Marketing in a World of Digital Sharing: Are You Drowning in Social Media Noise and Chaos?

Ramnarayan provides a detailed, contemporary primer that illuminates the promise and peril of the brave new world of social media. Marketing must aim at communicating with, not at, its targets. Although social media enable unparalleled opportunities for feedback, some channels will be more rewarding than others. With everyone able to make an opinion public, marketers must devise a strategy to facilitate this impulse. Although the traditional basics of marketing remain the same, Ramnarayan argues that, in our era of near-universal skepticism, consumers remain prone to heed the comments of those they trust. While sentiment can be manipulated, companies would do well to invite direct feedback and help foster the growth of brand communities. Ramnarayan acknowledges that business apprehension about the new world of marketing remains widespread, but provides a roster of success stories as examples of what can be achieved. Whatever one's feelings about the new media landscape%E2%80%94and Ramnarayan herself acknowledges that social media is no panacea%E2%80%94her crisp presentation, with chapter summaries to highlight the main pointers, confirms that companies that choose not to listen to customers stand to lose ground to competitors who do. The neophyte in this field would do well to review this guide.