Many see marketing -let's face it- as mere advertising. They want consumers to see their brand, their products. As the reasonable people they are, they would prefer exhibiting their brand in those places where more people would see them, this is -as we know very well- what makes some locations more desirable -and also more costly- than others. It´s not the same to place a banner at London's Piccadilly Circus or at Times Square in NYC than at let's say, some hidden corner in Queens or in the Dodgy End.
Let's assume for a momment that they are not wrong. That advertising is Marketing simplified (for dummies?) This vision of marketing is what is attracting an increasing number of businesses to implement this new phenomenon of "marketing" (advertising) through the most popular social networks. Granted, if done in an intelligent way, this could lead to very well targeted and extensive brand exposure. If you ask me... I sense that this is a tricky thing to do.
Let´s assume we are a certain business: how much presence could we allow ourselves to have in a space where we were not invited and that is viewed by many as intended for interpersonal relationships only? How long till we are perceived as oportunistic invasors? Is there any risk that our efforts to be noticeable could end up driving people away? How could we measure this? Hard question to answer.
What really surprises me, is that apparently many don't seem to care about the presence of certain busineses on these networks. Like in real life, there´s room for almost everyone and those businesses that find their way in, mimetizing, blending in, are actually viewed as cool, modern and popular (who wouldn´t like that??)
It seems then that this is destined to become a trend (people argue that it is already) But what I find even more interesting is the kind of marketing these social networks will need to carry out to remain "inn" and "popular". About five years ago, myspace was the big thing. People were amazed to hear it got more than 70 million visitors! What would they think about Facebook and its more than 500 million members? But even more interesting... what will Facebook need do to retain and increase its members? What will they need do to remain on top? what will come next? I dare saying it is already flying around.
The wonderful thing about these new tools -despite a certain set of self-imposed regulations- is that people is very much in charge: you choose to like or dislike a brand, a product or a place. You get to have a say when your business in not well enough appreciated by some vendor. Marketers and businesses will have their shot at trying to use this to their advantage -something they are well entitled to do- but I think that we the consumers are much better off now than ever before. They know it, and that's why they are being so careful.
