Why a writer does social media

As a freelance writer for over 25 years, I see social media and blog entries as merely marketing and business copy in another format.

1) The writer still has to come up with a pithy, catchy way of attracting the public's attention to a product or service. Blogs and social media entries are not just for the entertainment industry and finding old friends. Written right for a company, they are proof that the company is an authority in its field. The company is confident enough in its product/service to be transparent and invites customer feedback.

2) The company still has to spend its advertising dollars wisely; social media just helps narrow the target field. When the writer uses a lot of industry-specific buzz words and posts to niche sites as well as the big hitters, the writing will attract the appropriate crowd that will respond to ads.

3) Use of all social media sites is free. So companies get their customer feedback, find their target audience, and market their company for free. Theoretically, this means they have more money left over to pay the writer.