Social Media and Validation Takes Over Internet Marketing

5 December 2011 – Social media marketing is now a leading factor in planning an overall marketing and branding strategy for any company or business that wants to succeed in the World Wide Web.

Search engines took the computing and browsing world by storm when they came out to help users find what they need in the amalgam of information we call the Internet. Over five years after their advent, they remain movers and players in all the industries and businesses that Web spawned and provides traction for. Today, another trend may well be on its way to eclipse the success of search engines: social media.

Social media is everywhere these days, and the most common people who surf the Internet are sure to have one or two social media accounts that they currently update or visit. Social media marketing has gone – to use Web-speak –viral. It has become central to many business’s marketing and Web presence building strategy. The power of social media simply cannot be ignored. But beyond what happens right in front of our faces, or in this case, our computer screens, social media is taking over the Internet marketing industry in more ways than one.

Consider the prevalent business priority level given to search engine optimization (SEO). SEO and its cohort link building are integral to the success of any business, particularly small and medium businesses (SMBs). But there is only SEO because of search engines. Five years of so from now, it would not be farfetched for there to be social media optimization for business objectives – in fact there might already be one, though not as refined as SEO.

This social media optimization as it is now mostly revolves around social validation and the power it holds over consumer behavior. 90% of online consumers will make a purchase when a trusted friend of family member advises them to. 80% don’t make decisions until they hear from peers. 60% of online window shoppers turn to active consumers after a good recommendation from a reputable source. All these statistics are pointing in one general direction for online business owners: social media.