like going to a dinner party and getting to know the other guests. Just be casual, find out what they are interested in, determine how you can fill a need they may have, and be ready to respond when they show an interest.

No one likes being sold to, but online customers have raised this dislike to an art form. The personal touch is nearly lost in the online world, and your customers crave that interaction.  Social media allows you to give them what they crave.

Do you need social marketing as a part of your marketing strategy. Only if you want to survive in the online world.