Social Media and Business

            Since 2000, social media on the Internet has exploded. Frequently used by individuals to share information and make personal connections, social media is also used by marketing seeking alternative ways to reach their priority audiences. Companies are finding that social marketing can deliver powerful benefits. Before it just a way for marketers to sell their products, to teens and savvy adults, however now social media for B2B companies is also gaining foothold. 

            This can be explained because; the dynamics of the social media have greatly changed from the past. Users over 35 are the fastest growing demographic group on Facebook. As of January 2009, over 50% of Facebook users and 44% of MySpace users were over 35; the majority of users on micro-blog site Twitter are also above 35. This paradigm shift can also be explained by the movement from strictly personal use to a mixture of personal and professional use. Approximately 65% of all business professions use social networking, out of which 47% use it “to connect with potential clients and market their skills” and 55% “to share best practices with colleagues.” Clearly social media has not only become more main stream in the largest population, but has also become a medium that serves the business community. 

            Many buyers perceive social media as a less-biased, more objective source of information. Potential buys tend to place greater confidence in social media because it links people with similar predispositions and beliefs. Sites like Facebook with multiple uses have consumed today world. Personally I have found good advertisement on Facebook  whether sending emails, chat, upload ing picture and any where else i go. Being a marketing student, Facebook for me is one of the most interesting type of promotion. As seen below Facebook has 13 points of Marketing. Social media  today seems more indented to educate and inform rather than influencing one’s decision-making process.

"Using Social Media in the B2B Context - Harvard Business Review." Harvard Business Review             Case Studies, Articles, Books. University of Virginia. Web. 5 Nov. 2010.        

             <http://hbr.org/product/using-social-media-in-the-b2b-context/an/UV2973-PDF-ENG>.