Can Social Media Actually Sell Soap?

Growing legions of marketing consultants are pushing social media as the canâ??t-miss future. They argue that pitches are more likely to hit home if they come from friends on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Google+. Thatâ??s the new word of mouth, long the gold standard in marketing. And the rivers of data that pour into these networks fuel the vision of precision targeting, in which ads are so timely and relevant that you welcome them. The hopes for such a revolution have fueled a market frenzy around social networks â?? and have also primed them for a fall.