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Wednesday 17 July 2013

Social Media Marketing: A Different Perspective

With the advent of internet, digital marketing has taken place the concept of physical marketing. While talking about online marketing strategies, the social media contributions come to the forefront. Today, approximately 9 out of 10 people have their accounts on social sites; thus, for marketers this medium is one of the most important platforms to reach their target group and market their respective products/services in the niche markets. Research shows that around 80% of consumers do research over internet and around 65% of them order products and services online. Moreover, it’s also been found that product/service recommendation on social sites influences the consumers to a large extent and increases the overall sales of the product/service.

While social media is gaining momentum as an important marketing channel, it’s also becoming critical for the experts to understand how this virtual world actually works. So how should marketing professionals approach the potential consumers – by adding fun in their approach? Speaking in everyday, colloquial language? Establishing a more relevant, yet intentionally non-corporate online presence?

All these are partially correct, but one aspect that experts need to understand is the nature of user behavior. There is a phenomenon in linguistics known as “code-switching”; it means to use multiple languages simultaneously in a single conversation. A recent research shows that code-switching has its prevalence and significance on a social and cultural level too.

Even in our everyday life, we use this technique. For example, when we speak to the management authorities or our colleagues, we use a corporate tone; and suddenly if we get a call from our friends or family members, we morph into an entirely different, perhaps seemingly complete different persona. The key here is that though we use different tone while speaking with different people both the tones are inherently ours. A study of code-switching reveals that we not only express different aspects of our personality at different times, these aspects play a great influence on our decision-making process, our preferences and our actions.

While using the social network as a marketing tool, we must consider this very nature of human beings. On social networks we must not assume that when a visitor visits our page, they would instantly react as a corporate person. We must consider that people not act, reach, respond and engage solely as a professional, but as nuanced human being.

However, to connect on a human level doesn’t imply to abandon the marketing objectives. Branding of your product/service and earning good revenue returns much depend on good marketing plans. Thus, creating content keeping in mind the needs, taste and preferences of the user group is the best way to market your product on social networks.

Evaluating the user behavior and creating content according to their taste is the fundamental rule to dominate the social media market. We never say that there is any sure shot formula to get overnight success on social networks; it requires patience and proper planning and of course, the advice of some experts.

via - Internet Booking Engine