Advertisers advised to maximize potentials of social media

In a forum Thursday organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, experts said those who want to tap social media websites like Twitter and Facebook must not use the sites just to advertise but also to interact with consumers. "You have to make your pages in social networks interesting and interactive. Your company’s Facebook pages should not just be a place to gather fans, but a place to make special offers," said Sebastien Cauldron, president of Net Booster Asia. He said social media can provide another avenue to know the opinions of consumers and encouraged marketing managers to keep tabs on online forums. But doing so requires a well-designed strategy that will dictate the place of online thrusts, said Richard Eldridge, director of Infinit Outsourcing Inc. "When going online, you have to customize your strategy to the market you are in. For example, if the country you want to market to is not big on Facebook or Twitter, don’t market using those sites. Companies must also take into account what the marketing strategy is before deciding to open up more interactive Web sites," he said. - BusinessWorld