By now it is likely that you have read tons of articles and literature on the importance of social media in search engine optimization, as well as in a brand's general advertising initiatives. Even with all of this information, it may hard to truly visualize just how essential social media is to a company's marketing strategy. You may still be wondering, is it really worth investing your precious time and money into something that seems like an esoteric, new-fangled fad?

The answer is yes. Why? Because Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide is investing in social media, and if one the largest and most highly-respected advertising agencies in the world is considering social media as an integral component of marketing strategies, then you should probably start thinking the same, too.

Ogilvy & Mather announced in February 2012 that it will be forming a new social media unit called Social@Ogilvy which will join the agency's other offerings of cross-cultural marketing. Executives at the agency say in a New York Times article that social media has become an integral part of marketing that must be focused on in many of their brands' advertising and SEO campaigns. It has been predicted that the amount of money companies will be spending on building their brands' presence via social media will be increasing in the next few years.

What all of this goes to show is that the world of marketing is slowly but surely being transformed by social media, which is becoming increasingly integrated into it. Ogilvy & Mather's move to dedicate an entire department to social media initiatives should be taken as a precedent by other businesses and organizations to do the same. Social media has gained primacy because it is not simply a way to advertise one's brand, product, or services; it is an avenue through which companies can engage closely with consumers, can determine what consumers need and want, and then provide exactly that.

Take the formation of Social@Ogilvy as a sign that your business needs to focus more on its social media campaigns, too. Start thinking of the best ways your business can utilize social media for the benefit of your brands.