The speed at which social media has taken off has been unprecedented in the history of technological change. It has taken just seven years for Facebook to reach 750 million users worldwide and this is not the only social media site to have attracted large numbers of users in a very short space of time. This massive take-up is having a profound effect on the way in which customers seek information and make purchase decisions. So how can companies take advantage of the opportunities presented by social media to make their mark on this vast audience? And what drives customers to actively engage and follow some brands on social media sites and not others?

If we look closely, we can find the  five key characteristics of ‘socially adaptable’ and successful brands, which I believe all organizations can adapt and learn:

► Facilitate open dialogue

► Engage proactively

► Connect beyond product

► Deliver integrated experiences

► Collaborate and co-develop

Social media is changing the world, and there is no going back. Technological and demographic trends are likely to further accelerate the impacts of social commerce on organizations and their brands in coming years. Leading brands across sectors and geographies are positively embracing this change. Recognizing that the old rules no longer apply, they are seeking to exploit the opportunity presented by social media to build direct, deeper and more relevant relationships with their customers and users. They use these relationships to generate insight from their social interactions with customers, and rigorously apply this insight to their commercial advantage.

Many brands have not yet adapted to social commerce; some will catch up, others won’t. The last time organizations and brands faced such a fundamental change in how their customers engaged and make purchase decisions was during the eCommerce revolution a decade ago. Some brands led the eCommerce revolution, some successfully adapted to it, there were however a number of high‑profile casualties. The new game therefore favors the brave. The winners will be those organizations and brands that seek out the commercial opportunities presented by social commerce and embrace the changes required to adapt to the changing ‘norm’ around them.

Many digital companies want to take advantage of the huge opportunities presented by social media, but do not yet have the organizational structure or the capabilities they need to support their brands effectively in a social world. This is where TO THE NEW Digital comes with a strong reputation. They are pioneers in combining Technology, Analytics, Marketing & Content for digital transformation across various industries by providing both omni-channel analytics and social media analytics. These services help customers to have in-depth insights like Customer marketing strategy, Social media monitoring & Trend Analysis etc across all digital channels. They understand how to derive commercial value from social media and quantify it & hence give a tough competition to premium digital companies such as Sapient Nitro / Accenture Digital on services / IBM Digital etc.

TO THE NEW Digital is a premium digital services company that combines the power of technology, analytics, marketing and content for digital transformation. We are a team of over 600 people which includes technology evangelists, social media experts, content specialists, and creative mavericks who have transformed businesses of more than 300 companies spread across 30 countries worldwide. TO THE NEW Digital is also a strategic partner of many global companies including Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS), YouTube, DataStax and MongoDB