Social Media Marketing: Monologue Became Dialogue

Since marketing was added to sales, the communication between companies or individuals and their customers has primarily been one-way. For decades, ‘marketing’ as been taught as a vehicle to communicate product characteristics and deliver messages to trigger buyer emotions. “This is what we have, and this is why you want it”. Those messages have been delivered consistently in the same direction FROM sellers TO buyers, with the response from customers being measured by their buying behaviours.

Social media changed this dynamic, adding some reciprocation in the process and allowing buyers to directly influence sellers, too. There has been a transition from monologue to dialogue between sellers and buyers. New communication channels have been wide opened.

There is no doubt that social media has played a huge role in bringing this positive change to sales and marketing, and the results are felt not only in a newfound respect for buyers, but also in companies empowered to understand and answer to their customers’ needs and desires.

The new dialogue is a powerful tool. It allows companies and individuals to not only market their products with information, but also:

- To take the pulse of their target market and customers, and to adapt everything they do according to the feedback they receive (from product creation to marketing, and to customer services); showing that they are not only listening, but also responding.
- To communicate so much more than just sales pitches, product features and mission statements. To ENGAGE, RESPOND, RELATE, EDUCATE, SHARE, and INSPIRE (and as a result trigger stronger buyer emotions with the right audience).
- To build relationships with their target market and customers, and encourage loyalty to companies and personal brands.
- To spread the word, and attract exponential numbers of potential followers and customers. Loyal and inspired customers sharing the knowledge, the experience, the vibe… and stretching the marketing much further than the sole reach of companies and individual marketers.

Needless to say, marketing is now a two-way street, with many opportunities for companies and individuals to truly engage their customers. Social media is a formidable vehicle for carrying this entire process, including education, relationship building, and selling.

When a company brand or personal brand is at stakes, social media marketing is unavoidable. The dialogue will start, so may as well be part of it and harness it’s power!