Will Social Media Gain Wider Acceptance in a Faltering Economy?

You can’t ignore all the talk about the economy these days. With unemployment up, consumer confidence down, and the government struggling to reach a consensus on how to best deal with the crisis, businesses small and large are navigating stormy waters. But despite the dreary forecasts, I'm wondering if there isn't an opportunity in this crisis.

When SSA Public Relations began to integrate social media with traditional PR (back when few people even knew what social media was), we heard the same refrain from uninformed companies: "Our customers don't use social media" and "Maybe later down the road."

As we met with more and more marketing professionals who understood the importance of social media, they reported similar responses from the clients they'd met. It was like an entire technology was stuck in a Catch-22: everyone wanted to use emerging technologies, but no one wanted to accept an approach that hadn't already been widely proven.

Back then, hesitation wasn't a big deal, especially when traditional marketing did the trick. But today, as companies seek ways to reduce marketing costs, improve ROI and retain customers, social media has reached a point where it can no longer be ignored. The cost of an integrated traditional PR and social media program is a fraction of the cost of paid advertising, and is vastly effective in delivering messaging with laser-like accuracy to target markets. Being able to reach a global audience with the click of a mouse gives businesses the ability to access their current customers, connect with potential customers and build relationships with key stakeholders.

Social media has emerged as a distinct and legitimate marketing tool. In response to today’s economy, savvy companies whose marketing budgets have been cut are integrating social media into their marketing mix to effectively grow relationships with current and potential clients.

As experts in the field, it's time for our industry to get creative and help our clients understand how this technology will benefit them. Then, when the economy eventually bounces back (and I’m confident that it will), social media not only will be appreciated, it also will be considered indispensable.