Businesses are slowly learning the importance of social networking. It’s not too late to begin - but moving quickly may be a good idea. The incredible success of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter has become a reason for businesses to seriously look at these in order to be more competitive. Companies are realizing the importance of developing consumer relationships in a digital world. Social network marketing, in many cases, has become a #1 strategy for successfully marketing many products and services.

To include social networking in your marketing plan means you are placing your ear to the ground in order to know exactly what consumers are saying about what they are buying. It also means you are plugging into the digital world to understand, in real-time, how individuals, families and other business are changing. And, we all know how quickly our world changes now – by the minute.

Social network marketing is not the fix-all to enhancing consumer attitude and awareness. However, without it, you simply are not tapped into the information and competitive community that is quickly becoming the mainstream of our society’s nervous system. Many have believed this medium was for social communication only. Now, we are finding out that it is the modern day, invention of the telephone, a time when communication quickly became a connection between consumers - and businesses who were the first to realize the potential of something new and multi-faceted in gaining new business.

So where will social media go from here? Who knows, but it most likely will blossom into a bigger and better personalized medium, where users get what they want when they want it, and are able to express their attitudes and opinions readily. Best of all, savy businesses will be right there when all this is taking place. And, for those businesses who are unwilling to acknowledge this powerful new digital world of personalized communication? Well, let’s just say – see ya!

The move for companies and marketing experts to embrace social networking as an important part of their marketing plan will be difficult for many. We have become so comfortable understanding the detailed attributes and negatives of the mediums already on our palette. Yet, we must realize the benefits of social network marketing to engage consumers in a one-on-one relationship that is powered by lots of communication that has not existed up until now in the quantity and quality this medium provides.

Social media gives us the power to direct the consumer’s attitudes and purchases rather than paint them to see what happens. And, if we listen carefully, we can fine-tune our products and services to be more of what buyers want. Up until now, we have projected ourselves into the market place with demographic, psychographic and geographic information/consideration – all designed to tell our story the way we wanted it told. All that has changed, or at least is changing. No longer will the tail wag the dog. Because of new technology, the dog will finally wag his own tail. And, if we are not careful, we will be like a flea that gets tossed off the end of the tail and out of the hunt.

Social marketing is a soft sell. It is not for those that want to charge in and begin pushing products and services to an audience that is there because they want to be in control. On the contrary, social media is about sharing and becoming apart of the society in order to encourage and provide legitimate benefits that fit the lifestyles of the network participants.

Be multi-dimensional. Be sure what you are saying is interesting, informative, fun, and anything but boring. Many businesses are using social media to pod-cast fun and informational snip-its in order to get a buzz going. For it is this buzz that can grow and deliver participants/consumers at the most cost-effective price ever realized in the marketing universe. Just about FREE. A buzz is not easily created. There is a certain timing + creative genius = formula that is very difficult to achieve. But, it is being done everyday by those who have taken the time to listen, learn, understand and craft - with caution.

Many companies are developing unique features to keep their customers, followers and fans interested. This is a medium that is very personal, yet not so personal that you become unwelcome. In this new digital world things are changing quickly, and the change is not complete by any measure. It will be interesting to see where all this goes. It is my belief that it is the new direction for marketers to explore and utilize. In its infancy, but nevertheless, a change in direction that was inevitably going to happen considering the speed technology is moving and the demand for new and better ways to communicate and purchase the things we all want and need.

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