Online marketers can benefit from the opportunities created by social networking websites, provided they know how to make the most of the data, it has been claimed.

Business Journal has reported on the growing phenomenon of social media across the globe and suggested online marketers could develop campaigns that would see them harness the vast number of potential customers using the technology.

With so much personal information listed on social networking sites such as Facebook, online marketers could develop strategies to market directly to users by tapping into that data.

However, Clara Shih, who has written a book about the potential link between online marketing and social media, has warned businesses not to be put off by the huge volumes of data that social networking sites create.

"There is so much data out there, you can become overwhelmed," she told the publication.

Ms Shih continued: "It's the new cultural norm to share information and when you aggregate that information, that's when it becomes powerful."

A growing number of companies are looking into the possibility of tapping into the social media market.

Business Journal recently also reported that many companies are recruiting social media experts to use the technology to promote and market their organisation.