From Facebook to Twitter to Snapchat, brands now have more ways than ever before to connect with their target audiences. With hundreds of apps being launched everyday, determining the inherent business value of emergent social media platforms is not only difficult, but can also be time consuming for marketers.

However, before marketers begin to jump to the next new social media platform, they should do their research and have a clear understanding of their target audiences’ wants, needs, and preferred modes of communication to determine if the platform they want to adopt is the right fit for their business objectives. Given consumers’ growing demand for personal interaction with brands and influencers; and increased interest in real-time promotions and offers, marketers must look for new social apps that encourage consumers’ always connected lifestyles.

Smart companies recognize that aligning sales with marketing is a sure-fire way to ensure business growth. Marketing helps keep the brand as a premier choice in the mind of customers, as it helps make work easier for the sales team. This enables them to do more with less while helping businesses to meet sales and revenue goals.

Not convinced? Here are four ways a good marketing strategy helps to drive sales for any business. Guaranteed.

The food and beverage PR industry is quite unique in the ways that it doles out its accolades. All industries have their taste makers to be sure, but food and beverage companies more or less rely on the tongues of known experts to sell their wares to the general public.

Perhaps because food is so essential to the day to day lives of all people, they prefer to have someone else take the heat for any bad decisions. In any case, here are the reasons that food and beverage companies, especially new food and beverage companies, must appeal to taste makers in the industry.