DISCLOSING THE PROMISING POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA – AN IMPORTANT DIGITAL MARKETING TOOL

The newest channels for communicating and selling to consumers are electronic. The Internet provides consumers and marketers with more opportunities than ever in achieving a greater interaction and individualization of services. Companies can send tailored messages that engage consumers by reflecting their special interests and behavior. Nowadays, very few marketing programs are considered complete without some type of prominent online component, which is gaining ground at the expense of traditional marketing. Attaining a successful marketing program compels companies to fully connect with their targeted customers. Thus, a holistic marketing approach must be adopted in order to comprehend the potential clients, by gaining a perspective of their daily lives, their customs of purchase and consumption, their plans for the future and the changes that actually occur in their lifetimes, so that the appropriate products are marketed to the right customers in the appropriate manner. The social media represents such a major cost effective opportunity for marketers to enter into dialogue with their customers and get an insight into their lives. Social network services such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter aggregate an abundance of information about their members that marketers find highly valuable, and they have paved the way for new forms of communication and collaboration between marketers and consumers. These new communications platforms are already making an impact as businesses use them as a means to connect with their audiences, find out more about their likes and dislikes related to their market offerings, and spread brand messages virally.social media, customer empowerment, digital marketing, interactive marketing