Malaysia has a population of about 32 million people. According to statistics, approximately 75% of this total are active social media users. This trend has led to the discussion of social media's role in helping brands engage with their audiences.

A firm believer in leveraging the creative use of social media to boost engagement is township developer, LBS Bina Group Berhad (LBS), that was recently awarded the Social Media Excellence Award - Best Property Sector at the Malaysia Social Media Awards 2018.

"A business needs to be relevant and current to survive. This means keeping in touch with the latest trends and exploring new ways for the business to grow. Being in the property development sector for over 25 years, LBS has stood the test of time by adopting bold strategies and keeping our ears to the ground. Over the last few years, social media has presented us with an opportunity to diversify how we communicate and engage with our customers and followers. We thank the Malaysia Social Media Chambers and the Malaysia Social Media Awards for recognising our efforts as it indicates we are moving in the right direction. We look forward to continue building our presence through social media and engaging our customers and followers in ways that continue to inspire others across the industry" said LBS Group Managing Director, Tan Sri Lim Hock San.

A believer in crafting relatable content on social media, LBS emphasises on consistent and clear messages for its followers regularly. The township developer engages with its audience comprising followers from different walks of life through a healthy mix of posts that touch the heart, inspire change and self-development, and which are informative as well as entertaining. These include new property product updates, lifestyle tips, contests, festive greetings, and event updates.

Organised by the Social Media Chambers (SMC), a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing the discipline of credible social media, the MSMW Awards is a platform that honours best practices and practitioners of blogs and social media in the nation. Shortlisted organisations and practitioners were evaluated on brand engagement, social media growth and effectiveness through social media.

Shortlisted corporations and individuals were evaluated by specialists in the social media realm namely, Travel Camel.com Founder, Shane Dallas; Social Grooves Social Director, Christopher Tock; IdeaMart Founder, Andrew Chow; Social Media Chambers Malaysia Vice President, Ned Mohd; and Business Blogging CEO, Kiruba Shankar.

This year's awards ceremony was held at the Zebra Square KL and graced by YB Tuan Muhammad Bakhtiar bin Wan Chik, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia. Spanning a total of 24 categories, the Malaysia Social Media Awards recognised best practices in utilising social media across key sectors including property, aviation, automotive, banking and finance, education, lifestyle, healthcare, food and beverages and logistics and transportation among others.