What is Social Media?
Social media isn't just for young people, reports The New York Times:
According to Forrester [Research], use of social media among those 35 to 54 jumped 60 percent in the last year. Half of online adults in the United States interact on social networks and more than three-fourths used social media in the last month.
Most of the adults online regularly visit sites with user-generated content, like blogs and Google's YouTube, Forrester found. Only a quarter actually post stories or upload video, though that is growing with easy-to-use online tools. The number of adults who joined social networks last year grew almost 50 percent from the year before. Today, only 18 percent of online adults do not use social tools, down from 25 percent last year.
Social media is extremely powerful because, unlike traditional media, it isn’t just one-way communication. Social media enables you to connect with your customers through two-way conversations. Because others must give you permission to connect with them, you know you’re reaching people who are genuinely interested in your products and services. Moreover, once you connect with your customers, you can reach them again and again at no additional cost. Social media also lets your customers tell each other about their experiences with your products and services. Studies show that people are three to five times more likely to use a product that’s used by someone else within their social network.
Learn more about New England Social Media's approach to social media marketing.