Sometimes a prospective client will ask who is actually using Social Media Marketing as part of their advertising methods. Interestingly, when the question is turned around they will generally give me one of two polar opposite responses. Most people seem to believe either:

• Only big companies who have big ad budgets use Social Media
• Only small companies who have no advertising budget use Social Media–and they do it all themselves

What I find most interesting about each of these beliefs is that often people are using this belief as a way to prove to themselves that they can’t use or don’t need to factor Social Media Marketing into their business plan!

Certainly there are large, national corporations who are using Social Media, such as Sam’s Club, Sears, OfficeMax and Office Depot, Walgreens and JC Penneys. And, many of these corporations may do this work in-house or through their advertising agency.

It is also true that small “Mom and Pop” type businesses are also using Social Media, either because they don’t have a large advertising budget or because they realize that they can reach their target audience cost-effectively this way.

There are lots of other examples of businesses using Social Media, businesses of all sizes with a wide range of advertising budgets. For example, here in Loveland, Colorado can find Facebook, Twitter and YouTube icons featured as part of print advertisements for local medical centers,  a regional farm supply store,  a local furniture store, an area health food store, heating and air conditioning repair service and real estate agents.

Why are all these companies, large and small, using things like Twitter and Facebook? Because they know that many of their customers do, too. For an advertising campaign to be effective it has to reach your potential customer base. So rather that throwing money at advertising media that no longer work for much more than a doorstop, you deserve to check out how Social Media Marketing can help your business find new customers and keep in touch with your existing customers so they keep coming back!