Social Media Marketing: Theories and Applications

Few technological developments have created enthused and petrified marketing communication professionals and academics more than the loose concoction of different platforms referred to as social media. While some marketing professionals have hailed the social media as 'a game-changing technology with a major impact on business' (Corstjens and Umblijs, 2012: 433), even as a new paradigm of how to do business and connect to customers, others have been petrified by the possible onslaught of constant connectivity, the potential for ferocious customer intrusion and concerns with regards to nebulous privacy and fearful of potential backlashes when engaging with the new media.