Social Media Marketing
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Abstract
This technical note describes the history and benefits of social media marketing and discusses the ways in which it differs from traditional marketing. Seven major social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat, and WhatsApp—are covered in detail, and the authors outline the different techniques that companies can use with each one to uniquely engage with their customers. This technical note is used in a Darden course elective covering social media marketing and would be an appropriate addition to any marketing class, particularly in a module focused on social media marketing. Excerpt UVA-M-0908 Aug. 1, 2016 Social Media Marketing Between 2004 and 2014, more than 2 billion people around the world became Internet users. During that period, mobile applications (apps) became increasingly important as phone and tablet usage grew. The Google Play store for Android devices and Apple's iTunes store each offer more than 1 million apps. In June of 2015, cumulative app downloads from the Apple store totaled 100billion, compared to just 5billion app downloads five years earlier. By 2017, more than one-third of world's population will own a smartphone. At the same time, companies are facing a more difficult globally competitive environment and seek opportunities to increase sales or decrease costs. As a result, companies are exploring how to connect with customers online and through apps at an increasing rate. Companies using these platforms to connect with customers, potential customers, and fans has led to the rise of social media marketing. Social Media Marketing Social media is “forms of electronic communication (as web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos).” When companies engage in social media to connect with users and communicate about their brand, they are engaging in social media marketing. Social media marketing differs from traditional marketing in many ways, three specifically. First, social media marketing exists completely online, whether via website or app. This technical note will provide further details on numerous popular social media marketing platforms. Second, social media is available in real time and 24/7. Companies can initiate or respond to live events as soon as they happen. Third, social media marketing is constantly evolving with technology. . . .