… By: Seema Shariat. Social media websites are demystifying the online shopping process and leveling the playing fields for new brands. Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook provide a library of customer testimonials which shoppers increasingly use as research materials detailing information on countless brands. Consumers can instantly compare reviews, identify points of parity and points of difference, from real live consumers. Notable platforms such as Twitter are taking the place of traditional advertisement (TV commercials, billboards, back-of-the-box descriptions, etc.) due to the level of trusted authenticity. Genuine, online testimonials… read the rest of the article »

By: Seema Shariat. As a social media “robot,” I communicate with countless different people on a daily basis—people I’ve never met in real life. It involves frequent generation of content, updates and responses (and ultimately a whole lot of typing). Though this process seems easy and mechanical, communicating with the public across social media platforms is all but robotic. Recently, I read an article on a study of the impact of human voice as applied to social media efforts and building a brand’s image: its customer devotion and reputation. Not… read the rest of the article »