Social Marketing
by Gerald Trites

Social networking, such as Facebook, is entering into mainstream business with some interesting twists. One of these is the idea of social marketing, where social networks are utilized to monitor and channel group opinions and views towards a particular product. It's a major change from the classic approach to advertising. Arguably it isn't advertising at all, but a new way to utilize online communities to make others aware of your product in a way that is more credible than using your own voice. In other words, let others speak for you.

Combine this approach with social mapping tools, such as Loomia, that enable sophisticated trend mapping, and you have a powerful marketing tool.

A good article on social marketing can be found in Businessweek.