Creating, sustaining and growing trust is predicated on creating a very high level of authenticity and transparency with prospects and customers alike. The greatest potential of social media in advertising and marketing is in creating a foundation of trust by engaging in open communication with prospects and customers. The reliance on advertising as a one-way communications mechanism is quickly coming to a close; prospects and customers alike today expect and require a more interactive, responsive experience when evaluating companies and products of interest. And this transcends across Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) marketplaces as well. The role of marketing must be that of relationship builder with the customer, not just the department that mechanically generates more and more advertising without first hearing what customers want as well. Social media is the catalyst that can fuel these...
Each of these social media channels that can be used for advertising can also be used for customer listening and for building a higher level of trust with prospects and customers alike. In this sense, social media in advertising is bringing an entirely new clarity and precision to marketing, concentrating it on the relationship with the customer first. The quantification of marketing performance possible with social media, as all of it is digitally based, also ensures a very high degree of accountability of performance as well. Agility, accuracy, focus and speed are more possible for a small business to achieve than a large corporation. Social media marketing and advertising is therefore a powerful equalizer in marketing and promotion, and the creation of relationships in small businesses who can react faster and with greater focus,
