Because it's so popular and frequently used, social media provides a rich source of marketing content.  Not only does a vast audience exist for marketing, especially among consumers under age 35, but the content of the seemingly unending messages among social media users offers some indication of which products might be appealing, and ways to advertise to them to digital consumers.

In this way, social media users almost write their own marketing content, most frequently for and about the niched micro markets the majority of them currently occupy.  It is up to marketers to refine these messages in order to sell. 

Social Media Marketing as a Practice
Marketers increasingly recognize the benefits of social media strategies and are committed to developing content for these consumers.  For instance, as the $100 billion/year mobile-app market continues to grow, marketers can improve their efficiency by using less costly, easily implemented interactive advertising, enhancing reputation and revenue simultaneously.

Developments in social media advertising reflect a substantial change in marketers' focus, from mass marketing to micro markets.  Shifting demographics and increasingly nuanced consumer preferences have caused these developments.  Accelerated use of social media and digital technology has intensified this growing trend, as has competition among digital providers for consumer interest and dollars. 

Social media's interactive nature takes advantage of speed and mobility.  Compared to traditional advertising, it enjoys expanded reach and engagement of consumers in real-time.

Social and interactive media provide possible explanations for this shift in consumer preferences, with significant advantages over traditional media.  Their interactive capacities increase marketers' power to contact and connect with a wider range of potential customers.

Social media consumers can become very vocal (digitally, that is) about reasons why they prefer one product or service in comparison to others, giving marketing perhaps the most authentic source of information about their product selection processes.  Each social media participant can (and often will) provide opinions and ideas about not only products but the content of their advertising messages, a valuable contribution for niche, micro markets where often consumers share very similar product interests. 

This reaction-content (coming as it does in response to product display and use) is extremely value in shaping content.  You know what consumers want since they've told you; now, you can use their content to modify your own messages back to them, based on the preferences expressed in their original (source) material.  This should generate for you an effective strategy for promoting your client's (or your own) products and business. 

Social media management combines with SEO to generate thousands (tens of thousands) of prospective consumers for your commercial offerings.  On its own, SEO adds distinct marketing possibilities for social media marketing through consumer texting and tweeting, online interactions that create buzz about your products and perhaps stimulate sales.  These developments suggest comprehensive integration of SEO and social media marketing.
  
And social media will allow you to source content from consumers, as you refine your own, on a regular basis.  The fact that your social media consumers are currently connected to:

 •Facebook,
 •Twitter,
 •LinkedIn,
 •YouTube

and similar sources should allow a wide range of messaging. The result may be a consumer base extending well beyond the range of acquaintances, to a much wider base of online friends and prospective consumers.
 
While marketers continue to expand their own enterprises with social and digital marketing capabilities, media consultants can more selectively prioritize strategies and tactics of interactive advertising.  These experts can detect trends among consumer purchasing records and the content they exchange with each other about their choices.  Collaboration with copywriters, developers, designers, and strategists and developers expand the potential for social media and digital product offerings.

Social media marketing and interactive advertising through digital and related media emphasize micro marketing, simultaneously involving one-to-one and wide-scale communication with a diverse base of consumers and their product preferences.  As social media-generated shopping and spending becomes increasingly mainstream, marketers need to develop smart, meaningful and entertaining experiences for these consumers. 

The interactive capabilities expressed through social media provide a rich source of content  that marketers can and do use to their advantage.  Interactive advertising and digital marketing are rapidly becoming the marketing of choice for today's savvy online entrepreneurs.