Social Media Marketing- Mixed Bag

1. List the five goals of social media marketing

The five goals of social media marketing can be listed as

[1] Create Brand awareness so that the brand becomes relevant to potential clients or customers.

[2] Enhance public relations by finding out the needs and issues of customers and solving them quickly.

[3] Build a community of advocates, which means that those who use the company's goods or  services spread the good  word about the  company.

[4] Research and Development is important, and social media can help in this area also.

[5] Driving sales and leads, which means that one can improve sales volume and also increase the business's lead over the nearest competitor.

2.  Write two ways in which social media can increase brand awareness

Social Media engagement can increase brand awareness. First, by use of blogs and posts on social media, one can promote the goods or services and make the brand visible. Clever memes and posts may engage people, who may forward them on social media, hence giving the brand or product more visibility. Second,  by posting links to blogs that review the product or services, people can get a better idea about the brand. This means that the engagement with the product or brand increases, thus increasing the brand awareness.

3. How does YouTube help in social marketing?

Videos are engaging, and audio-visual communication is more attractive than mere text. You Tube is a platform where people post videos on any subject they want. By creating some attractive videos on YouTube that mention the product or service or brand, and linking these videos to other posts on social media, the potential customer base is widened.

4. Write 100 words on ‘Social Media publishing’

. 'Publishing' can mean spreading of text, images, podcasts, and videos on media platforms. By social media publishing, we mean the creation of text and image content on social media platforms. This content can be in the form of blogs, Facebook posts, tweets, photo-material on Instagram and pintrest and so on. In order to be a good publisher on social media, one must take into account copywriting skills, such as using appropriate words and terminology, paying attention to the character limit of certain media, and shaping the communication in a way that suits the social media platform that one has chosen.

POSITIVE/NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

ESSAY ON POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media, is a term often used in today’s world. It needless be defined for explanation. However, to enlighten the technological aspect behind it, Social Media is an internet-based media that is used to create and share ideas, information, and interests – personal and professional as well as collaborate with people. It is a form of platform where people come close virtually and the world looks connected within no time, to share and consume information.

A website on internet to be termed as Social Media must have a few characteristics like User accounts, Participation, Profile Pages, Friends or followers, Community, Notifications, Ways to review the contents, Communication, Connectedness. Examples of some trending Social Media of present times include – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, Vine, Google+.

Social media as an open forum gives a voice to those who were previously never heard. It has become a medium for self-express.

POSITIVE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA –

Social media is being widely used in today’s times to document memories, learn about and explore things (way to expand knowledge), find information about a person’s character and activities which becomes useful in job seeking, matrimonial purposes, etc.

One can easily advertise oneself on a social media website reaching maximum number of people expeditiously; document the reviews of certain products and services, etc.

It is a platform to form friendships and communities to share news and information of interest conveniently. Thus, it reduces the geographical and cultural differences on earth into a very thin line, facilitating cross-border collaboration.

Social Media is used progressively to address issues globally reaching mass in a jiffy. For an example, Tunisian revolution in 2011 used facebook to gather for meetings, protest actions, etc. Another important factor being assistance in a search for missing persons, etc.

It is widely used for publishing and sharing educational contents and collaborating with other people with same interest. Some social media apps like facebook are being increasingly used by students to approach their professors. It is proving to be an effective channel of problem solving for shyer students who feel more comfortable in virtual discussions.

It allows for a constant flow of information from updates and real time communications. E.g. Twitter.

NEGATIVE IMPACTS-

The most reflecting negativity of social media is display of personal information as a text or display which can be promptly used for identity theft or fraud.

Another important point to ponder here is that it is being growingly used by militant groups these days to raise funds, recruit and radicalize persons, and spread their messages. For an example, ISIS produces online materials in different languages and uses recruiters to contact potential recruitees over the internet.

Social Media has always remained a challenge to the government in terms of control over its online activities.

Social media has influenced the way youth share and communicate in their daily lives. Online linguistics have become a trend nowadays. E.g. “Lol” to symbolise “laugh out loud”. The effectiveness from a face-to-face communication is never achieved.

All said and done, it may be inferred that Social Media has been a boon to the society unquestionably. However, it becomes important that people hold responsibility to the data they contribute to social media and be determined that nothing goes against social welfare. Government surely needs to excise measures to control this data.

Short essay on importance of Social Media

Facebook. Tumblr. Pinterest. The list goes on and on. Social media has taken over modern life, casting a massive influence not just on the teenager and the young adult, but also the middle-aged individual and the business corporation. What began as a mode of catching up and staying in touch with our peers, mostly for personal purposes, has evolved into a hugely successful mode of keeping in touch with customer bases as well. In essence, social media has managed to achieve its primary goal: increasing communication.

Social media has come under flak since its inception, and with good reason. Many call it distracting, and many condemn its public nature. Yet, despite its many shortcomings, modern life would be very different indeed if social media is taken out of it. Here, let’s take a look at the myriad benefits of this side of the internet.
Renewing long-lost friendships

Remember the early days of Facebook? Many of us opened an account when we were well into our late teens or early twenties, and had by then lost touch with a number of friends- from school, old neighborhoods etc. Facebook gave us a chance to get back in touch with old buddies we had drifted away from, and rekindle dormant relationships.
Meeting new people
Social media is not just for getting back in touch with people we already know, but also for getting to know new people. They are great platforms to get in touch with like-minded people and starting new friendships. Nowadays, it is quite common to see best friends who hit it off on social media on the basis of common interests, or people meeting on such platforms and becoming a steady couple. Of course, there is the chance of coming across and being victimized by predators, but being careful is part of the game.

Keep up with trending topics

Every news outlet worth its salt has an account with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and the likes. Every minute, news is being updated and shared on social media by these outlets, which are in turn followed and re-shared by the netizens, that is, the common public. Through this process, news reaches the farthest corners of the world, making the world a global village in the true sense of the term.
Which brings us to globalization
Social and cultural intermingling is a huge part, and effect, of the phenomenon of globalization. Today, it is possible for a teenager in India to get in touch with and learn about the customs and nuances of the Icelandic culture through social media platforms. There are videos on the internet that deal with every conceivable aspect of every conceivable culture, and it is all there for the entire world to view and learn.
Public platform for expression
Social media websites are a great platform for expressing one’s thoughts and opinions. Every time something momentous occurs, Facebook and Twitter are sent aflutter with comment pouring in from concerned parties. This can have a great impact on political decisions and marketing campaigns. For instance, when Lenskart, the online eyeglass seller started a rather tasteless campaign titled ‘Shake this deal like the earthquake’ right after the Nepal earthquake, all social media platforms erupted in protest, and Lenskart promptly took down the ads. Whether it be expressing your thoughts in support or protest, or a call to action, social media is the perfect platform in modern times.

Gaining viewership
All businesses have a Facebook page, a YouTube channel, and a Twitter handle, and for good reason too. With millions of people already using the sites, and several thousand joining every day, you will be hard put to find another platform ensuring such constant and diverse viewership. These accounts are a great way of letting people know what you have to offer and what exciting plans you have for the future. Advertisements in these social media platforms are more likely to be viewed and clicked upon, and your reach can be global.

Keeps organizations on their toes
Social media is not just for the benefit of the business organizations, but for the customers too. Consumers are free to post queries and opinions on these pages that are right there for the rest of the world to see.
One negative review by a consumer can spell serious consequences for the company, which prompts the organizations to do their best to ensure that no such occasion arises in the first place.
 Net result is better performance by the oganisation and better experience for the customer.

Like it or not, social media is here to stay. Maybe not as we know it today, but it will continue to be a part of the human existence for many years to come. Our best bet would be to filter the good from the bad, and work with its many benefits.

[sample essay... use the points and try to write your own]

Social Media is important because ...

Social media is a great barometer of mood and reflects very quickly whatever people see any political, social or economic development. Social media is influencing mainstream media discourse. Look at the way TV news channels have begun incorporating Facebook posts and twitter feeds as a part of their 'prime time' news debates and panel discussions.

Social media is no longer for the new kid on the block. Don't think that social media is the tool for the young only. More and more people of the 'older generation' have become the new users of social media.

The social media is changing  the way we study the media because

- it connects people and generates massive traffic
-it leads to speedy and direct communication
- it allows communication to become creative, provocative, emotive, and interactive
-strategists can use social media to target specific demographic audiences, address the interests of smaller groups, and produce the intended communication.
- It has a captive audience
-it is influential and allows for influencing an audience by appealing to them, their friends, acquaintances, and family
it empowers people, turns them into information seekers, opinion makers, and gives them a sense of participation.