"Imperative" for companies to monitor social media

Consumers are now sharing their online transaction experiences on social media websites, so businesses should participate in these conversations, says an expert.

Businesses must keep tabs on what social media users are saying about their products and brand image, a sector commentator has suggested.

Jason Falls, a blogger on socialmediaexplorer.com, made his remarks following research by Harris Interactive, which showed that 13 per cent of adults will share their experiences of online transactions on a social media service or a blog.

He claimed that this is because people trust the views and advice of people they normally interact with and these relationships are becoming more significant in terms of retail.

"It's not just important but imperative to know what people are saying about your brand online and interject into those conversations if possible," explained Mr Falls.

In his view, firms must try and talk to users about their views otherwise it is likely that their brand image could land in trouble.

However, Mr Falls informed marketers that they will not be able to control the conversations with consumers.

15/10/2009