eMarketer Sizes Up Marketing's push into Social Networking

The good news is that social networking is an area where many marketers are eager to test the waters. The bad news is that, in time, many social networking ventures will no doubt be shelved as grand experiments.

"The overall concept of social networking is a powerful thing and it is not going away," says Ms. Williamson. "The underlying concept will influence the way advertising is done in all media, not just online."

People use social network sites to form connections with other people and bridge their online life with their offline life. And companies whose business is built on creating buzz need to tap into those connections in order to effectively market to tastemakers. Social networking, by bringing together friends and strangers alike, enable instant communication and provide an easy way to share content (whether self-created or from another source) and offer a single source for viral marketing and word of mouth.

"Hollywood studios and automotive companies have been at the forefront of social network marketing. They are businesses with a steady stream of new products to promote," says Ms. Williamson. "But even for companies whose products are more mundane, or not youth-targeted, social networking provides opportunities."


(This excerpt has been republished with permission from the good folks at eMarketer)