Role of social media in Serbia

The era of one-way marketing communication is slowly coming to anend and traditional marketing techniques are being replaced by moderntechniques which have two-way communication with incorporated targetgroups. This happens most frequently with explicit approval given by customers.Traditional-to-digital media shift was mainly driven by technologicalbreakthroughs which have made communication possible “anywhere”. “Bigscreen” (television) has been replaced by “little screen” (mobile phone), whilenewspapers, radio, libraries, cinemas and tête-à-tête communication havebeen replaced by computers, Internet, and, eventually, the social media.Marketers’ primary task has always been to be in the same place as theirconsumers, which is why they have been forced to adjust their techniquesto modern times and circumstances. A newly arisen marketing technique,which stands out particularly for its present and expected future importance,is Social Media marketing.Marketers around the world have recognized Social Media marketing asan important part of their marketing communication portfolio. Althoughmarketing experts in small markets recognize the importance of new technologiesand marketing techniques, they are facing severe problems in theirimplementation, most frequently, due to inferior technical capabilities, aswell as different cultural and educational barriers.The aim of this paper is to highlight the global importance of the aforementionedtechnique, as well as to assess the position of Serbia in terms ofits implementation at the present time, and where we can expect it to betomorrow. Obtaining answers to these questions creates foundation andspace for further future analyses, together with the rise in implementationof marketing techniques in social media in Serbia. Also, it provides moreinformation about understanding and implementation, as well as about differentperceptions of the importance of implementation and about variousperspectives concerning marketing techniques in social media in Serbia. Inorder to accomplish those objectives, diverse research methods have beenused – from observation and case study method to interviews and surveys.