Social Media – Using Social Network Advertising to Market Products And Services

Social media are interpersonal interactive technologies which permit the generation or sharing/ exchanging/ exchange of information, discussions, ideas, personal career goals, and various forms of social expression through virtual communities and online networks. The term social media can refer to any one of the following: blogs (as well as individual blogs), micro-blogging platforms, social networking sites, video sites, RSS feeds, wikis, social bookmarking sites, message boards, discussion forums, multiplayer games, instant messaging systems, and other applications that are accessible on the Internet and whose primary users are typically other users of the same or a similar kind of media. Social networking sites and applications, in some ways, are like online communities (think of Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter), but they differ in a number of ways. For example, in a typical community, people are grouped together based on common interests and they interact with one another through discussion boards or message boards.

In contrast, social media such as blogging, micro-blogging platforms, social networking sites, and wikis are generally used by individuals or small groups of people to share information or to interact with each other. In fact, many social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon and MySpace are highly active user communities that collectively provide a rich source of data and content for researchers who study media marketing and social network dynamics. A good example of this type of site is FriendFeed, which lets users create and manage RSS feeds.

Many people use social media to connect with others. For example, some people may use FriendFeed to post information about what they are doing or what they are reading, or they may use Twitter to tweet about what they are doing. On the other hand, some business may use video hosting sites such as YouTube to share information about their products or services. Some businesses also use blogs, micro-blogging platforms, video hosting sites, and social networking sites to advertise their products and services. This latter type of use is referred to as social network advertising.

One way that businesses use social media to market their products and services is by encouraging consumers to “tweet” about their experiences with their products or services. For example, a restaurant might ask customers on Twitter if they have had a good experience. The restaurant then uses the information gained from the Twitter “tweets” to tweet about its menu items and review the customer’s experience. Businesses can also take advantage of social media sites such as Facebook to host advertisements.

Another way in which social media sites are used for marketing is by forming online communities or groups. For example, some websites such as LinkedIn have developed special sections that allow professionals to share information about their professional lives. Businesses can take advantage of these groups by inviting other professionals who may have similar interests to join their group. By forming groups and inviting others to be part of them, a business can build a network of other business owners who share the same goals and objectives. These groups can then be used to market the products and services of the business.

The internet is fast becoming one of the most popular ways in which consumers engage with one another and form relationships. Although marketers recognize this, many still don’t fully understand the benefits of social network advertising. If a business wants to take full advantage of social network sites, it will be necessary to understand how they work. It will be important to begin studying social network sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter sooner rather than later in order to get the best results.