8 ways neglecting social media will hurt your business

Social media marketing used to be viewed as icing on the traditional advertising cake. It was an adjunct to direct mail, print ads and TV commercials.

Social media is now a primary, essential ingredient in any marketing mix. Print ads and other traditional messaging channels are now the adjunct.

Unfortunately, many businesses are unwilling to commit the resources needed to create an effective social strategy. Neglecting your social media presence is not just a matter of missing out on opportunities; it also harms your business and hampers growth.

Lacking a social media strategy damages your business in eight ways:

1. Your competitors are using it.

Regardless of your industry, your competitors are promoting their businesses online. Facebook alone has 60 million business pages and 4 million advertisers.

You are basically giving business to your competition if you aren’t actively crafting your digital presence.

2. Your competitors are targeting your customers.