To the uninitiated, getting started with social media might seem an impossible— or even pointless— task. It’s certainly true that the sheer number of social networks, all with their own particular jargon and format, can be overwhelming at first. And to a casual user, much of the content on social networks— artfully edited photos of food or quiz results— might seem irrelevant to their business interests.

But the fact of the matter is that consumers are what make or break a business, and more and more businesses today are embracing social media as a key tool for connecting with potential customers.

The sheer variety of social networks, confusing at first, is an incredible advantage for business owners looking to grow their online presence: each social network allows your business to connect with its target market in whichever way you feel best suits your brand: from witty tweets to Facebook giveaways or informative blogs.

1.79 billion people worldwide use some form of social network, and that number is only set to increase. That makes social media a fantastic way of connecting with a vast potential audience and building a reputation with users across the country, or even the world. In maintaining a social media presence, you can create links between your business and other similarly-focused brands, allowing users with interests in similar organisations to find you more easily.

Social media platforms enable you to connect directly with your target market and to have them reach out to you: some companies use social media for customer service, responding directly to customer queries or complaints via Twitter or Facebook; others use social networks to share information about brand news and developments.

Social media lets users control how they interact with your business: they can actively seek you out and choose to follow your accounts, a much more positive experience than being bombarded with junk mail ¾ both the real-life and the virtual kind¾ or cold-called. This makes for a pleasanter interaction between you and your consumers, and can be the key to building the strong reputation and consumer relationships crucial to your success.

Social media is used by people every day to share the things that interest them and which they find important. If you’re on social networks, you’re in a great position to become part of that discussion.

By Moya Vaughan Evans