The whole concept of marketing has undergone a sea change in the digital world. It is a fact today that, with the popularity of social networking sites galloping ahead by leaps and bounds, marketers use them to great advantage. Nine out of ten internet users frequent social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and connect with their contacts across the world. The time spent by users on networking sites is also increasing and the average user spends more than 8 hours on networking sites every month.
Recently I was contacted by a person with an offer to join an organization that promotes e commerce and gives an opportunity to its members to network and make money. The fact that the offer sounded attractive is beside the point, though I am not sure that there is a hidden catch somewhere. The point I am making is, when I went to see the presentation on the company and the details of the business, I found a large crowd of youngsters who are already doing this business. All of them recommended it to me. This shows the impact social networking has on today’s generation. Let me clarify. All the people I saw were not youngsters, though they formed the majority. 
The advent of 3G has accelerated the use of e-commerce, especially in the US. India is catching up. It is said that one in four users in the US has a Smartphone. It is also said that the number of users having accessibility to the internet on their mobile phones is increasing rapidly. This penetration, along with the increasing usage, is being used by marketers to sell products and services. If I put it in the proper perspective, the social media route is the one that is most preferred by marketers since the reach is tremendous.
What must not be forgotten is that online entertainment media like videos, songs and educational media like books are also increasingly being purchased on line
In the near future will we come to a stage where traditional forms of marketing will disappear? That day doesn’t seem far off.....
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