At CircleClick we REALLY like social media, because using it means the inevitable discovery of new friends. I think most people are interested in expanding their network (especially if it involves an ego boost somehow).

Why exactly does Social Media really matter for business?

Our new industry produces friends, sentiments, smoke is only a metaphor!

My first reason social media matters is that nobody is really asking that question anymore. There is a seat at the table. The second is that the rapid emergence of social media is arguably the most important technological trend since the development of the Internet itself. Show me any modern business leader who doesn’t at least have a LinkedIn page? Initially constructed as a way to maintain and expand one’s social circle, social media has become a powerful tool that every business should use to actively engage their customers while recruiting new ones. In a way social media creates a level playing field for companies of all sizes in terms of branding and marketing. Anybody can set up a Facebook page or register a Twitter account, however, knowing exactly how to use those same tools to generate positive ‘buzz’ about a particular brand, campaign or corporation is part skill, part artistry (some would also argue wizardry).  The truly interesting and bold will be rewarded with clicks and buzz surrounding them.

A well-managed social media strategy can enhance search engine rankings with the creation of natural backlinks while a haphazard social media campaign can mean a significant blow to SEO efforts. Just as consumers have come to expect that any business worth it’s salt (and their hard-earned money) will maintain a current webpage, those same consumers now expect that any credible business will have an active social media presence (with engagement). Tools like Facebook and Twitter have made it incredibly easy for both satisfied and dissatisfied customers to spread the word about anything – whether it’s true or not. Social signal monitoring has become a necessity for corporations who are looking to practice both damage control and shift marketing efforts to changing demands. The need to use of social media tools has been reinforced by the algorithms of search engine giants like Google, which makes it clear that SEO efforts must integrate social media in order to achieve top search rankings.

So what’s the next biggest thing for social media? Social discovery, of course!

Think of social discovery as Social Media 2.0’s bigger, better, more attractive friend you want to talk to at the party. You want to talk to him or her, but you don’t know how to get the convo started…. Social discovery is different in that it harnesses the existing power of social media tools and uses these to help people connect with one another in ways few dared to imagine were possible. Social discovery is a new force in our lives, some of us just don’t realize this yet. It’s beyond dating, it’s crowd sourcing, or just hangin’ out. Sometimes discovery is as simple as lunch with a colleague or friend you haven’t met yet.

Shameless Plug: Curious to find out more? I strongly suggest you check out Glimpse on Wednesday, June 6th. Social media and discovery is so important for us at CircleClick that we were honored to become a sponsor of the Glimpse: Social Discovery Conference on June 6th in San Francisco. Hope to see you there!