DIGITAL MARKETING is now a main component of advertising strategies and its many variations are pipped against each other in the battle to win the title of “most effective method”.

Whether a business is communicating through social media or the more traditional direct marketing, both are valid and much more closely related than advertisers would have you believe.

The very effectiveness of consumer contact through social media was under question, with many seeing Facebook and its other social media comrades as ineffective promotional tools.

Many brands approached the social media arena in trepidation, afraid of having such open, public faces and invading a territory which they did not understand.

Obviously, this view has since changed and it is now imperative for companies to be visible by venturing online – it’s where the new consumer hangs out.

Although social media and direct marketing are seen as very different approaches, the end result is unequivocally the same – gain and keep the customer and convert communications into sales.

The two channels can and should develop a co-operative relationship. Facebook and its counterparts are the oracles of customer data for direct marketeers.

Attitudes, intentions, purchase intent and behavioural economic data can be gleaned, crunched and used by other channels without alienating a sceptical public.

Consumers may remain wary because of the big companies who have rushed into social media all guns blazing, ignoring the community whilst just aimlessly firing their sales message at everyone with no target in mind.

But by using social media for daily interaction with potential consumers, relationships can be built and trust formed. Once there is an existing relationship, the relevant sales messages – with customer value in mind – can be sent out.

From a consumer’s point of view, regardless of the channel, they are expecting a positive value exchange between themselves and a brand.

If social media is not being used as a direct marketing tool, it can certainly be used as a means to improve the effectiveness of channels that are. They are allies in the battle of the marketplace.

INTERNET entrepreneur Ben Hatton is founder and managing director of digital agency Rippleffect. Follow Rippleffect on Twitter @rippleffected