The core focus of all businesses lies in commercial growth and success. Growth in terms of connections, clients, and audiences is always an important factor. It is here that that the role of marketing and advertising comes into play. As we grow as a society, technology will continue to empower us. It is the need of the hour that we empower ourselves with technology and the new media it offers for businesses. Certainly, conventional media of advertising will live; but along with this, internet media marketing will strengthen branding and business.

Moreover, this parallel media has monetary value as return versus investment is profitable. In simple words, social media marketing adopts strategy customized to your benefit. The expenses include buying online advertisements and employing a SEO company or an SMO company on a contract to take care of social media optimization plans. The condition here, however, is that one needs to stay constantly engaged with users, customers, clients and other interested individuals on the virtual space. Once a brand develops an online presence, it cannot afford to slip back and reduce activity.

For business to be positively affected by the social presence, it needs remain active. A perfect case study would be that of Indian youth reality show, ‘MTV Roadies’. The show which started in 2003 is currently running its 9th season as India’s most popular youth, near ‘obsession’, reality show. Now, despite being from the television industry, the show has increased its presence and build an almost ‘CULT’ brand by capitalizing on virtual presence. In 2011, the top most international tech and online news website, Mashable Awards listed it as the ‘most social’ show on TV worldwide. The show has 10 multi million fans on its fan pages and more than 10 million hits on the Youtube channel and millions of followers. They have also achieved the feat of owning the most active pages.

The makers of the show are certainly humble about the success, but do not dismiss the importance of strategic planning, innovation and effort to remain alive virtually. In a similar manner, there are many stories of phenomenal success on interlinked and interconnected media, influencing businesses through all societies. It works in a two way manner investing energy and gaining popularity; and then gaining popularity and investing more energy keep growing. At the same time, the interests of the company must not be compromised. Security, the data to be shared, the reputation of the brand, and communication that is exchanged with followers is of much importance.

In other words, you may create a fan page and sit back asking your employees to continue interactions. But, lack of training and strategic interactions can lead to problems. For instance, if your employee reacts rather strongly to criticism online, then the company’s reputation is at risk. Monitoring data and at the same time, tracking progress is vital in brand building, especially online. With the reports on progress, such as increasing traffic on the websites, the next step of action has to be planned.

Besides these investments of time and energy, there is not much expense involved in this arena of work only a certain amount of consistent investment into resources. Last but not the least, social media marketing reinstates an important wisdom taught to children in kinder garden ‘Slow and steady wins the race’. It’s okay if you walk slowly; you only have to keep walking!

Author byline: ‘Seek knowledge and you shall be rewarded by truth’, so believes Divya Rawat, an author with an SEO Company that has been offering Content Writing and Website Development Service for the past 6 years.