Social Media and Marketing

Businesses have quickly learned that the use of social media as a valuable selling tool. Many of these marketing departments have set up these social media networks to exchange ideas in areas of marketing to appeal to the internet audience. This use of social media serves two purposes; to engage in conversation with the consumer and to get their message out. The fundamental goal is to reach a wide audience to generate more business. The popularity of these social network sites such as Facebook is due largely to their viral nature; self-promoting. The users of these social networking sites, the consumer, spread the word for the merchant (Burdge, 2011).

From a business standpoint, using social media as a means of advertising to the masses proves beneficial. Take advertising on Facebook for an example. It is reported that Facebook has reached approximately 700 million users. With respect to advertising dollars, it is also reported that sales generated from the use of social media platforms to reach just under $8.5 billion dollars annually by 2015 (Navetta, 2011). There are several approaches marketing managers can take when it comes to social networks which can be used individually or in conjunction with each other such as targeting a potential consumer by demographics, precise targeting, and broad category targeting, but with targeting the masses, comes a great deal of responsibility legally. Companies and marketing departments must be aware of the significant issues that may arise legally in order to protect their interests, in other words, caveat venditor—Let the seller beware.

Companies who employ the services of social media to promote their products may very well find themselves subjected to several legal risks and can be cate...

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...precautions to avoid legal risks, merchants can become more profitable from the use of social networks without leaving themselves in a compromising position (Steinman & Hawkins, 2011).

Works Cited

Burdge, R. L. (2011). Legal Implications of Social Networking and New Media in Consumer Transactions. Dayton, Ohio.

Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). Alternative Dispute Resolution. Retrieved May 16, 2014, from Cornell University Law School: http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/alternative_dispute_resolution

Navetta, D. (2011, June 11). The Legal Implications of Social Networking: The Basics (Part One). Retrieved May 11, 2014, from InfoLawGroup,LLP: http://infolawgroup.com/2011/06/articles/social-networking/the-legal-implications-of-social-networking-the-basics-part-one/

Steinman, M. L., & Hawkins, M. (2010, May). When Marketing Through Social Media, Legal Risks Go Viral.