Social media has forever changed the way companies market their products. Companies that recognize and adapt to these changes will be the ones that succeed in the new information environment.
Prior to the era of social media, potential customers had limited access to information about the product they were planning to buy. Their primary source of information came from the salesperson or a friend or family member who had personally used the product.
Today, with social media, netizens habitually share their personal experiences using the product online on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and forums. As such, all a potential customer has to do, to find out about the product they are planning to buy, is to go online. In this new environment, companies that sell products that do not live up to their promises will find themselves out of business very quickly.
What is no different from the non-digital world is that potential customers instinctively weigh the credibility of information they receive from different sources differently. Information, even testimonials, and celebrity endorsements, on the website of the companies are viewed with skepticism. In their “research”, potential customers actively search for breadcrumbs to guide them in making their decision.
