NEW YORK – Companies have long tried to build strong customer relationships through well-honed marketing programs. The challenge is that the playing field keeps changing — trends shift, new technologies emerge, and customers change and become more demanding. In a recent article in Forbes, Oracle’s John Foley emphasizes that what companies need today is real-time marketing enabled by real-time listening.

Foley suggests engaging customers by social relationship management (SRM), which gives companies the ability to not just follow what customers are saying on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social platforms, but to engage with them, respond and deliver marketing messages and offers as these conversations happen.

“We’re entering an era of real-time marketing,” said Reggie Bradford, Oracle senior vice president of product development, in the article. “If you’re not engaged in that conversation, you’re going to miss out.”

Social “listening” helps companies tune in to what customers are saying and respond in real time with messages that better reflect their here-and-now sentiments and interests, according to Bradford. And socially-enabled modern marketing delivers information, content and promotions to on-the-go consumers through whatever channel or touch point they choose.

“Customers want to have a seamless user experience,” said Bradford. “Social is a big part of that.”

Such real-time awareness and responsiveness are important because consumers won’t wait around for slow-moving companies. And unhappy customers will voice their dissatisfaction whether you’re ready or not. Companies don’t have to sit idly by. Social marketing is rapidly evolving into a sophisticated set of capabilities that enable real-time awareness and responsiveness. Thus, as more companies embrace modern marketing, there will be new ways to engage in social conversations.