Many businesses consider social networking as “The next BIG thing” given their popularity and influence across users and try to take advantage by using them as promotional tools. On the other hand, there are opposing views which argue that social media marketing is a tool with actually no practical advantages for a business.
Because of their recent emergence as a marketing tool, social media have a bad reputation as a temporary marketing tool which does not produce real profit. Surveys, however, show a different picture. In 2014, 92% of businesses around the world argued that social network marketing was important to their business, while 80% of them saw an increase in their website traffic. There is the other facet of the coin: 97% of those businesses that used social media as a promotion tool mentioned that they did not know which tools could help their business given that a post or an image was not enough to attract consumer attention.
It is obvious that social media marketing can boost both profits and promotion strategy, but you need to be aware of those marketing techniques. Some of those are cited as follows:

1. Promotion through people popular to consumers
   We often see famous people publishing photos and videos on their social media accounts, where they mention the brands they use, in order to increase awareness and credibility. A typical example are the weekly shows with famous domestic and foreign chefs who use specific products to their recipes to achieve the perfect flavor and make their dishes more delicious. Those products are usually more appealing to consumers as they have seen them on television and networking media. This results in the consolidation of the brand, as 53% of the audience starts to “follow” them on the internet as well.
2. More Views equals higher Sales Rates
   Every posting made to the social networks is an opportunity to be seen by potential customers. When a product acquires followers, it has access to potential, recent and previous customers, which can lead from a mere visit to the web site to an online purchase. Obviously, interaction does not sell on its own, but any positive interaction increases the likelihood of a future sale.
   The most important characteristic of this medium is the feeling of intimacy. The fact that the brand interacts with the networking media makes it more popular with its audience. Networking is a place where products can “behave” like people, and this is the key because consumers want to be in contact with people rather than with companies.
   In 2015 Facebook affected 52% of the online and offline consumer sales, from 36% in 2014, a 45% increase. This shows its potential as a marketing tool and one can perceive its direct impact over the consumer behavior.
3. Direct communication with people
   Networking tools are primarily intended for direct communication. Building a business presence requires knowledge of the business, the products and the benefits offered to the consumer. Posting a product or sharing links and content is not enough. A “personality” of the business or product should be shaped, instead. Making a connection between the product and the consumer is very important for companies in order to build communication ties with customers.
   Customers who get information and support through a networking tool on time, are willing to show off the products and services they received, especially when they are customized, compared to a recorded or automated e-mail.
   93% of consumers expect companies to be present in social media and answer questions regarding products. Two-fifths of them have posted companies responses on their requests through social media.
4. Upload photos
   Photos are the most popular content you can publish. Visual content and visually-orientated social networks, such as Instagram, are becoming popular and used broadly by automotive companies, fashion and beauty companies. Image posts still dominate the platform since they account for 84% of all Instagram posts.