THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING 6

The Power of Social Media Marketing

Paul Mueller

BUS508 - Contemporary Business

May 30, 2013 The Power of Social Media Marketing

Past and present businesses have always looked toward the power of marketing to increase the visibility and thusly the profitability of their product or service. From newspaper advertisements to roadside billboards, marketing seeks to target and entice the general public to increase product consumption and ensure the stability or growth of a business. In recent times, social media marketing has become a powerful tool utilized by modern business strategists to reach their desired target consumer audience. This examination will delve into the power of social media marketing through the evaluation of its popularity within the modern business environment, analysis of its advantages and disadvantages for business entrepreneurs, examination of how Pepsi is utilizing this form of media marketing to enhance its understanding of consumers, research and inspection of how other businesses are using social media marketing to their advantage, and the future outlook on the use of social media marketing in business.

Why Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing has become a vital tool for businesses of all sizes due to its cost effectiveness, ability to reach massive ranges of consumers and increase product visibility quickly, consumer research data gathering advantages, and instantaneous product branding. The most pertinent advantage to the social media marketing craze is its low price point. Social media outlets such as Facebook and MySpace provide the ability to create pages that individuals can subscribe too that are free of charge to the organization that establishes them. "The majority of social media sites are free to access, create a profile and post information. The advantage of reaching your targeted market for little or no cash investment is substantial, and...