Social media has changed the face of how we communicate and how we receive and process information.  Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are simple to use, and  allow people of limited technological capability to receive and deliver the information they crave.

There are two big questions for many in the outbound marketing industry: Will the social media wave usurp the advertising industry’s reach?  Will the advertising industry dry up because of this new media?

While the benefits of social media are many– advertising is still a necessary driver of product and brand awareness– and an effective communicative tool.  In fact if used properly, both can actually enhance one another– much to the benefit of the brand using them.

Consider Facebook; the most popular social media platform in the world.  Its role as a driver of engagement and interaction is powerful.  It can be the perfect method for a business to attract customers.  Companies can target a particular message or product toward a certain audience.  As long as you can engage the customers in conversation and keep it going, the opportunities for that base of fans or customers to expand can be quite large.

The most important aspect of this strategy is how you choose to tailor your conversation.  The potential of Facebook to reach millions of people should be partnered with a cleverly crafted strategy to gather people to talk about your product or service.  A great example is Victoria’s Secret, and their roll out of products.  They introduce new items to fans of their Facebook page to generate interest and word of mouth.  Creating word of mouth interest can generate plenty of interaction.  It’s a successful way to start conversations.

Social media’s ascension does not mean the death of old media.  If used properly, it can lead to its expansion.

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