COMMUNICATING via social media is now the most popular pastime in the UK. Recent figures reveal that 26.8 million people in the UK visited Facebook in May this year.

Twitter also enjoyed a record month, reaching 6.14m unique visitors – a 34% increase on the previous month. The number of women aged over 65 using the site grew by 96% over the same period.

So how has social media affected the world of marketing and PR, and what can your business do to stay ahead of the game?

There is now no hiding place for the corporate pronouncements of old. PR professionals can no longer get away with blasting information out at an audience. Two-way communication directly with the consumer is the “new normal”.

Social media has also changed the dynamics of the PR/journalist relationship. As well as traditional channels, journalists also now seek information online via social media, and PR professionals can benefit from the added access.

We live in a 24-hour society – response times are getting faster and faster. With the advance of social media, there is an expectation from consumers that their concerns will be addressed quickly and personally. Social media has not only expanded the base of potential complaints but also their public visibility – 80% of twitter posts are from mobile devices. People update anywhere, anytime. Imagine what that means for bad customer experiences?

The temptation for some businesses that aren’t up to speed with social media is to ignore it. This is not recommended. For instance, if you run a tourism establishment, you may have several glowing (or disparaging) online reviews on tripadvisor.com and not realise it. Setting up a search for your business on Twitter can alert you to negative remarks as they’re posted, which allows you to personally engage with the dissatisfied customer and put things right. Conversely, a glowing report online can be highlighted on your own website and forwarded to potential customers. As a marketer or business owner, if you don’t address and exploit social media, you may find the power of the crowd takes over your brand image, and it may not be the image you want.

Social media enables us to build sustainable relationships between consumer and brand owner. Businesses succeed by being responsive to what people want. Social media gives us the tools to find out what that is, and lets us communicate our messages however we wish, virtually free of charge. Ignore it at your peril.

:: Kate Slater is the managing director of Kate Slater PR and Marketing