This WSU Newsline Podcast is available at http://www.wichita.edu/newslinepodcast. See the transcript below:

You’re listening to the podcast edition of the Wichita State University audio newsline. Learn more about WSU — the home of Thinkers, Doers, Movers and Shockers — on the Web at wichita.edu.

The use of social media continues to grow by leaps and bounds, but not all businesses are sure what to do with it. Wichita State consumer behavior and marketing expert Dotty Harpool says businesses can’t afford to ignore social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Harpool: “I think in 2011 and going into 2012, no, you can’t avoid social media. It’s there. It’s the way a lot of people are communicating, and people need to really get in there and see what it’s all about.”

Harpool: “At least a company should be monitoring what’s being said about them in social media to look at what people are talking about on Facebook, because if you don’t, you’re going to miss a lot of really critical marketing research information that’s free for you to get.”

Harpool says from Facebook to Twitter, LinkedIn and a multitude of blogs, businesses are trying to figure out how to use social media to their advantage.

Harpool: “There is a misperception that Facebook people are all under the age of 21, and that’s just not true. There are a lot of baby boomers that are into Facebook. Some seniors are into Facebook, so for a company that doesn’t target youth, you still have to be aware of what’s going on in social media.”

At the very least, companies are finding that having a Facebook page is a great way to gain information, as Harpool explains.

Harpool: “Well, companies are discovering that having a Facebook page and monitoring Facebook is a great way to gain information. It’s a great way to see what people want, what people are looking for in products such as yours. Also with Twitter, Twitter’s a great way to kind of announce events or to throw out ideas to get people to respond, and that can help you in marketing strategies also.”

Harpool says it’s time for companies to get on the social media bandwagon.

Harpool: “In the future, since a lot of people under the age of 21 have grown up with this way of communication, companies are going to have to get on the bandwagon pretty quick, because their future target markets are comfortable with communicating via social media, and that’s where they’re going to go for information.”

Harpool says many companies are trying to determine how to strategically use social media. It’s admittedly a work in progress.

Harpool: “I think a lot of companies are starting to learn the tools needed to communicate via social media. Now it’s just a matter of trying to figure out where it fits in a marketing plan and how can you use it strategically. How can you develop employees to help this process and to monitor social media? It’s all starting to be more at the strategic level now.”

Consider this: It wasn’t until 1997 that the Internet reached 50 million users in the United States. Facebook gained more than 100 million users in the U.S. from January 2009 to January 2010, marking a 145 percent growth rate within one year, according to research by digital marketing agency iStrategy Labs. No wonder so many businesses are embracing social media networking as a major component of their success strategy.

Thanks for listening. Until next time, this is Joe Kleinsasser for Wichita State University.