A recent survey from Constant Contact found small businesses and nonprofits looking to publicize upcoming events are using more social media tools in conjunction with direct mail and digital communications. For organizations that host live events, 77 percent use social media as a means of marketing, and 14 percent plan to use social media for this purpose in the next year.

The survey found marketers of live events also use email marketing, online event marketing tools, websites and print advertising to promote activities and guest speakers. About 78 percent of respondents said social media is an important marketing tool for live events, and 77 percent use social media to promote events or engage customers online. In addition, 81 percent of companies using social media plans to increase their usage in the next year.

Another way companies can leverage social media to their advantage is by integrating it with offline activities. Many companies use direct mail, print advertising and other traditional forms of marketing to extend their consumer base and increase sales. They will incorporate social media into these integrated campaigns to keep customers up-to-date on new activities and enhance customer service interaction, Business 2 Community reported.

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