The traditional marketing model was to obtain as many eyeballs on your product or service’s message as possible and hope a percentage of customers purchase. Yellow pages, radio advertising, direct mail, television commercials, magazine ads, etc.. are types of these traditional advertising methods. These conventional forms of marketing are no longer effective as many consumers have grown to be blind to the ‘one way’ messaging. The message has been overdone and folks no longer trust advertisers. A recently available survey discovered that only 14% of people trust ads while 76% of people trust consumer recommendations. Accordingly, more marketers began seeking alternative ways to connect with potential consumers.

Marketing on the Internet was originally made popular through the use of Websites and optimizing those sites through Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques. While still Motivational Content , SEO has been updated by Web 2 2.0 strategies, such as social media marketing. Social media marketing is when companies utilize Blogging platforms 2.0 platforms, such as for example blogs, social media sites (like Facebook, Google+, Foursquare, Twitter, & YouTube) and other emerging online marketing tools. The benefit of web 2 2.0 platforms versus traditional method of advertising, and even traditional website marketing, is that it involves ‘two-way communication’, where users are empowered to create content and companies are incentivized to talk to their customers.

The days of broadcasting your product or services message out to the masses and longing for a response are gone. People don’t want to obtain nameless, faceless companies. Not merely are consumers paying attention to the ‘man behind the curtain’, but they also want to know what others are saying about your service or product. A recent study figured 80% of US Internet using moms were influenced by word-of-mouth from friends and family when coming up with a purchase decision. No other media platform allows for small businesses to benefit from consumer word of mouth advertising like social media marketing.

Benefits Of SOCIAL MEDIA

Increased New Customer Acquisitions – The main advantage of social media marketing is that you’ll have the opportunity to connect with networks of potential customers that you would otherwise be unable to come across utilizing other conventional marketing techniques and even SEO.

Word of Mouth Marketing- Word of mouth marketing has always been the most influential way to generate sales. With social media, you are able to create raving fans who will voluntarily promote your product and services with their networks of friends. Of course, if your product or service is poor, you may suffer the reverse great things about this.

Brand Awareness – Branding your business using social media marketing is much simpler, faster, and less costly to achieve than the traditional advertising medium as well as website marketing.

Customer Retention – Blogging platforms 2.0 platforms will be the perfect places to communicate with your customers about new products, special promotions, or just to educate them on your business. Through consistent, FREE communication, you can keep your company in front of your customer’s eyeballs that will in turn result in repeat business and referrals. Remember, the key to this kind of communication is usually to be content rich; don’t use these avenues to pitch your product or service.

Rapid Results – The effective and successful implementation of a social media marketing plan will create almost instant results for the business. This increase can be quantified through increased site traffic, increased lead acquisition, and ultimately increased sales. Unlike radio or TV ads, where your customers disappear once the ads set off air, these blogging platforms 2.0 platform benefits will continue long-term so long as the communication and updating of your social media presence is maintained.