Buzzword Chasers

The level of connectivity the mass populous has is hard to wrap my mind around. Everyone I know is on my social network friends list; people I dislike very much are my online “friend”; and I get invitations to events from people I have never met or talked to in my life.

My profile is full of information which makes me ripe for marketers. I have a list of the music, movies, and books that I enjoy. I list the jobs that I have and post the groups I’m a part of, not to mention all of my interests. I put myself into a demographic; I spoon feed the marketing industry.

Commercial Network Sites

They have my age, my location, and they know my jobs. It is not hard for anyone to figure out what I would buy. My Facebook profile is peppered with little unobtrusive banner ads for T-shirts sporting logos of the bands that I listed in my musical preference or tickets to a concert in my area. Your profile is a target and there is a company aiming for you.

Flexibility is the Key to Networking

With any amount of advertising there are many pitfalls, and to be competitive on the social network sites companies need to be as fluid and flexible as the website. Social networks thrive off of activity, whether it is wall posts, profile changing, or new applications or games. Companies that set up their own page or profile and offer something back to users stand the best chance of prospering.

Much like viral marketing, social network marketing also needs to rely on consumer participation. By making groups or offering icons that are post-able on group member’s profiles companies see their name being carried by many different users on their profiles…for free! But also like viral marketing there is the difficulty of keeping these incentives original and continually intriguing.

Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace the key to being successful at reaching your consumers is to play into that particular social network. The style and objectives of the network are found out by seeing how activity is monitored and to understand what gets popular and why.

Cutting Edge

The challenge is the same as any other type of marketing: keeping it relevant. Styles and preferences change and with lightening speed what is popular becomes disposable. When a company is a part of a social network, that company sees firsthand the changes as they occur. These social networks are a way to monitor trends and the preferences of the masses. It’s no surprise that in the extremely personalized world of social networks there are marketers personalizing their advertisements for you.