Is Your Brand Connected to Social Media?

Branding. It is a word that has evolved with the mass appeal of social media. More people are talking about the personal brand versus the retailers’ brand. Social media embraces personal branding with increasing amounts of retailers are wedging in.

Interactive marketing agency Rosetta did a study that revealed 59 percent of 100 top US retailers are using Facebook. The push to market online beyond using paid advertising is growing. As brands do so, they find themselves with an array of different media platforms: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and MySpace. This is not to mention the growing off-spring of networking tools from leading social media gurus.

A major concern is how to measure the ROI on such efforts. There still is not direct correlation except the need to communicate with consumers. The trend combining word of mouth marketing through social networking, is proving to be a launch pad for brands. As the numbers increase, the fan pages grow, but will the amount of marketing your brand online overwhelm consumers? Will consumers eventually stop listening?

However, if a brand or retailer decides to engage social media, there is one definite benefit : connecting with consumers. In the non-traditional forms of advertising, social media can provide a platform for brands to strengthen their customer experience and tap into market demands. The key is to listen. For the brands who are listening to consumers, a wealth of information can be revealed.