Social media is a vital part of many people’s lives – not just the under 25 crowd. As more and more people join various social media networks, they become more essential to a comprehensive marketing campaign.

Let’s look at some numbers quickly. Of the 7.210 billion people in the world, 42% or 3.010 billion are active internet users. This number hit 50% at the end of 2016. Imagine that, half the world, using the internet on a regular basis. There are 2.708 billion active social media accounts – 29% of the population. Many of these users are accessing social media on a mobile device, 1.685 billion people or 23%.

Social media has become a well-established part of everyday life for billions of people and more are signing on every day. What does this mean for your company? It means that if you aren’t on social media and making the most of it, you are missing a huge opportunity to reach your audience.

Understandably, grasping the opportunities presented by social media can be daunting, if you aren’t an active user yourself. If the thought of managing multiple accounts – Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Xing, Snapchat, Pinterest and more – fills you with dread, don’t worry, there are solutions. Hiring a social media marketing company like Platinum Passports Marketing can help immensely. Located in Spokane, Washington State USA, an up and coming hub of cutting-edge technology and all things hip, keeps the company current with the latest trends. Having a marketing company that knows current social media trends can be a lifeline for your company’s marketing strategy.

Facebook remains the dominant social media platform, both in the USA and worldwide, with 50% of the total population having an account. When you take into account the other most popular social media apps and platforms in North America, such as Google+, Instagram and Twitter, you begin to see the real value of marketing on social media.

It used to be a great way to target the younger generations, but with Grandmothers checking up on their grandkids on Facebook, families sharing their vacation pictures on Instagram and anyone who’s anyone in business having an account on either Linkedin or Xing, you realise that social media marketing is a fantastic way to reach your audience, no matter who they are.

Social media may end up giving you the best results for your marketing dollars. The reach of social media is wide and the ability to target your ads to your audience is great. You can send targeted ads to each specific niche customer you have. No worries about sending ads that don’t resonate to a demographic, specific targeting will save you many wasted dollars.

Social media marketing also allows you to run smaller, less expensive ‘test’ runs of your ad, so that you can see whether it connects to your audience or if it needs to be adjusted. The last thing you want is for a poorly placed or designed ad to go viral because of a blunder.

Furthermore, you can target which devices your ads are shown to. If your landing page isn’t designed for mobile traffic, don’t show that ad to mobile users. If you’re looking for a sign-up or sale, studies done by social media platforms have shown that you’re better off targeting desktop users – mobile users are less likely to convert. Social media platforms have conducted a lot of research so that you can get the best ‘bang for your buck’ when advertising with them, and social media marketing companies know how to take advantage of this information. They also keep on top of the latest trends in social media, which are constantly changing.

Which brings us to the final point. A company like Platinum Passports Marketing that is used to creating social media marketing campaigns will have a better idea of how to create viral content. If you’re not familiar with the term, viral content is content that becomes an overnight sensation. Remember when Facebook was all about ‘the dress’? That’s viral content. There isn’t a magic formula for creating media that will go viral, but experienced marketers do know a few tried and true secrets that will give your content a better chance than most. They also know how to grow an organic following, which is much more valuable than bought ‘Likes’ or ‘Follows’.

Make sure your company is getting great value for its marketing dollars by investing in a social media marketing campaign with Platinum Passports Marketing, a company that specialises in the field. It will save you the headaches and mistakes of trying to handle it yourself and allow you to take advantage of one of the fastest growing markets available today.