These companies focus more on promoting their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts rather than running adverts that only promote their products as they recognize that the internet these days has a wider reach than television does in terms of audience.
The adverts on these social networking websites are generally in the form of mini websites themselves where the follower or fan can click within the advert and see a message from the brand's Twitter accounts, on their Facebook wall or watch their videos on YouTube. This all can be done without leaving the page where the advert appears. This benefits the brands as fans and followers these days are always in a rush and do not like having to go through various different pages to see an advert or read about a particular product.
Advertisers now know that spending thousands or millions of dollars on television adverts isn't enough. They need to advertise their products online as well. It gives the consumers a unique feel of their products as they can see visuals, comment on it and obtain feedback from not only the brands but also friends and other fans or followers. For instance, during the 2012 Super Bowl, most of the brands that paid an average of $3.5 million for just 30 seconds on the screen used social media to send a feel of their advert on the web. They were using social media to generate a ‘buzz' online. This lets their fans and followers know what to expect from the product before hand and it also helps them relate to the products a lot more than they would on television.
Advertising a product on social media helps fans and followers interact with the brand, which not only helps them in voicing their opinion stating what they like or don't like about the product but also gives them a sense of personal touch with the brand. For instance, if a brand releases a new product, they advertise it through their Facebook page and then invite fans to ‘like' the page, rewarding them with a free sample of the product. The brands can also invite the fans to voice their opinion on the product. This makes the adverts interactive and gives the fans a reason to try the product.
To conclude, we can say that social media is moving at the "speed of now". It can be utilized to reach a diverse audience and create an effective strategy for advertising one's products. It is safe to say that in order to have a successful business, social media definitely needs to be a part of your marketing strategy.