Welcome to the second essay in the series "How can businesses use Social Media". Today we discuss some of the statistics and strategies related to social media.

The first strategic dilemma that companies face is “most of the guys on the social media are young, but my customers are not only young but from all age groups”.

Here’s a statistic that shows the distribution. The young definitely come in huge numbers but they definitely do not crowd it.

So here it is! You can plan your social media campaign accordingly. The second question an apprehensive marketing manager asks is fine!,which websites, or social media portals should we target on? That’s the perfect next step in strategising your social media campaign. The answer lies below 

You got it; if your strategy is catch them young! Bebo would work for you. A teenage deodorant, or a shampoo, or even a relevant mobile handset...the products are unlimited and so are opportunities.

Similarly LinkedIn is perfect if you are targeting 35-55,the family products! Anything from a detergent to a home theatre! Being more official in nature Linked is suitable for office and allied products...an internet service provider say...

The next obvious step is to decide what content to put and the communication strategy. Most companies settingup a social media campaign err in either neglecting it (no resources to keep it up to date and interesting), or spending all their time posting a brazen sales post one after another, and disappointed at their shrinking fan base, closing the campaign in frustration.

Like in a real life situation, you can't talk about yourself all the time. Sooner or later you find your potential prospects excuse themselves,similarly in a social media domain they un-follow you. Instead, you need to engage people by asking them about themselves and intelligently ask their experiences about your brand and products, patiently give an ear to what they have to say,offer your company's opinions and share advice/experience. Through this"give and take" philosophy, you can then start slipping in posts promoting your products or special offers. Remember, social media is online conversations with an ear and heart and no places for unintelligent and impatient sale speeches.

In our next essay we would delve into the specifics of each of the social media sites. Let’s start with Twitter the next time !!