Marketing and Social Networks

by Avalos

Social networks have grown in popularity as web-surfers are looking for new ways to express themselves. Their level of popularity is at a point where marketing projects are being created with social networks in mind, trying to create a viral campaign that will spread through these new channels. It’s not just consumer and entertainment brands that are leveraging these kind of campaigns. Film studios and even individual celebrities are getting in on the action.

As well as taking advantage of the exchange of ideas, content, audio, photographs, and other kinds of multimedia, businesses have also realized that social networks give them the opportunity for direct communication with their customers. This offers them a great deal of information about what consumers want from a product, what they like and how they like it. Companies are even using search engines to scour social networks for information on what web users are saying about their products, as well as ideas they may have to improve them, or criticisms of what they don’t like about them.

There are some great examples of how conventional marketing can leverage social networks. One is the concept of an “exclusive launch”, where one social network in particular presents a product and creates a following for it among the network’s users. The other is the classic “banner” ad, which has grown exponentially as a concept. The most astonishing result of marketing efforts on social networks is when a particular social network, without lifting a finger to generate publicity, sees a single, simple idea transform into a vehicle for all manner of contests, trivia quizzes, brand recognition activities, and feedback.  A company can use the social network to seek the reactions of thousands of consumers, and the consumer in turn can stay up to date on brand news any time, any place, and from almost any technical device.

This kind of rapid feedback can allow a company to react quickly to consumer feeling about a product, and, hopefully, keep them happy. Marketing in today’s climate is changing constantly, even more so in digital media. The influence of social networks is such that new niche markets and business opportunities can pop up rapidly. Incorporating the use of social networks in your marketing strategy is now a necessity.

So don’t take your eyes off the social networks and the blogs. You never know when someone will post an idea about how to improve your product, or a comment that will be seen by millions of consumers just like them.