Social media is used by over 80% of Americans regularly. Is your site linked?
“The Broad Reach of Social Technologies”. Forrester Research, Inc.
When we design and program websites, we include social media integration at no charge. Why? Because it's easy to link and it's pretty much a basic necessity for nearly every website. We don't feel it's good policy to rate-hike clients on things that are absolutely necessary. So if you are paying a designer an additional $100 for the "option" to connect your website to social media like some of our competition does, you need to question what other basic functions for which you're being upcharged.
What you shouldn't question, however, is the necessity to use social media and networking sites to promote your business. Some of our clients are reaching up to 1,400 hits per week on their social networking sites - many of which make that converstion to click-throughs to their website. That's huge. The best advertising is positive word-of-mouth. That's why we at Petry Design have never run an ad or paid for a commercial, yet we have a client list of over 400. Word of mouth is powerful. Social networking delivers that.
You don't think that your target market uses social networking? Think again. People of all ages are relying on social media to communicate more and more every day. According to Forrester Research, a leading analytics company that studies traffic and growth online, Americans between the ages 35 to 55 are becoming more active in social networking. While 90% of 18-34 year-olds use social media regularly, which can be assumed, the 35 to 55 year age group grew an incredible 60% in participation in 2010. And 70% of those 55+ in years who use a computer... they are active in social media as well. Your market is online and they are using social media.
