More than 90% of marketers use social media in their campaigns.

77% of fortune 500 companies have active Twitter accounts

and 70% of them have active Facebook pages.

Regardless of their size, businesses can utilize social media to communicate with customers about new products or the launch of a promotion.

Unlike traditional marketing methods, social media allows marketing departments to engage in two-way dialogue with their customers.

Instead of pushing out one-way broadcasts, organisations are turning to social media to learn about their customers through meaningful interactions.

Moreover, marketing departments are using social media to build online communities

and turn customers into brand ambassadors.

This is particularly important for small businesses,

as they often grow their business from small circles of loyal customers.

Using multiple platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter,

businesses can target niche markets and reach specific demographics.

Social media also increases the visibility of brands,

allowing them to reach untapped markets through the exposure or virality of their content.

When businesses share entertaining lifestyle content or educational material that resonates with customers,

their customers will share that content with their social networks, increasing brand awareness.

An organization's own employees are some of the best people to amplify content and support marketing initiatives.

Organizations can encourage and empower employees to amplify key marketing content with their networks

allowing them to showcase their expertise by resharing new whitepapers or digital campaigns to their personal social networks,

employees can help increase the exposure of key company content and support marketing initiatives.

Social media can be an extremely effective tool for brands in managing a PR crisis.

It allows them to quickly perform damage control and provides them with the opportunity to take control of the story early on.

Companies can also proactively track brand sentiment, allowing them to keep up with what's being said about them from around the world.

Whether it's through blog posts, tweets, or videos,

social media enables marketing departments to increase brand exposure,

gain a better understanding of customers and support their broader marketing campaigns more effectively.