Social media is finally being understood as just another channel to market, and not an entirely new beast that marketers have to deal with. Brainstorm tried to find out just how well it’s understood, asking the industry: is social media a valuable weapon in the marketing arsenal or just another toy for the kids?

* Social media is one of the most powerful weapons in today’s marketing mix, a fundamental shift in the way we behave and communicate, transforming the way we live and do business. Traditionally, marketers controlled the conversation with consumers – a monologue with the consumer through mainstream media. Marketers now have dialogues with consumers who interact with your brand/product or service and give you insights in real time. Every marketer should be using social media to engage with consumers, building sincere, trusting relationships and monitoring conversations to gain insight into consumer needs. This critical marketing tool is no toy.