Ron Young is the founder of Shocase, a new social network that aims to connect the 100 million marketing professionals around the globe. He sat down with HuffPost Live during Social Media Week NYC to discuss the industry, Shocase, and where this is all going.
Traditional, broadcast marketing involves a brand blasting a message to millions of people, hoping something sticks. As digital and social media evolved, brands recognized there are more effective and affordable ways to market products and services, however, we continue to evolve, and continue to learn from one another.
Shocase is the social network that is fostering this learning, sharing of ideas, and highlights of the marketing industry’s best work. Instead of fragmenting the communities for marketers across associations, online groups, and social networks, Shocase is the digital playground to connect with the 100 million marketers in the globe, and improve each others’ businesses, ideas, and knowledge. Similar to niche magazines receiving higher, more relevant levels of engagement, so too does a niche social network for a specific vertical, from sailing and swimming, to IT and engineering.
Social media users also have an advantage. Creating a profile is controllable, and with this control, comes the ability to interact with each other. Fostering a community of customers deepens levels of engagement, loyalty, and trust. We are shifting towards “convenience marketing” by utilizing tools more efficiently. We’ve used tools throughout history, and continue to use them. Blasting a message through television has transformed into a retail store predicting your next purchase as you walk by.