DIGITAL MARKETING / SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

                DIGITAL MARKETING / SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Social Media marketing is a type of digital marketing which. Involves the use of social networking sites (e.g. twitter, Facebook, Myspace) to promote a product or service in cheap and effective way. It results in earned media which doesn't involve the use of advertisement for promotion and hence provides a cheap alternative. The easiest way to. Promote or market a product on social networking sites is to share the content (blog, articles) through different pages and groups within the social networking sites. You can also tag someone in a specific article or blog. Different Social networking sites have different procedures to promote a product but the main idea is the same i.e. to increase web traffic on social sites. It has become an important tool for people to through their message to their targeted markets and to increase customer interaction.

The most common social networking sites for marketing are Facebook and twitter. Facebook allows the user to create a fan page or a group to publicize the product and spread awareness about it around the universe which would effective and efficient. Twitter allows its user to make 140 character posts which others can follow. Twitter also offers a wide range of customer interaction. YouTube is yet another social site which can enhance customer interaction. It involves uploading videos and podcasts which can be viewed by millions of people around the world. An excellent example of social media marketing was Microsoft’s response to the “I’m a Mac” commercials. Rather than face Apple head on through commercials, Microsoft engaged in a viral “I’m a PC”Marketing campaign that centered on customers uploading their own I’m a PC video responses. There are also sites which can be used for specified products such as musician can promote their music through Last.FM/ Myspace or a movie can be promoted through Flixster

According to Hub spot, 92% of marketers in 2014 claimed that social media marketing was important for their business and according to Social Media Examiner, 97% of marketers are currently participating in social media. One of the most important benefits of social media marketing is the increased brand recognition for e.g. a Facebook user might hear about your company after stumbling it upon in a news feed. Cost is yet another main advantage as the access to the profiles on networking sites is free of cost and one can post information any time. A study published by Convince Convert found that 53% of Americans who follow brands in social media are more loyal to those brands so marketing through social media can influence a customer to be more brand loyal as well.

In short a cost effective, dynamic and quick way to introduce/promote/market a product is through social networking sites.

                                                                                                                                                                      Ibrahim Imtiaz

                                                                                                                                                      Third Year (IM-033)

                                                                                                                                                       2012-2013