If you’re a marketer and you’re not using social media, you’re missing out on a pretty useful tool which is able to reach thousands of potential customers on the global level without having to spend a dime. In particular, social media is useful for businesses that have customers who use the Internet.

Marketing in the social media era has become more common with the increased popularity of websites such as Twitter (News - Alert), Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn and YouTube. In response, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has updated its rules to include social media marketing.

The main advantage of social media marketing is how cheap it is to use. The majority of social media sites are free to access and use. This means that reaching your targeted market for little or no cash investment is substantial. It’s a win-win in that regard.

The viral nature of social media means that each person who reads your posts has the capability to spread the news further within his/her own network, so information can reach a large number of people in a short amount of time.

Now is the time for marketers to accept a new way of thinking about social media – one that follows a repetitive process that allows consumers to discover, interact, and transact with brands on a two-way communication level, ultimately benefiting all parties involved.

Comunicano (News - Alert) CEO Andy Abramson recently told TMCnet at ITEXPO Miami that social media has changed dramatically in a short amount of time.

“Now you have bloggers who have become full time reporters. You have reporters who use social tools to promote themselves. You have the social networking layer where people communicate between one another and share what they have,” said Abramson.

Social media has a way of propagating buzz and spreading news, stories and information infinitely faster than traditional marketing outlets. What marketers are quickly learning is that there are ways to harness the data and use it as a market intelligence tool.

Hear more about what Abramson had to say to TMCnet about the rise in social media use and how Comunicano is using it to market and promote the clients they work with.