Opinion piece: Social media: Should marketers engage and how can it be done effectively?

Abstract

From the success of social networking sites to the explosion in user- generated content, we have seen a dramatic shift in how consumers interact with the internet. The rise of social media as an infl uential marketing channel has, however, caught many in the industry off guard. Online advertising has been criticised for its creative limitations for years, but changes in the internet landscape have created new opportunities to engage with customers in ways not possible through offl ine channels. With the opportunities, however, come specifi c challenges for marketers, many of whom have naively treated the online channel as they would a magazine or television spot and ultimately alienating themselves from their target audience. With social media in particular, it is critical that advertisers ensure that advertising and branding is provided as relevant content, rather than brash product placement. But what is social media and how can we, as marketers, be sure that it is more than a fad?