![\"Outlook4\"](\"http:\/\/rai.net.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Outlook4.jpg\")
<\/a>Go to any marketer and he will bombard you with the importance of being present on the online space. From having a ‘fan’ page to devising ways to increase the number of ‘likes’, suggestions that pour in are umpteen. But what does it really mean to be socially relevant? Nishank Joshi, assistant vice-president \u2013 marketing, Property Zone demystifies the world of social media for the retail community.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nMost Indians never ever used Myspace. Infact many don’t even know it existed. Just like Pagers came and left before people in India could even sample them, so did the Myspace revolution. And then ofcourse came along the first social network that Indians got to use and later abuse \u2013 Orkut. Though it didn’t last long either, Orkut did last enough to make ‘social media’ a household name across the country. From Mumbai to Bhopal, users were logging into Orkut on their laptops and PC’s. Truly, Orkut in many ways paved the way for India being social \u2013 Online I mean. And then one day just like that, it was gone.<\/p>\n
Today, it is pleasing to see that Indian brands that have put in that extra effort, time and money to find out where their consumers are spending most of their time and have connected with them on social platforms. From Vodafone to Shoppers Stop, from Diesel to small starts-ups like Chachi Says, a lot of Indian companies have pushed the envelope when it comes to social media initiatives and connecting with their brands. On the other hand, there are several other brands that are refusing to accept the shift in mindset of its consumers and some others who are taking those first baby steps towards social media.<\/p>\n \u00a0Statistically Speaking\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n But how does going Social really help your business? While there is little doubt that Social Media adds a completely new dimension to marketing and PR, it’s true potential lies in changing your entire business eventually.<\/p>\n The world of social media is littered with brand mentions and recommendations from friends and perfect strangers, or influencers as they are known. If the proof in the pudding lies in eating it, sample this:<\/p>\n A study by Democracy, UK shows what 20 minutes is like on Facebook:<\/b><\/p>\n Every 20 minutes:<\/b><\/p>\n Remember this is only Facebook. 1\/10th of what’s happening in the social media sphere.<\/p>\n \u00a0With increased social recommendations being at the forefront of information gathering and product\/brand discovery, it is incredibly important for brands to\u00a0 take advantage of these touch points by creating opportunities for consumers to create, share and interact with their influencers via social networks, forums, blogs and brand-owned websites and storefronts.<\/p>\n<\/a>A new wave took over \u2013 Facebook. Facebook’s story from being a college networking and dating site to having numbers equivalent to countries is well documented and legendary. But, that’s not where the story ends. In fact for marketers that’s where it started. If there is consumption of media, there has to be advertising. And Facebook was not in existence because Mark Zuckerberg liked poking people. Clearly, he was in there for making millions, no billions. And as he touched the personal lives of people like no one had done before, companies the world over saw consumers in every login that happened into Facebook. Thus began the complicated strategies of what I call as non-intrusive marketing. An art form where companies subtely push their products as millions share their interests, photos and emotions online.<\/p>\n\u00a0Consumer Decision making undergoes a Paradigm Shift<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Where do you shop today? Gone are the days when the consumers were only found at ‘Point of Sales’. Today’s consumer is omnipresent. Over the last decade or so, consumers have taken that giant leap from the traditional behavioural patterns and have now migrated to a more instant and interactive mode of expressing their opinion, preference and views \u2013 Social Media. If you look around, consumers these days are spending more time making their decisions while being in the world of Social Media rather than in stores, outlets or at malls. The very process of ‘deciding’ has undergone a sea change. Online research, sharing pics on Facebook, sharing pins on Pinterest, following trends by their favourite celebs on twitter\u00a0 – the party dress dilemma is resolved long before they set foot in your store. Social media has everyone hooked on because everything here is in ‘Real Time’, and there is no delay in getting responses, feedback and suggestions from peers and colleagues. In how many films or television serials do you see the actress bring out a large book where she has painfully collected all that she wants for her wedding. Move over book of the 1800’s because Pinterest is where she stores all she wants now. The harsh fact is that the new age shopper is fast reducing the sales person to an insignificant medium in the buying process. So, does your company reach him before this process or after?<\/p>\n\n
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