Over the course of this class, I have been awestruck by the capabilities that social media affords marketers.

Never before in our time has it been so easy to connect, communicate and build relationships with people regardless of oceans, time zones, continents, governments, languages, etcetera, etcetera. 

It’s  really neat if you think about it.

As Mark  Collier puts it, “today your customers are more empowered than ever. Cell phones, laptops, PCs, blogs, and social networking sites are all tools that consumers use to constantly communicate with each other. Even Internet access is no longer restricted to the home or office, as many businesses now offer wi-fi connections, and cell phones give consumers the chance to surf the net on the go” (Collier, 2006).

So what’s a traditionally schooled marketer to do? I think at the most basic level it is the option of sink or swim.

“So, at this point, you have a choice: You can continue using the same marketing methods you have always used to reach your customers, or you can try something revolutionary. You can join them. You can stop trying to guess what your customers are talking about, and instead join their communities and talk to them directly” (Collier, 2006).

Whoa! Hold the phone! What did he just say?

Join them!? Listen to them!  Respond to them! Create changed based off of their recommendations and feedback! This seems like way too much to take on…

“But the good news is that when you join consumers in their space, you begin to understand them. You begin to understand what their wants and needs are, and you begin to “speak their language.” Perhaps just as important, they begin to understand you” (Collier, 2006).

As a marketer there isn’t much more that you could ask for. You have unrelenting, often times unsolicited feedback on everything from product to package design. You also have an almost immediate “fan club” that will stand by you and promote your products.

According to Chris Warner, vice-president of marketing for JackBe small software firm based in Chevy Chase, Md. that specializes in social media marketing, “”Web 2.0 technologies can help you make a virtual community that keeps your business top of mind for your fans and lets your fans help you engage new prospective customers” (Klein, 2009).

References:

Collier, M. (2006). How to Make the Online Community Your Marketing Partner. Retrieved on December 28, 2009 from http://www.marketingprofs.com/6/collier1.asp

Klein, K. (2009). How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business. Business Week. Retrieved on December 28, 2009 from http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/aug2009/sb2009087_245691.htm

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