Consumer expectations have long defined the business world as a whole. Decades ago, meeting those expectations was a relatively simple process. The balance of power was clearly on the side of the company. While a consumer might bother to complain or praise the company to his or her neighbor, little could be accomplished on a mass scale, and that meant that the company literally owned all of the information necessary to hone their marketing techniques.

Even after internet marketing and sales became part of the international vocabulary, the balance of power was still very much with each and every company doing business online. Customers were suddenly offering more information than most companies could ever imagine. Every click and every search meant additional data, and consumers were wholly powerless to stop the information gathering that ruled the ecommerce world. If you wanted to shop online, you had to become part of the data collection heap. The best companies at the time made sense of the data and integrated it into their business models. Others however, had little time to understand all of it and simply shoved it under the rug for a rainy day.

Former Chief Scientist at Amazon Andreas Weigend, recognizes a new data revolution which he dubs as "me-business." Customer collaboration and socialization are key components of today's me-business world. In the "me-business" revolution, customers expect to be given access to each other through various means. Forward thinking companies have developed "systematic tools" to connect customers together such as corporate social networks. The proper design, deployment and use of corporate social networks result in keenly defined customer expectations, and those customers who are offered solid incentives contribute meaningful information to the company. There is growing evidence today that an online social network community is likely to be more helpful to the customer than a representative employed by the company.

In many cases businesses subsidized their technical support departments with assistance from customers who were enthusiastic parts of their online communities. As these communities grew many customers began to find quick assistance from other understanding customers who have had the same problem without needing to call and wait on hold to explain their issue to someone within the company. For example with computer software a customer may experience issues that are only present with a particular machine or component that would not have been tested by the manufacturer. Other customers who use the same equipment may have already found the solution and are often better equipped to respond to these sorts of technical problems then the often baffled customer service employees who see the product run perfectly everyday and can only think 'but it works fine here'.

Today as the balance of power shifts to the customer, it can also mean amazing opportunities for companies who are ready to listen and respond. Weigend states that customers now understand that the material they contribute results in value like never before, but they expect something from the business world in return. For progressive companies, development of proper incentive systems as well as a better understanding of how to address customer expectations is the key to future sales growth.

Social networks can provide a powerful tool to engage customers in issues of product support and sales with fewer customer service man hours being spent per customer. A good social network can greatly increase customer loyalty and can give a much more level playing field for the customer to communicate their expectations to businesses that are willing to listen. For businesses that care how to improve their product to the needs and wants of their current and potential customers measures can be offered in your social network to promote this kind of discussion.

Within social networks customers can become more of an asset than their financial purchasing of your products are services. They may inadvertently and organically become a tool of your sales or product support teams. They may gratefully act as a bit of a free consultant for other customers coming to your business and offer guidance as to how your business can meet their needs. To develop these tools takes time and expertise but managed well they will be a great asset that will set your business apart from the competition.

Most consumers currently use several social networks in their daily life. If you don't get on board and bring your voice to your customers, someone else will. It's high time to find out more about how to build and utilize today's social networks to enhance business, increase sales, and strengthen existing customer loyalty.