Many people question whether you use Social Media strategies for branding or customer acquisition. Marketers have had differing opinions in the past, but now they are thinking that it is beneficial for both. A study was completed by Wildfire Interactive, a social media marketing software company. Over 700 respondents told them that social media had driven brand awareness. Even more interesting was that 85% said it allowed them to engage in dialogue with customers and 58% said it increased sales and partnerships. Another interesting finding from the survey was the value of Facebook Fans. 44% said that fans are important for customer recruitment. They also claimed that they offer a higher conversion rate and make more frequent pictures. It appears that while branding still remains one of the stronger uses for social media strategies, increasing benefits with customer acquisition are continuing to grow in value for marketers.
