Marketing & Social Media

Marketers tend to perceive there is more value in using traditional media instead of Internet media due to reach. However, this is changing as more and more brands starting to use Google Adwords, Facebook Ads and display ads on newspaper sites. This trend is expected to grow as more and more get online and marketers start looking for a better return on their investment.

Despite the risks, many experts are advising individuals to use the web and other tools to brand themselves. While not dismissing the value of more traditional networking, many experts in the art of self-marketing agree that the rapid rise over the last five years of Internet-based social networking sites is a game-changer. Such sites allow like-minded people to forge connections, not just at lunch, but across the country or even overseas, leading to unprecedented opportunities for ambitious people to expand their list of contacts, generate business leads or even develop a new career.

The numbers alone justify this argument

• Facebook more than 200 million active users worldwide
• LinkedIn 35 million users
• Twitter five million users

and so on. I am not counting Orkut, Wayn, Hi5 and other numerous sites. So Social Networking is being considered as mainstream media. And it becomes extremely important to keep a tab on what is being said about you here. After all you are advertising yourself there.