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Ah, social media. You likely use at least one social network on a daily basis to keep in touch with friends and family, right? In many ways, its changed the way we communicate and connect today, and the power of the social space\u00a0certainly extends further than our high school friend\u00a0group. Smart companies realize that social media is a powerhouse for advertising, making valuable connections, and humanizing their brand. Yet there are still some people\u00a0who\u00a0believe these misconceptions: \u201cSocial media is a waste of time\u201d, \u201cNobody cares about social in the rental industry\u201d or \u201cIt doesn\u2019t do anything to help my business.\u201d But in reality, social isn’t<\/em> a waste of time because it will<\/em> help your business, and there are definitely companies in the rental industry excelling on\u00a0social.<\/p>\n Let me ask this \u2013 do you use Facebook on your phone? What about Twitter? Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Perhaps even an Instagram or Pinterest account? If you nodded your head to any one of these, you\u2019re a part of more than 1.7 billion people using social media today1<\/sup>. Yes, that\u2019s billion, with a \u201cb\u201d. With that large of a pool of people you could potentially reach, is there any reason not to\u00a0use social media in your marketing efforts?<\/p>\n In my free time, I’m a photographer,\u00a0so\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad my favorite platform is Instagram. For those who may be unfamiliar with this app, it\u2019s a social channel\u00a0where users share only photos and videos. I use it for inspiration, and mainly follow accounts that post interesting photos. That having been said, it\u2019s natural to assume I would only follow photographers, right? Actually no.<\/em> I follow companies and brands that post relatable and inspiring pictures. In fact, after about five months of following a camera bag company on Instagram, I decided to purchase<\/em> one of their fairly expensive products. All because of their social media account! I love travelling, and they convinced me, without being pushy, that this bag was perfect for my needs. Here\u2019s the catch though: I never would have known about their bags if they didn\u2019t have a profile on Instagram, if they weren\u2019t actively posting photos, and if I didn\u2019t follow them.<\/p>\n I share this personal example to demonstrate the power of social media in a consumer\u2019s eyes. If you, as a company, are posting interesting, engaging content on your social platforms that they find value in, people will take notice, like, comment, and share your business with their friends. That\u2019s essentially free advertising! Below, I\u2019ve included several social media statistics that further communicate the value social has for businesses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While many rental companies are just starting to engage with their customers via social media, a bit of research has shown that a few of our customers in the Party\/Event and Tool\/Equipment industries are succeeding in the social space. Stay tuned for my next post<\/a> that details tips, tricks and advice from these businesses!<\/p>\n Sources:<\/em><\/p>\n 1.\u00a0https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/278414\/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users\/<\/a><\/p>\n 2.\u00a0https:\/\/www.marketingtechblog.com\/2014-statistics-trends-businesses-social-media\/<\/a><\/p>\n
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