Social Media, get used to it

Many people may deny the future on popular social media sites, such as Twitter, but the success stories of Facebook, Myspace, and other social websites has created a new industry in itself. Professionals in advertising and marketing must stay aware of trendy sites like these in order to stay current with their audience. For example, Starbucks uses Twitter as a form of Customer Relationship Management by replying to negative posts about the company and offering instant answers to customer questions. Twitter's search engine is a genius way for companies to hear what consumers are thinking about their company, without the hassle of searching and monitoring blogs.

Target uses Facebook as a permission form of advertising, where consumers who are a fan of Target merchadise can add Target as a friend. Therefore, Target can send direct messages to people who are already interested in hearing about the latest specials. Advertising on sites such as Facebook also provide methods to target your ideal buyer. You can choose to focus specifically on location, age, education, sex, and other demographic specifications. Reaching your target audience has never been easier. Marketers that plan to reach Generation Y and beyond should get used to these type of marketing tools and familiarize themselves fast. Companies like Mashable that specialize in social media provide free tips to companies and consumers alike to maximize their experience in the social world.