Marketers should embrace online communities by reaching out to bloggers and social media websites to build a buzz around their products, an expert has said.

Scott Monty, a relationship director for promotional agency Crayon, made his comments to the Wall Street Journal, claiming that creating a dialogue between the businesses and its customers can be a useful tool to enhance marketing efforts.

Mr Monty believes: "Reaching out to bloggers and social media sites can help small companies build buzz even when marketing budgets are small," the newspaper continued.

Recently, the commentator remarked in his own blog that it is encouraging to note that many firms are recognizing the importance of social media to their own marketing strategies.

He claimed that many firms are appointing budgets to promotional tactics aimed at capitalizing on the Web 2.0 trend but warned that many struggled to devote staff time to such campaigns.

Mr Monty suggested businesses consider hiring a person specifically to deal with this developing marketing platform.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.