Think you're wasting your time with social media? You're not.

In a world when consumer complaints and feedback was sent via post to organisations, you would probably have to pinch yourself because you would be in a world where social media was is merely a name given to very talkative people working for a newspaper publication.

Fast forward a good few years to the digital age where social media adoption is booming and with this boom, smart brands are adapting and adopting the use of social media. Primitive brands stuck in the dark postal-era still fail to understand the value of social media and ask themselves, “Are we wasting our time with social media?” Here’s a simple explanation why not.

Brands should not be deterred from having a social media presence nor should they question the value of their current presence because, existing brands that are already engaging on social media platforms have an advantage over other competitor brands and should just keep at it. Why do I say this?

Previously, companies had to fork out a fortune to get feedback from their customers through customer satisfaction surveys or focus groups, whereas now through simple engagement on social media platforms customers provide the same important feedback about their likes, dislikes and preferences, for free. So, looking directly at its effect on the bottom line, social media is a tool that can save companies money.

Now, some brands have decided to create a few accounts on a few social media platforms, but don’t know what to say and are inactive. Big mistake. The importance of active social media engagement with consumers, especially in the event of a crisis, should not be discounted or ignored by brands. Ignoring the discussions online won't stop the discussion, it will just mean that customers will take it somewhere else, which will likely just result in unintended negative consequences. 

So, to save money and avoid any unexpected brand damage – hold fast onto your social media presence, engage regularly and adapt to the relevant changes to come, because that is inevitable.