The past couple of years have brought an increase development of the information and communication technologies. The new "Internet era" has had a serious impact on many aspects from the nowadays living, including the contemporary marketing, leading to the affirmation of a new discipline - Internet marketing. The increasing usage of the Internet and other types of digital media as a support to the existing marketing tools that have emerged, have affected the way on which companies communicate with their customers. Furthermore, customers have acknowledged more about their role, power and influence they can have over the companies within this area.

In the recent past, if companies wanted to publish themself or its products they would launch an advertising campaign in traditional media, such as television, newspapers, PR and/or point-of-sales activities. Now, thanks to social media, some people say that we are witnessing a revolution regarding how marketers are branding their products and their companies. Social media has grown rapidly the last years and is expected to continue to grow in the future both among consumers and companies, and it is often at the expense of traditional media. (Armelli & Villanueva, 2011) 

There are many factors of difference between the online and offline market. The most obvious is the lack of physical contact between buyers and sellers which can create a greater lack of trust than when dealing in a physical setting.

The digital revolution has changed the world of marketing. The rapid advanced technology, the digitization of information products and the increasing reach and speed of internet has transformed the marketing arena and the rules that lay within. (Varadarajan &Yadav, 2009)

Internet has become a big factor of influence. In the early days, the internet was mainly a medium used by nerds and companies. Companies used the internet for creating websites, and through them reach consumers. Internet evolved, and soon the internet users were able to communicate with the companies online. With the further development of web 2.0, interaction and creation of new content was enabled for the users (O'Reilly, T, 2005). The evolution of internet has reached a stage where different users can talk to each other about companies through social media instead of asking the companies when they have questions (Christodoulides, 2009). 

While increasingly present in our daily lives, the Internet is a very young medium and

is still in its experimental stage. Technology is continuously improving every day and

companies have to quickly adapt to the new changes. One of the most challenging

aspects is that the consumer is able to adapt to the new media much more quickly than

the companies that should be using it in the first place.

n the recent past, if companies wanted to publish themself or its products they would launch an advertising campaign in traditional media, such as television, newspapers, PR and/or point-of-sales activities. Now, thanks to social media, some people say that we are witnessing a revolution regarding how marketers are branding their products and their companies. Social media has grown rapidly the last years and is expected to continue to grow in the future both among consumers and companies, and it is often at the expense of traditional media. (Armelli & Villanueva, 2011)

Although advertisement on the Internet is getting increasingly sophisticated, the Internet has made it possible for consumers to view advertisements from a more critical point of view. Through a simple search on Google, it is possible to take advantage of other peoples’ experiences with specific products, services and companies. In a matter of seconds, it is possible to scrutinize an offer with the help of impartial reviews that can be found all over the Internet.

Consumers are now allowed to talk to each other, talk directly to companies and also join forums that allow consumers to give their own opinions about a specific company or service. The relevance for a marketer to understand communication through social media is of great interest. It also helps to manage and understand challenges and opportunities marketers face when they are entering the world of social media. However, how do marketers reach traditional consumers through social media?