Why is it so important to include a social media strategy element as part of a communications campaign?

[Bonnie]

[Dexter]

Social Media is a great avenue for communication campaign as it allows people to communicate virtually and long distantly . Imagine social media can reach a wide range of people around the globe; take facebook for instance as of January 2011, it has more than 600 million active users. That's the power of Social Media.

[Jace Turner]

With the tools that social media has in it's belt, a company who was only been on T.V, in print ads, on the phone calling you at dinner time, can now be your friend. Mitch Joel has a wonderful blog and podcast in which he recently talked about the future of branding. People buy from an emotional space. If I am going to a cafe' in Portland for instance - I'm more likely to enter the one who has built a relationship with me on facebook than I am the one across the street. Good social media does not make up for a poor product. Combine a wow product with a wow social media strategy (which is helpful to view as a community building strategy) and you have the makings of greatness.

Social media is a way to build emotional relationships with people who, when engaged will, voluntarily act as brand ambassadors to the people their networks as well.

The numbers of people using Facebook are indeed staggering - I encourage one solid relationship over 50 so so relationships. Over the course of three years I have built my Facebook profile from the average number of Facebook friends (under 100) to now having over 1,300. The relationships I have extend out in to other communities and connect me to other networks.

I have established myself in two cities using Facebook.

And now I am starting to feel the thriving of my social media business Social Wealth Mediaâ„¢

The importance - what I would call the significance of a social media strategy is up to you. If you see the value in building connected relationships (which takes time) within your network then there is much significance.