Advertising is all about getting the right message to the right people. Herein lies the challenge – getting to the right people. Current advertising tactics like billboards could easily become a thing of the past. Billboards are not targeted and they cost a ton. Newspaper, radio, television ads are all in the same boat.
The beauty of social media is that it is bringing people with common interests together. There is a community and conversation going on for everything – golf, music, home décor, twins, clothing and millions more for nearly everything. You can find online communities everywhere, Facebook houses a ton, topic hashtags on Twitter, forums everywhere, and Youtube is another powerhouse. Businesses simply need to start listening, and tapping into these conversations.
So where does advertising see its end? Social media is free, people are grouping on their own. Getting the message to right people has become free, and easy. Here’s a perfect example, The Michael Jackson fan page on Facebook has nearly 25 million fans. One, free, simple little post on this fan page hits 25 million fans and their friends instantaneously. The more comments this little post generates, the further the message reaches, and the more exposure it gets. Tell me another way to hit this many people for free?
Our advice? If you haven’t already, start thinking about the power of social media for advertising. It’s not a fad, it’s here to stay, and if you’re an advertiser who isn’t using social media in your campaigns – you may become a thing of the past.
