It is obvious that social media platforms have impacted the way business is conducted. From television commercials, to talk shows, to entire books dedicated to the subject, social networking is in our faces. Twitter and Instagram handles are as common place now as business cards were 15 years ago. If you don’t have a social networking presence, you are missing out on a huge opportunity.

When it comes to branding, the most important factor involved is visibility. For potential customers to interest themselves in your service or product, they have to know you are there. Brand awareness and visibility is also one of the hardest hurdles to overcome as a new comer to any market.

The platforms that are available today, make clearing the branding hurdle easier than it ever was before. Being able to define a specific brand image and then present that image to hundreds of thousands or millions of potential customers, is the best thing a new company could ask for.

To make things even better, many social networking apps also provide tools which help narrow the scope of its users into categories that you can then focus your efforts toward. Along with the ability to narrow your focus, the analytics that are readily available will create a way to track your progress and adjust your efforts accordingly.

Entire marketing campaigns can be developed and launched solely on social media. There are some distinctive differences in comparison to traditional marketing campaigns, but if done correctly, the payoffs can be equally successful.

Imagery and targeting become simple once you have identified the appropriate platform for your company. With so many options available, some time should be spent researching the most effective social networking platform(s) for your brand and product or service.

Factors such as age, lifestyle, specific needs, income levels and cultural influences, can all play a part in deciding what platform your customer base will respond to best. Once you have become clear on those factors, targeting customers is then transformed into the singular task of showing them how your product or service can best meet their needs.

Another great benefit of marketing through social applications is the ability to instantly access your clientele. Not only can you access them, but they can access you, your brand, your company and your product or service, as well.

Customers have always responded to personalized service and attention. It creates a distinction between businesses offering similar services or products. It also encourages long-term customer relationships and repeat visits. If a customer can send you a message within an app, they feel personally connected to your business, in some small way.

Being able to access a product and all the details about it, and add a public comment, makes a customer an influential part of your brand and company. That bond is immeasurable for any future customer