Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes” was a favourite tale of mine, telling the story of an Emperor who parades before his subjects in a ‘birthday suit’ - rather than his promised new clothes, and becomes the talk of the town.

For many (including me), social media can feel a bit like this; everyone is talking about it, yet the actual outcome or results can be difficult to see or feel.

Social media is everywhere you look and it is becoming an essential part of any marketing activity. In years gone by, getting customers and advertising was pretty straightforward with directories like the Yellow Pages and Thomson Local very popular. You only have to look at the size of these directories now to see how they have had to change their business and engage with their audience to stay in business.

Like it or not, social media is here to stay and if you are in business you simply need to wise up and embrace it. It’s no longer enough to just have a business card, mobile phone and website, you are now expected to have a fully mobile enabled website, an App, and a fully integrated social media platform so that prospective clients can find you across multiple channels. If you don’t, clients will simply go to someone that does.

If you need convincing, here are some top facts as to why you should upskill and embrace the opportunity that social media can offer your business:

• Two-thirds of online adults have a current social networking site – Just think of all the potential customers waiting to see your business on social media.
• On average, Twitter users follow 146 people or organisations – This could be your business gaining more attention.
• The global mobile app market is expected to be worth £170 billion in 2015 – Don’t you want a part of it?

According to the Federation of Small Businesses, 1 in 4 small businesses do not have a website, let alone a social media presence. In 2015, this needs to change.

Buckinghamshire Business First recently held workshops on how to make the most of social media. These were very well received, with feedback including:

“Extremely helpful and informative.”

“Great training. Glad I invested my time in it.”

“Another excellent session by BBF.”

“It was my first time on a course and I really enjoyed it. I learnt a lot and will be back.”

Due to demand we will be holding more events in the Autumn, so watch this space! In the meantime, if you would like information and resources about making the most of being online, visit the online resources page of the BBF website.