Rumors of social media’s demise as part of the upper echelon of the best SEO techniques have been greatly exaggerated.

Because contrary to reports today, companies that know how to use social media tips and tricks are some of the most successful when it comes to marketing themselves on the web.

Still not convinced? Here are the four facts that prove just how indispensable knowing how to use social media can be for your company’s best SEO techniques:

1. Social media leads to purchases: Did you know that approximately one of every five Facebook users made a purchase after seeing an ad for the product or a friend’s comment on the product on Facebook? Social media can be surprisingly influential when it comes to informing consumer decisions — the impact will become apparent to you almost immediately.

2. Social media builds a brand image: Through advertising your brand on social media, you can begin to build a distinct brand — an instantly-recognizable representation of your company’s values and what it offers to its customers. Increased brand recognition does wonders for any marketing strategy!

3. Social media develops consumer-company relationships: By allowing customers to leave comments on your social media page — and by responding to these comments — your company will develop lasting, close relationships with its customers. This does wonders for building brand loyalty — and these customers will say good things about your business to their friends, too.

4. Social media gets your site noticed by search engines: As stated before, understanding how to use social media for your business ranks among the most effective of the basic SEO techniques. Social data plays an important role in determining where your website ranks in relevant search engine queries, as social-media shares are quickly becoming the newest way to build links and generate organic traffic.

Has your company benefited through learning how to use social media? Let us know your experiences in the comments! See this link for more references.