219 Reading: Introduction to Social Media Marketing
219 Reading: Introduction to Social Media Marketing
Introduction to Social Media Marketing
The internet has completely transformed the role of media in everyday life.
In the past, dominant media channels were television, radio, magazines and newspapers. All were well-suited to broadcasting out one-way communications from a central source. Media outlets distributed information and messages. People received information and messages.
Today, the internet and mobile technologies have made it simple for virtually anyone to not only receive but also publish and distribute information (also known as “content”). Access is simple and typically free. Social media channels have evolved to capitalize on this new, interactive relationship with information. The realm of social media is about collaborating, generating content, sharing, and most of all, connecting.
Social media use technology and mobility to provide an interactive means of communication among people, organizations, and communities who are interconnected and interdependent. Many channels and vehicles are available for social media just as there are many different television shows and magazines. With changing technology, new social media tools are continually available. The parade of popular and influential sites includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Flickr, Google+ and Vine, among many others.
Media Designed for Sharing
What’s different about social media? Most simply put, social media are media (including written, visual, audio, multimedia, and everything in between) that are designed to be shared. Sharing typically means that it is easy to create, publish, interact with, send and comment on these media creations, and there are no high costs associated with viewing the media. Because of the connected nature of the internet, it means that sharing, commenting, and viewing can all be tracked and measured.
| Figure 1. The Differences between Traditional and Social Media | |
|---|---|
| Traditional Media | Social Media |
| Fixed, unchangable | Instantly updatable |
| Commentary limited and not real time | Unlimited real-time commentary |
| Limited, time-delayed bestseller list | Instant popularity gauge |
| Archive poorly accessible | Archives accessible |
| Limited media mix | All media can be mixed |
| Committee publishers | Individual publishers |
| Finite | Infinite |
| Sharing not encouraged | Sharing and participation encouraged |
| Control | Freedom |
With more than half of all Americans participating in social networks, people and organizations who don’t participate may be at a disadvantage with some groups in society. Not only does the majority of the population in the United States have a profile on a social network, but at least one-third of those people access the sites multiple times a day. Social media are popular for keeping in touch with friends,. Not surprisingly, companies tap into these same networks to promote their brands and as a tool for recruiting and hiri