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3 Great Ways Social Media Transforms Marketing Expenses into Assets

Over the past couple weeks I've blogged about the importance of giving equal consideration to content and design in an asset based marketing strategy. Good content is worthless if no one reads it. Good design can encourage someone to read a document they wouldn't normally consider. Still, even with the best writing and the most creative design techniques, your content can still lie dormant.

I've written extensively about business uses for social media. My special report, Practical Advice for Social Media, continues to have evergreen appeal even though the usage statistics for the tools are a year out of date. (And, yes, I know I need to update it. It's on my list!)

While I'm hearing fewer objections in my speaking engagements about the usefulness of social media in business, I'm still having conversations with clients who aren't quite convinced. My impression is social media marketing is gaining grudging acceptance as a viable business exercise but many people consider it "not for me". The recent 2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report sponsored by the Social Media Examiner contains a wealth of information indicating social media is here to stay for one reason; it's working.


Source: State of Inbound Marketing Report from www.hubspot.com

How does social media help transform your marketing efforts from an expense to an asset?

Social Media allows you to broadcast.
In the simplest use of the medium, social media puts business in the role of a broadcaster. For years business has courted the media, written press releases and invested a fortune in public relations in the hopes of getting mentioned on TV, radio or the newspaper. With tools like Twitter, Facebook, VIMEO and YouTube you get to say what you want to, when you want to.

Social Media gives your content legs.
Distribution of content before social media was often limited to a particular geography or a certain market segment. Businesses used very structured campaigns for local, national and international coverage and there was a cost associated with each one. Social media removed all those barriers. Even the micro-business owner can now distribute content, free of charge, to all corners of the world.

Social Media extends the shelf-life of your content.
One way to look at social media tools is to view them as a repository for your content. While some are more suited to this than others, tools that allow you to post content also retain it on your profile. Blogs are a perfect example. Publishing magazines for articles or newspapers means your content dies with the next issue. A blog is an archive of everything you've written and is available into perpetuity if you want it that way.

The Take-Away
Social media is an important element of an asset based marketing strategy. Once you've made the initial investment in high-quality, well-designed content, social media activity has the potential to convert your marketing expense into a long-term asset for your company. When you control your own message, reach more people and increase the longevity of your content, it absolutely starts performing as an asset.

What ways does social media increase the value of your content?

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