Businesses around the world have come to the Internet to promote their products. The more traditional methods of internet marketing include banner advertisements and keyword placements.
These follow the model of print media, which provides brands readership and therefore exposure. But these banners and keywords are only as good as their traditional counterparts. They only reach their viewers in a different way.
In recent years, the Internet has gone through an evolution spearheaded by social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. With the Internet being freely accessible through mobile phones and other gadgets, it isn’t uncommon for people to get their news and updates from social media rather than traditional media like newspapers and TV.
This development has given rise to social media marketing. Companies can now create pages for their brands and products and provide regular updates and promotions. People online can see these updates as their friends interact with the pages or even by just commenting on posts about these pages. Every like and comment shows up on a friend’s feeds and does not come in as an advertisement in the traditional sense.
These advertisements comes in as word of mouth. And that is the beauty of it all. This sort of advertisement is earned instead of being paid and adds credibility.
Wouldn’t you listen to a friend when he talks about how good the steak is at the new restaurant rather than to a radio advertisement that gives the same message? And wouldn’t you be more likely to try that same steak yourself after hearing from your friend? And not only do you just read what your friends say about these products, you can actually see it for yourself as they post pictures in Instagram or when they check into a new location in Foursquare.
Internet marketing in social media is so effective that it has enabled political campaigns. Ask Barack Obama. His 2008 campaign differentiated itself by having a page that engages with users and also provided the Democratic party reach that it would not have had using traditional means.
It’s just like when you watch a good movie. The really good ones don’t stop once the film ends. You end up talking about it with your friends. The same goes for any outstanding product marketed over social media. The discussions themselves showcase the product.
Internet marketing has also gone beyond just computers. With millions of tablets and smart phones capable of going online and more importantly getting instantaneous updates from social media, your campaigns and promotions reach their user base right away. And they get these updates on the go with wireless Internet being as prevalent as it is today.
So whether you are trying to increase awareness on a new product, working on customer service by going the extra mile in reaching out to your customers or even just collecting information on buying habits and preferences, Internet marketing through social media has a place in every company’s campaign. Today, not only can you get heard or talked about; you can go viral!
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