Let’s Hear it for Social Media this #SMDay

social media dayThis Friday, June 30th, is Social Media Day. Surprised? Social media is all around us, yet the idea to celebrate it only arose in 2010 – an initiative of Mashable, the venerable digital media website and blog. Every year, the event gets bigger and bigger.

Social Media Day is a day to reflect on the importance of social media and connect with others who use it, both online and off. In the 14 years since Myspace became one of the first social media offerings, the concept has truly transformed how people communicate.

Social media is such a ubiquitous part of what businesses do online that it’s easy to lose sight of the fun, excitement, and sheer joy that it can bring. It represents a versatile and powerful tool for bringing messages that matter to diverse audiences all over the planet.

Social media is responsible for all the following and more:

Brand Awareness

It wasn’t that long ago when brand interactions were, relatively speaking, few and far between. People were either in your brick and mortar location, on your website, or not thinking about you at all. Social media changed the equation in ways few people could have imagined. Now, brands can be expressed 24 hours a day, seven days a week – responding to the same news and events that shape the world of their consumers. This leads to better-defined, more memorable branding.

social media dayCustomer Service

As social media has transformed consumers’ awareness of brands, it has also changed brands’ awareness of them. It’s now possible for companies to recognize and respond to brand mentions anywhere in the world, at any time, across a range of platforms. Brands can intervene to provide extra care to dissatisfied customers or catapult satisfied ones into the limelight with incentives or exposure. When brands are responsive, customer feedback is no longer a one-way street.

Lead Generation

Of course, if social media was limited to simple conversations and relationship nurturing, its benefits – however compelling – would remain woefully intangible. Enter lead generation. Many businesses have found that they can capture a steady stream of qualified leads from social media. This requires setting up an appropriate (and consistent) social media presence with messaging that resonates with target customers, but it can drive a company’s entire business model.

Social Media Day is the perfect time to spare some extra thought for how social media has enriched our lives and businesses. Every day, people who would never have met otherwise use social media to build meaningful connections that make a difference.

If your social media marketing isn’t where you’d like it to be yet, this is the perfect day to review and get a fresh start! Happy #SMDay!