Social media, we all know it. Most of us probably use it on a personal level – Facebook, Twitter, Bebo… It’s an online, interactive, community-building wonder world that’s not a craze; it’s here to stay.

Despite the genius of social media sites dissolving the distance of communicating with friends anywhere in the world, what I find totally fascinating is what social media can do for businesses.

With some know-how, forward-thinking digital marketing plans and an active (read: daily or every couple of days) dedication to social media forums, businesses and brands of all sizes can grow their brand, engage with their target audience in online discussions, promote events, and reap the benefits of viral marketing.

Let’s look at the leaders first. The big guns are switched on and obviously have the dedicated resources to achieve such results. I applaud the brilliant Facebook Fan Pages of big brands like Pringles and Red Bull. They are definitely leading the way in successful digital marketing initiatives and all have fan bases in the millions.

While their social media strategies differ - like Pringles focusing on clever use of video and Red Bull by streaming their athlete’s tweets through Facebook – their results are the same. Their Fan Pages showcase loads of interaction, the roll out of creative branding exercises, and perhaps most importantly, an active, online community thirsty to engage in discussions and forums.

Perhaps one of Facebook’s most popular Fan Pages belongs to Coca-Cola. As I type, they have clocked up a staggering 4,626,432-fan base, and unlike most other big guns, two Coke fans started the page. Coke’s marketing department then blessed the duo, added their assistance and now their page is run by user-generated content. Clever.

Aside from these recognisable, universal brands reaping the rewards from social media, companies of all scales can benefit from social media marketing. And it seems quite a significant number are already catching on. It’s now becoming a case of, ‘well, why shouldn’t we be involved’?

Yours in design,

Julia-saurus