by Lee Ann Kuster.
Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, YouTube, blogs, microblogs, v-logs, RSS, podcasts, videocasts, chat rooms, message boards! With all the options available to today’s businesses, how do you know which one is right for your business communications plan?
According to Nielsen’s recent report, “Global Faces and Networked Places,” between December 2007 and December 2008, the amount of time consumers globally spent on social networking site FaceBook increased by a staggering 566 percent – from 3.1 billion minutes to 20.5 billion minutes. So you might think that FaceBook is the best place to reach your audience, right? But is your target market there? Maybe. Maybe not. And if they are there, finding a credible, meaningful way to get them to participate with can be a significant challenge.
Nielsen also reported that unique visitors to social network phenomenon Twitter “increased 1,382 percent year-over-year, from 475,000 unique visitors in February 2008 to 7 million in February 2009, making it the fastest growing site in the Member Communities category for the month.” So, maybe you should be active in the Twitterverse.
And what about podcasts? Podcast download growth has been characterized as “massive,” with 18 percent of Internet users downloading podcasts daily. And the guy on the treadmill next to you at the gym isn’t listening to music on his iPod, he’s listening to the latest NPR podcast.
Social networks are communications channels just like TV, radio and newspapers. They are simply another vehicle through which companies can use to communicate, engage and connect with their target audiences. The key is understanding who your audience is, and where and how they like to get their information.
Whether you are marketing to consumers or to businesses, integrating a social media component into your overall communications plan is a smart business move.
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