Marketing techniques have certainly developed over the years due to the helping hand of social media. Its ability to increase awareness of a company or brand can’t be questioned. You can project your business to hundreds, thousands, or millions of potential clients, especially if you invest in social media advertising techniques.

There are an estimated 955 million Facebook users and 500 million Twitter users, which provides you with a large amount of people in one place to target your business at. With this being the case, many businesses utilize social media as their only marketing campaign outlet. Is it always wise to place all your eggs in one basket? Do other techniques such as leafleting, door to door flyering and newspaper adverts hold any benefit anymore?

Social Media Pros:

Instant marketing...

Social media is instant. If you need an opinion on a new product, your fans will give you feedback within a few minutes or hours, this is such a valuable asset to a fast moving business. It means you can interact with clients quickly and easily also.

Free and saves time...

Social media is completely free currently so there is no financial strain, it will just cost you your time to set up and maintain.
While it takes time to get the social media ball rolling, flying is also extremely time consuming, and if you aren’t doing it yourself, it can cost you. Newspaper adverts are also time-consuming as you have to prepare strong eye catching artwork in the correct size. Most small businesses are set up while the business owner remains in full time employment, this leaves little time and money to invest in flyering and newspaper adverts in the early stages of business.

Can reach several people...

Social media is extremely popular. Millions of users visit their social media account at least once a day if not several times, therefore having a business presence within social media is a no brainer. You can gain online awareness, connect with clients from all areas of the world and gain instant feedback.

Can easily guide people to you website...

To usher people to your website where your products or services await, you can post links to your pages so your fans/followers can click the link and easily be transferred where you hopefully can convert them into paying customers. With newspaper adverts and flying, the lazy amongst us might read your leaflet, but not bother to go any further. That’s if it isn’t placed straight into the recycling bin!

Social Media Cons:

Easy come easy go...

It is easy for people to like or follow you online. However turning them into actual customers can be another battle in itself. Once you build the momentum of gaining likes, you face time and effort in guiding people to purchase your products or services.

No face to face marketing...

There is a lot to be said to actual face to face networking. Real relationships can lead to good opportunities and recommendations. If you are meeting people in person, you can really sell your business and show your passion for it. You will also be remembered and come across and a genuine professional.

Complaints can damage business...

It’s great receiving compliments about you business, but it is just as easy for negative comments to appear on your page. While hopefully you run a professional business providing quality products, there is always going to be occasion for something to go wrong. Sometimes angry customers take it out on social media sites rather than dealing with you via email first. Of course these comments can be removed, but you must be prepared for this and work out a strategy to handle these incidents.

Here today, gone tomorrow...

Social media is a huge craze at the moment, but people are fickle, and it could be the case that it becomes unpopular or changes in years to come. If you market your business using traditional methods as well as social media you stand a chance of gaining full exposure and you are equipped if social media does start to dwindle.
There is no doubt that social media is a huge benefit for business that should be used while its popularity soars. However, if you really wish for your business to succeed, local relationships and face to face networking is just as important. Local people strive to support local businesses, and if you build genuine relationships with clients, they are likely to become regular customers which is the ultimate goal.
Take time to market you business in a variety of ways so you can gain a well rounded awareness of your business, and reach those who may not get targeted by your social media efforts.