Social media: a modern style marketing

Until some time back, marketing was a monologue system where the marketers involve multiple sources like print, billboard, TV commercials to promote their products. Now the world is changing. The development in the technology has brought in the changes we look at marketing. It has now changed from monologue to dialogue. Mass media plays its role but in a different way. 

The social media has changed the definition of marketing. Today it is everyone's job. The customer is no longer separated from the product. They don't differentiate online stores from in-store experience. It is the experience. The shift is good but challenging. 

Social media has provided the platform to people to search for information before actual purchase. The availability of content related to product or services to engage individuals acts  as authentic brand ambassador to win the prospective customer. In fact, billboards alongside the roads, TV commercials for working class or print media is struggling to gain the attention of the prospects who are absorbed in the screens of their smartphones and tabs. Social media has made customers more empowered, critical, demanding, price sensitive. They are hunting around blogs, social network, forums and other to quench their thirst for information. They prefer window shopping on screens rather physically visiting the stores. The brands who care for them are forming the relationship with them. In short, the avenues for interactions between customers and companies have multiplied.

How companies are adapting to change?

With the change in customers behavior towards marketing, the businesses need to amend their marketing strategies to accommodate in the market. Marketing is not confined to a team or a group of people. It is now a role of everybody which means that as more employees are engaged in the job means trusting more people who are not trained, marketers. Businesses have to change their organisational models to empower the employees by social training and increase access to  branding and product  information. The regular input provided to the employees and support can help to gain the confidence of the employees and loyalty of the customers.

Other than training the employees, they are focusing on responsive websites, tapping all relevant tools of interacting the customers, prompt responses to queries and providing informational content to the customers.

It is now vital for the businesses to adapt to the changes for their existence in the market. Although it may seem challenging but the rewards are overwhelming.