Source: www.Businessinsider.com

With the rapid growth of mobile technology and social media, advertisers have new ways to reach consumers through social media marketing. Mobile and social media are particularly well-suited to work together, as a majority of mobile usage comes from social media apps. For example, the new Facebook app for iPad was one of the fastest-downloaded apps of all time.

This shift towards social media advertising does not mean that search and display media are becoming obsolete. Rather, advertisers are now focusing on capturing their audience in the social landscape. The technology and analytics to drive brand engagement or performance marketing on social media platforms are rapidly advancing.

For traditional internet marketers, social media advertising requires a new way of thinking. It is about understanding the consumer’s mindset and creating a message that encourages them to interact with a brand. Consumers are heavily influenced by their friends’ opinions, and social media platforms make it easy for users to see which of their engagement and click-through rates on social media ads significantly.

However, social media advertising is generally more closely tied to branding, while search advertising is more closely tied to performance marketing. This is because people use social media platforms like Facebook to interact with their friends, view pictures, and stay informed about what’s happening in their social circles. Many users are not interested in seeing ads on Facebook and would prefer not to engage with brands on the platform.

On the other hand, the engagement a brand can get from a single “like” from a user can last a long time. Users may receive messages or updates from a brand for years to come, so the lifetime value of a “like” is very valuable to brands. This has led to a race for likes and followers on Twitter, but brands should focus more on the quality of the users who like their brand rather than sheer quantity. Higher-quality users are more likely to be brand advocates, spread the word to more friends, and be more likely to purchase or convert against an advertiser’s message.

In addition to buying ads on Facebook, another trend in social media advertising is running social contests. There are many startups that provide solutions to advertisers on how to effectively implement a contest within a brand’s page. Contests within social media are an effective way to drive interaction and user engagement.

Overall, social media advertising is heading in an exciting direction. Facebook and Twitter have only scratched the surface of the advertising opportunities within platforms. As they become more creative, more unique and interesting ad products will arise on social networks.. One example is possibility for Facebook to syndicate their ads to publishers and compete with the billion-dollar Google Adsense business. This is a trend that we can expect to see in the near future. If you’re not ready for the new wave of social media marketing, it’s important to get ready for the ride.