Marketing Strategies for the New Millennium: The Social Media Revolution

Social media has forever altered the way businesses operate their marketing campaigns. In the days of old, businesses focused on print ads, television commercials, and radio spots to reach their target audience. They relied on the tried and true method of delivering a strong message to the consumer and the consumer responding favorably.

                                        

Those days are over, strictly speaking. We still have radio, television, and print ads to send out our message, but now, there is a new game in town. Social media has arrived with a vengeance. Businesses are now partnering with the consumer to create dialogue and impart to the consumer some of the power of their advertising campaign.

Consumer Power

Companies have given a slice of their power over to the consumer to review, promote, and develop brand loyalty through social media networks. Social media depends on two-way communication to survive. And, this is where companies are moving their marketing campaigns to focus on consumers to receive product praise, company compliments, and negative reviews in real-time so says a recent article. 

Marketing has evolved from simply delivering a message to the consumer and the consumer running out to buy the product based on a savvy advertising campaign. Today’s consumer is increasingly turning to social media to research brands and products before they buy, during the process, and even after, to give their review, both good and bad.

Principles to Benchmark

This is where companies stand today. Their goal is to capitalize on this and increase their bottom-line with social media. Influential internet marketing gurus, Stevens & Tate Marketing, recently discussed ways to execute and develop brand success with social media. 

They focused on a few key areas companies should address as they navigate the social media waters that can serve as an excellent benchmark for your business:   

• Guidelines: Develop a business plan for social media success in the same way you would develop any marketing strategy.
• Attitude: Remember with social media you are creating dialogue and you want this to be at a much more informal level. Engage your customer with pertinent and informative information that encourages conservation.
• A Company with a Heart: Team with organizations that support causes that are important to your customer to establish a uniform sense of appeal. 
• Real-Time Interaction: Utilize social media to engage your customers in promotions, contents, and giveaways to encourage them to visit your site and spread the word about your brand. 
• Quantify Your Results: Free social media monitoring is available to track your success and allows you to implement immediate changes when necessary to increase traffic and alter message.  

The steps you take to now to direct your marketing campaign for the new millennium will pay huge dividends by developing a savvy and profitable social media campaign that gets people talking. Find out how Flyline Search Marketing can devise an Internet Marketing strategy for your business that capitalizes on these foundational principles.