[Changing customer perception with the growing use of social media: an explorative approach]

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Changing customer perception with the growing use of social media: an explorative approach

Chapter 5: conclusion

To sum up, in recent years it is clearly evident that the online social media boom, for the most part, has been responsible for the stark change in consumer buying behaviour. The ascendancy of social networking sites, blogs, community forums and consumer feedback coupled with the lack of control organisations have over content displayed on the world wide web has meant that no longer are consumers restricted to only positive organisational, brand or product advertisement stimuli. In this digital age consumers are more informed now then ever with the first point of contact for a consumer and a marketer is Internet. That said limited research has been conducted into how this exposure to online social media affects consumer perception of brands and buying behaviour. Whilst studies do suggest that behavioural and cognitive psychology affect the buying behaviour, how these are influenced in the online social media environment is an area relatively under explored. It is therefore apparent, that further study needs to be conducted in this area which should try and fill this void. The study needs to assess how the psychological aspects are influenced and how they then change the buying perceptions of an individual.

In fact, Gartner Research shows a large increase in investment in social media by businesses (Metz, 2008). Used effectively, social media sites can enable marketing professionals, salespeople, and customer service agents to develop meaningful relationships with customers in new ways. But the true value from social media can't be achieved in isolation. Rather, organizations need to take stock of their core business processes and customer management initiatives and identify how social media can further enhance and extend those initiatives.

Unlike other communication mediums, social media sites not only provide the ability for users to communicate with each other but also enable users to find like-minded individuals. Once they discover each other, members can form ad hoc communities based on their mutual interests. Multiplied many times over, these individuals become the new power behind the old saying, “power of the masses.” Thus social media sites help shift power from the company to the consumer as the masses are able to channel and exert their influence. As social media sites continue to grow in popularity, firms can no longer solely rely on traditional mediums (print, radio, TV, etc.) to enforce public perception of their product. Conversely, these new communication channels also provide organizations with a way to discover and maintain a persistent connection with their most vocal constituents. By harnessing this social media information organizations can use it to help identify their most influential consumers, drive participation in product development, and improve brand sentiment.

The combination of social media and CUSTOMERS provides an enormous opportunity to enrich customer interactions and give businesses a way to manage and measure how they use social media while successfully engaging social ...