In a recent interesting case study, it shows how social media is more than just a trend, but how it actually translates to dollars and cents if done correctly. Forever Living Products, a $2 billion privately owned company and the world’s largest grower, manufacturer and distributer of aloe vera based products recently shifted their entire marketing and distribution model to social media and the results have been incredibly successful. By leveraging YouTube and iTunes, the company immediately saved $110,000 in distribution in weeks.

Most within the marketing industry agree that social media can no longer be considered the future - it’s the present. And while successes seem to be piling up all over the place, large corporations still regularly favor past, antiquated methods.

There are occasions where large companies have embraced social media and the latest to join that conversation is Forever Living Products (FLP), a $2 billion privately held company and the world’s largest grower, manufacturer and distributor of aloe vera based health and beauty products.

FLP is an international company faced with the challenge of reaching vast numbers of distributors in 125 countries with marketing messages and materials. In the past, this meant timely and costly video production and distribution problems.

Reaching 9 million distributors worldwide with the latest product and business training content isn’t easy. Historically this meant unreliable network broadcasted videos, VHS and DVD distribution that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars each time new information was made available. FLP thought they took a big step when in 2002, they scraped DVD distribution for low resolution streaming content on their website. Despite the perceived progress, this effort still amounted to annual costs in the six figures for content duplication.

Enter Park&Co, FLP’s marketing partner since 1995. With some clever thinking and a little persuasion, Park&Co presented FLP with the idea to house their distribution materials in a single social media based location – something Park&Co branded, “AloePod Online Media Center.”

The “Aloe Pod Online Media Center” provides FLP distributors instant access to product training, business building and marketing videos and podcasts through iTunes and aloepod.com, giving anyone in the world the ability to instantly download the content to their computer or mp3 player. In addition, FLP and Park&Co designed an FLP YouTube channel that quickly became one of YouTube’s fastest growing. Combine this with the iPods offered to FLP distributors containing the latest FLP materials and the results spoke for themselves.

The launch of the “AloePod Online Media Center” took place in August, coinciding with FLP’s 30th Anniversary. The results were instant. The first month saw 21,000 downloads and a savings of more than $110,000, clear evidence that the hefty distribution costs of years past are no more. Most importantly access to the materials increased for all distributors. In the past, there were those unable to receive physical FLP materials either because of proximity or cost issues. That problem no longer exists as all distributors can access the information from their most convenient location.

In the case of FLP, social media worked. Costs were cut, larger audiences reached and profits increased. The debate rages on, but by looking at FLP, it is clear that when done right, social media is currently a cheaper and more effective means of communicating.