Social media 'to play' a bigger role in online direct marketing

The role social media plays in online direct marketing will increase over the next few years, it has been claimed.
A report by Gartner said that social networking services will have replaced internal email within 20 per cent of business organisations by 2014. This could mean that marketers may have to increase their social networking online direct marketing efforts.

Matt Cain, research vice president at the company, said: "The rigid distinction between email and social networks will erode. Email will take on many social attributes, such as contact brokering while social networks will develop richer email capabilities."

According to industry expert Will McInnes, managing director of Nixon McInnes, companies are increasingly playing around with social media.

He added: "The hardest changes will come in organisations with the strongest cultures, the most calcified infrastructures. I mean, these companies move like glaciers and that´s where social media disrupts the hierarchy."

Earlier this month, it was announced that Facebook now has 400 million users. The social networking site is celebrating its fifth birthday today (January 5th).

© Equi=Media Ltd