If you still think social media is a waste of time or limited to use merely for entertainment you might be interested in a recent Nielsen report.  Time spent on sites like Facebook and Twitter rose a whopping 82% in the past year!  I also found a report that mentioned Facebook and Google were in a dead heat during the Christmas holiday season as most visited sites online.  That is quite an accomplishment when you realize just how many places there are to visit out here on the Internet.

If you are looking to reach the masses all in one place, these numbers cannot be ignored.  True, there is still a lot of work to be done in learning exactly how to use these sites as marketing vehicles but be assured all platforms are working around the clock to find the best solutions.  The best formula these days appears to be a formula for mixing things together in your own recipe.

Think of the various social media platforms as neighborhoods.  Some will spend more time in one or the other, some will never venture outside any but their favorite and some will want you to remind them to come to your neighborhood (email newsletter).  Depending on budget available the approaches will vary.  The wonderful thing about using any of these platforms is they allow you to invent your very own approach if you don’t want to follow along with the masses.

Is your business using social media as a marketing tool this year?