Long live the relationship

Abstract

Amid changing markets and technological advances, businesses are searching for a way to reach consumers and create dynamic long-lasting relationships. The emergence of social media has expanded the impact of consumer-to-consumer communication, earning social media channels a place among the promotion mix as businesses are recognising the role they play in relationship-building. In contrast to traditional marketing, social media are data-centric and controlled by the consumer. As such, businesses are learning how to shape consumer conversations to benefit their mission. This paper discusses methods by which this can be accomplished. These methods include marketing vehicle integration, consistent outreach, strategies to engage current consumers and organisational transparency.