Is social media a fad? The numbers (if you’re into that kind of thing) tell the story:

• If Facebook were a country, it would be the 4^th largest (China, India, United States top it—for now)
• 80% of companies use LinkedIn as primary tool to find employees
• 80% of Twitter is on mobile devices: What are your customers saying about your brand?
• 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations | Only 14% trust advertisements

Here’s our take: Social media is a fundamental shift in how we communicate.

A couple weeks ago, SimmonsFlint hosted 46 professionals at our KNOW seminar in Grand Forks. We opened with the video Is Social Media a Fad?

Our premise was to get our fellow marketers thinking about proven, measurable ways to harness the potential of digital media to achieve their own goals—without feeling overwhelmed.

We brought in three of our own. First up, Eric Piela, our Automated Marketing Strategist.

Get engaged

Eric’s our expert in automated marketing, and yes, it’s much more than zipping an e-mail to a list of prospects. As Eric says, you wouldn’t just waltz up to someone and ask her to marry you. (Even if you did meet online, and last year 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. did meet via social media.)

Done right, automated marketing coordinates advertising, direct mail, microsites, landing pages and, of course, e-mails, to reach your customers and prospects in ways that make sense to them. Again, in Eric’s words, you start a conversation, have dinner, get acquainted, meet the parents….then, and only then, do you propose. And the answer is yes: It works.

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Get it in your plans

Next up, Josh Lysne, our Digital Media Strategist, guided us through what’s working in online advertising, websites, social networking, texting, new media and other digital marketing. Josh ought to know, too. He has new media experience with major international brands, and he lives and breathes this landscape. Josh also highlighted proven opportunities to use these tools to build your business or organization.

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Get better results

Tried and true media still works. ‘Works better when used with new media. Jennifer Strickler, our VP of Flint Interactive, discussed the role of print, radio, TV, outdoor, direct mail and other more familiar options. Integrated with social media, mobile, online and other new media, this approach gets better results.

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If you joined our KNOW session, thanks. We hope you share our inspired clarity for this great shift in communications.