Big surprise… NOT! Of course social media advertising makes brands more relatable.

According to InSites Consulting’s report Social Media Around the World 2011, the social media world runs our world. With almost 100% of the world’s population knowing what Facebook is, 76% of Americans belonging to at least one social network, and over 600 million people using social networks daily, the world is an online, socially connected place.

ComScore reported that in October, nearly one in every five minutes spent online is viewing social media sites. The report also stated that the internet is not as age-dividing as everyone thinks. With the lowest engaged demographic being those 55+, social networks are still reaching nearly 80% of this group– up 9.4% since July 2010. Now all brands, targeting any age, should consider a social media aspect for their advertising campaigns.

If you want your advertising to be effective, you must reach your consumers where they are accessible, and nothing has made consumers this accessible, ever. To prove your company is “in with the times”, you need to become available via social media, and that’s exactly what Converse did.

The well established shoemaker recognized the gap between brands and social media— retailers are not using the tools in a very social-networky way. The brand, with its British agency Anomaly London, is going to promote its “Create” campaign using the social networking tool Facebook. Converse is using a Facebook app to encourage users to create, sell, and potentially open a storefront for their unique Converse shoes.

By using a Facebook app, Converse is enticing consumers to take part in the creative process and put their own maditude into their products. It’s time to spread the Converse cheer and its “Create” campaign creativity to all. Want to design your own kicks? Check out the Facebook app here and see how this social media campaign draws you in.