Some marketing agency trends are more surprising than others. Last year the IAB posted some research that stated only 55% of businesses had adapted their business strategy to include social media. What do the PR agencies have to say? Gemma Farmer, from Neo PR tells all.

The latest statistic on social strategy was a surprising revelation in light of the popularity of social platforms. When I look at these stats I must ask, have things changed in the wake of 2013? Not really.

According to Catalogues 4 Business nearly a third of businesses still have no social media strategy at all. Crazy considering how far social media has come to prove itself as not only an effective tool for engaging with customers and prospects but also a highly effective sales channel.

Where can businesses start?

Implementing a successful social media strategy that can drive sales is all about selecting the right Social and/or PR agency, setting up the right channels for your business and learning to engage and fill those platforms with the right content. Get this bit right from the start and you are halfway there.

The next step is about working out what to say and how often to say it and it is important to create a library of suitable content. It makes your life a lot easier at 9am on a Monday morning when all you can think to tweet is the cornflakes you had for breakfast!

But the most important thing to remember when dipping your toe into the social water is to not just jump in head first; if you are unsure of how to get the most out of social then they need to gain advice and experience from someone in the know how, i.e a really skilled Social or PR agency.

Word of warning

Without this guidance you might just fall into the trap of a redundant social presence due to lack of resource and time. And believe us, social media channels that are left unloved are just as, if not more, damaging than not having a social platform at all. So open up that browser and start embracing the socialsphere. You might even find that gaining your social stardom is a lot easier than you think.