Social Networking: The New Passe-Partout in Marketing

Social Networking: The New Passé-partout in Marketing

At 3:57 AM IST, 25th September 2014, Internetlivestats.com informs us that the world has 298,665,533 active Twitter users , 640,430,555 active Google+ users and 1,305,451,333 active Facebook users - the numbers changing by tens every second. If these numbers haven’t impressed someone, the fact that 1,311,###,### (it’s impossible to record the number) videos have been watched on Youtube in the last 24 hours would clear things for anyone who still doubts the impact of social networking! Replace the digits with $ and one gets a fair idea of what’s in store in this ‘mildly-commercial’ yet extremely influential sphere!

Social networking, once also including ‘offline’ interactions between social beings, is now synonymous with ‘Facebook, Twitter, Quora, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn’. Right from making tea to Kate Middleton’s dresses to well, investment banking, people come together to discuss almost anything and everything here. And that’s what gave birth to the idea that social networking is the new passé-partout in marketing- opening doors to hitherto untapped segments.

Social media has been established as perfect for content marketing that provides value to the customers- allowing blog articles, podcasts, infographics and videos to go viral on the internet! With more than 33% consumers citing social media as a way of discovering new and unconventional products and services, new-age entrepreneurs have skillfully used it to launch their ventures. Spending exorbitant resources on promotion will soon be passé! A flea market ‘Sunday Soul Sante’ (SSS) organized every three months in Bangalore banks almost entirely on its social media presence to promote its events.  Within a few months of its first event, SSS became so popular that it attracted more than 15,000 footfalls. Through its Facebook page and website, SSS acts as the ‘connect’ between the niche consumers and the small designers and craftsmen who are looking for more visibility but lack resources-facilitating a sustainable symbiotic relationship.

“I thought this would be just another coffee ad. But it turned out to be The Best Ad I’ve Seen So Far.”- reads the title of Scoopwhoop.com article showcasing the heartwarming Nescafe ad featuring a stand-up comedian. This post was shared on Facebook and twitter thousands of times- a clear display of customer advocacy- pretty much the ultimate goal for every marketing campaign! What’s better than customers engaging more customers to create a long chain? While traditional publicity often tends to interrupt, social media goes beyond meaningless exposure to capture a consumer’s cognitive, affective as well as conative characteristics. Such a platform has been able to address everything from inducing trials for a product, breaking away from a negative brand image as well as educating customers about a whole new product concept. In fact, multimedia content on such sites has enabled marketers to carve out paths to reach customers they had never been able to target. Also, the sheer amount of data, which customers make available through social media is like a vast field of consumer insights waiting to be identified and harvested!