Several companies use the social media for various reasons. Ironically, though, not many of them have a concrete strategy to reap its many benefits. In this day and age, where customers have the ability to find the answers they need at their fingertips, businesses need to do more than just be cognisant of this. Having a social media strategy is not just about mailing promotional materials to your audience via the internet. Instead, it is about having collaborative interactions with your chosen audience. The more you engage with your audience, the better your chances of gaining valuable insights into the minds of your target audience.

According to an old maxim, information is power. Therefore, businesses that have a proper social media strategy have a significant competitive edge over their rivals. Their strategy helps them to tap into customer information available in social networks faster. This enables them to engage with customers more quickly and actively than their rivals. This engagement helps them show greater flexibility in responding to (and accommodating) their customer’s suggestions on a real-time basis.

By formulating a social media strategy for your business, you would:

•  Gain significant insights into the mind and behaviour of your customers
•  Be able to influence your audience and,
•  Be able to build your brand reputation online as well as reveal the human side of your business