Social media is an ideal platform for companies using outreach marketing, an expert has suggested.

The number of brands embracing social media sites – such as Facebook and Twitter – is rapidly increasing as they become aware of its large business potential.

Writing on Search Engine Land, Joe Hall said the central idea of such sites is engagement, making it a perfect channel for marketers looking to reach new customers.

Given that outreach marketing is a strategy which targets potential customers who may be unaware of a brand’s products or services, businesses can therefore implement this technique within their social media presence.

Mr Hall advised firms using this strategy to clearly define their target audience and establish the best way to keep them engaged, pointing out that this is just as important as selecting primary and secondary keywords for an advertising campaign.

Clear incentives to follow a link – known as the ‘click factor’ – should be highlighted within social media campaigns, along with a ‘response factor’, which provides genuine engagement by establishing a personal dialogue with the consumer.

"The next time you are looking for a new branding or buzz-building strategy, consider combining outreach marketing with social media monitoring tools," Mr Hall said.

Social media continues to grow as a primary marketing strategy, with recent figures indicating that it is becoming integrated into many firms' day to day operations.

According to a survey of 269 companies conducted by Daryl Willcox Publishing, more than a third of small to medium-sized enterprises now allocate a proportion of their marketing to social media on a daily basis.

Some 35 per cent of respondents confirmed that they regularly post updates advertising their goods and services on sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is currently the platform of choice for the majority of brands, with 73 per cent saying that they are registered on the business-oriented social networking site, while 64 per cent are using Facebook as their primary social media portal.

Twitter – which has soared in popularity since its introduction in 2006 – followed closely behind with 64 per cent of businesses preferring the site for marketing purposes.

Despite 54 per cent of respondents confirming that they use social media at least some of the time, 35 per cent confessed that they do not utilise it at all, with insufficient time or a lack of understanding being cited as the main reasons.