Social Media is Shaking Up The Advertising Industry

Social media is shaping the marketing and advertising industry and completely changing the ways in which customers and brands interact and therefore it needs to be carefully considered within any internet marketing strategy.

There is no doubt that print media is in decline and with this in mind it is also very important to notice that advertising within print media has also seen a decline in interest.

With print media it has been the way in which brands can dictate to customers what advertisements of their products and services they see. However, through social media customers now have a voice; they can dictate to the brands what they as a customer wants to see!

In 2011 social media grew more than any other year and with 96% of all 18-35 year olds on a social network there is a large market for brands, companies and businesses to target. Now social networking is the most popular activity online, it is shaping our lives and is forming a primary communication channel for many users.

Social media no longer has region restrictions, demographic restrictions or age restrictions and therefore we are now seeing a global and cultural phenomenon because of its universal appeal.

It has been suggested that it is mobile phones and other mobile devices which are fuelling the rise in social media usage. As users can be constantly connected whilst on the go and can gain access to real time interaction it means they can be kept up to date with everything and anything and people do not need to wait to get home to update statuses or find out what their friends and family have been up to.

Mobile phones are fuelling the rise in Social Media use. They allow users to be constantly connected and offer real-time interaction so users no longer have to wait till they get home to update their statuses. The two mediums are complimentary as they represent the two most popular ways to stay in touch with friends.

Now though it isn’t just your everyday person using social media, brands are using it too in order to build and enhance their brand awareness! But social media does much more for brands too; it allows for them to conduct market or competitor research, advertise and reach more consumers.

By completing the above brands can achieve their main goal of building themselves a community and creating brand advocacy through their customers and the best form of advertising – word of mouth! 14% of consumers would trust brand advertisements whilst a massive 78% would trust recommendations from their peers.

Once brand advocacy has been achieved and is maintained then competitors will struggle to compete! All brands need to do is ensure they set guidelines and a form of controlling the information which is freely put online so that the opposite doesn’t occur and their brand isn’t damaged. In reality social media is on the rise and it isn’t something that companies and businesses can avoid; if you are not on a social networking site then you need to make sure you set one up and get involved.

Any social media activities as part of your marketing strategy must be in line with internet marketing as well as the overall business strategy otherwise it won’t work and customers will receive mixed messages which aren’t good for brand advocacy.

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