Social media is not just a fad – well, not anymore. Almost 2 billion people use social media, not just to connect with friends, but to do various kinds of businesses, as well. And there have been many proofs that online engagement on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the likes have produced good results and conversions. However, top executives still doubt the influence of social media. If you are one of them, here are some reasons why you should take tweeting and liking seriously.

Social media is where your customers are

In branding and advertising, it is a general rule to be where your customers are. On the Internet, your customers are spending hours of their time on social media. Thus, make sure they see you as often as possible. Reach out to them and tell them that there are people behind your brand and not just pure advertisements.

Social networking sites can serve as advertising platforms

Why spend thousands of dollars renting billboards, printing flyers, or doing TV ads when social media can provide you with free – or relatively cheap – advertising options? All you need is a page for your brand and people can start following your updates.

You get numbers, insights, and feedback

What you can’t get on traditional advertising, you can get from social media marketing. This includes analytics numbers and feedback from customers. Because social media involves two-way communication and is measureable, you can get both quantitative and qualitative insights that can help you improve your brand or business further.

Finally, people take social media seriously.

They spend hours engaging with friends, connecting with colleagues, following updates, sharing posts, liking images, and retweeting useful information. In short, people are serious about their social media activities. And so should you!