The Future of Social Media Marketing

Considering the adaptability of social media, it is hard to say exactly what will happen with marketing in the coming years, or even months. Social network sites provide brands and organizations with an exceptional opportunity for marketing, and those who stay up-to-date with social media trends are even more likely to benefit from these opportunities. With that said, I think social media marketing will stay popular for the foreseeable future.
In addition to it being popular, however, I think marketing via social media will become more difficult in the future. Referring to the article "The future of social media: why public conversations will go private" (http://waggeneredstrom.com/blog/2014/02/10/the-future-of-social-media-why-public-conversations-will-go-private/), most people are becoming more and more picky about who they share their online information with. Taking into consideration the ability to form customized circles and groups of friends on almost every social networking site, it appears that network users want to see and share information about their lives with select individuals, and there aren't many occasions where brands and their advertisements make the cut. Those who stay in step with how marketing is advancing, such as with video and interactive advertising, stand a better chance at maintaining a presence in the newsfeeds of social network users; therefore, as internet moves forward, so should its users.
Brands like Taco Bell, whose Twitter account is noted for being cleverly entertaining, engage customers and make tweets more fun to read as opposed to boring followers with advertisement after advertisement. In a society where humor has taken a turn for the sarcastic, keeping viewers entertained is a feat in itself. People are more easily bored; with so much to see on the internet, creating an advertisement that viewers find to be both influential and worth watching is becoming more and more difficult. As such, the future of social media marketing will have to be geared toward finding ways to entertain viewers, making a lasting impression on them, and being innovative enough to inspire consumers to seek out the product or brand being advertised.

Week 11: Viral Video Popularity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOw44VFNk8Y#t=266

The above link leads to a YouTube video entitled, "The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made #airnzhobbit ". Putting a new twist on the ever-dreaded flight safety instructions given at the beginning of any plane trip, this video turns the process into something travelers can actually enjoy. In fact, the video was so popular that its reach extended the airplanes in which it was being shown and became an Internet sensation, having received 12,910,840 views since it was posted on October 22.

As the "official airline of Middle-earth," marketing persons at Air New Zealand took it upon themselves to promote the final installment of The Hobbit Trilogy - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in a way somewhat different from traditional movie trailers. For Hobbit fans both travelling with the airline and located elsewhere, the video was a hit. By taking advantage of their location, the airline has managed to make a mundane process seem not only entertaining, but also something actually worth sharing online with one's friends and followers - a task which, with so much to look at on the Internet, is becoming increasingly difficult.

I think this video essentially became popular due to the potential expanse of its reach and appeal to a large demographic; most anyone who is a fan of the book or movie series is sure to enjoy the way everyday flight attendants are turned into residents of Middle-earth and take the viewer on a trip not only to where the plane is headed, but seemingly into Middle-earth itself. However, the airline then takes its advertisement cast one step further by also including celebrities in addition to its own employees. It is well-known that celebrities are often an excellent marketing strategy when it comes to making a product appeal to viewers; in this particular video, the Air New Zealand went so far as to include celebrities from the movie series in order to make it all the more appealing. Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, and Sylvester McCoy all make special cameo appearances in the video. As some of the individuals who are most often associated with the movies, their use in the video was a sure way to entertain fans of the series. Richard Taylor and Dean O'Gorman also make appearances, further including cast and crew into the creation of a simple safety video.

"The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made" is definitely a fitting title for a video with more than 12 million views. There probably haven't been many occasions where a flight safety video has been viewed - at least, not voluntarily - by such a large number of individuals. For Air New Zealand to have come up with a way to take the dreaded process of instructing passengers how to fasten a seat belt and make it one that both flight attendant and passenger can enjoy shows excellent marketing skills. Being able to then take that video and make it a viral hit shows cleverness and good use of video, advertising, and social media. It is for these reasons I think the video became popular.

Apparently, this video is not the first of its kind done by Air New Zealand. In 2012, they posted their first hobbit-themed safety video. This video matches the one posted this year in cleverness and has almost as many viewers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBlRbrB_Gnc&src_vid=qOw44VFNk8Y&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_541399643

Week 10: Super Bowl Advertising

This year's Super Bowl is bound to have more social media advertising than years prior. With Vine and Instagram Video having become exceptionally more popular in the last few months, these two apps are exceptionally likely to be used for advertising both during the Super Bowl and in the months leading up to it. Another recent addition to the social media advertising is the "buy" buttons that are rumored to be coming to Twitter and Facebook, a feature which will be very useful come Super Bowl time. With the convenience of having products available for purchase through popular social media sites, advertising and potential sales can be taken to a whole new level.
In previous years, Super Bowl advertising was an opportunity for companies to broadcast themselves with the potential of reaching millions of viewers via television. Now, they can do that and more. The freedom of social media allows a company to use a TV commercial to advertise their products/services and then provide a social media plug (hashtag or Facebook domain) that consumers can then resort to for further updates. Traditional Super Bowl advertising was all about connecting with consumers on a personal level through commercials; however, last year's game and its advertising proved that this personal connection is possible even with Vine and Instagram Video, which are much shorter than the standard commercial ad.
This year, advertising will have to be taken a step further than the standard Facebook like and Twitter favorite/follow. I think that, to keep consumers' attention, more companies will have to actively involve viewers in ad campaigns similar to the Oreo Snack Hacks and Qdoba Queso Showdown. By allowing consumers to contribute to a product, said consumers are much more likely to be interested in the product itself, which could then result in better profits for companies. Most people who watch the Super Bowl do so for the commercials; the advertisements are renowned for being entertaining, and allow companies the opportunity to reach a much larger group of people than normal. Another company that took advantage of consumer engagement is Lays potato chips; their "Do Us a Flavor" campaign was wildly successful after giving buyers the opportunity to actually create a flavor of chip and become partially famous and win money because of it. Though these ad campaigns were not necessarily Super Bowl advertisements, they were successful at engaging buyers and increasing sales. Therefore, I think that the ads during the biggest football game of the year this year will use Vine and Instagram Video to their advantage, make use of stop-motion video, and use the resulting increase in sales and social media traffic to gauge how much of an impact their advertisements had on the public.

As crazy as it seems, with the game being so far away, digital marketing is already gearing up for the big day: http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/forget-black-friday-digital-marketers-have-already-moved-on-to-superbowl-xlix-46269/

Week 09 Blog: Social Media Campaigns

As mentioned in the article "The 30 Most Brilliant Social Media Campaigns of 2014 (So Far)" by Heike Young, advertising via social media has become increasingly important. In said article, number 28 on the list was the "Meet & Seat" campaign; this campaign is exceptionally useful in the way of social media advertising. It allows users who are booking flights to see where other users will be sitting and therefore allow them to seat themselves accordingly. If there is someone on board a flight which they want to book, the user can choose a seat next to the individual they desire.
By using LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, Meet & Seat users are able to view who will be on a certain flight before booking the flight itself. Offered by KLM Airlines, an airline in Amsterdam, Meet & Seat allows for  travelers to pick who they sit next to based on social media profiles. Given a well-kept LinkedIn/Facebook/Google+ profile, an individual can be chosen by someone who is booking the flight. Seeing as random plane flight seatings are usually an undesirable occurrence which require sitting next to strangers for an extended period of time, the ability to choose who one sits next to is as genius as it is convenient; if I were to purchase a ticket for a flight, I would much rather choose whom I sit next to as opposed to being seated next to a random individual. To further that decision, the potential for being seated next to a business-focused individual with similar mindsets and personal goals is all the more appealing.
I think this social media campaign will be successful because it is appealing to individuals both from a comfort and business perspective. Having the freedom to request whom one sits next to on a flight is appealing enough, but being combined with the opportunity to sit next to a business partner is all the more appealing. Therefore, as LinkedIn increases in popularity, I think this Meet & Seat campaign will become more popular as well. What they should do, if I were to make a suggestion, would be to expand their reach to the USA and other nations; this concept has the potential for global appeal.
The following article is somewhat similar in that in suggests ways for social media campaigns to target certain audiences:
http://unbounce.com/social-media/use-psychology-to-build-social-media-campaigns-that-resonate/

Week 08 Blog Post

Social media, when it comes to looking into an individual's potentially troubled past, can only do so much good. Viewing somebody's tweets from the past might give insight to their character, yes, but the same tweets that might condemn certain behaviors are also those which are posted "in the moment," under certain circumstances, and as a result of behavior which the viewer might not understand. 

Retrospective psychology indicates that, after tragedy occurs, reading into social media posts will only make matters worse. After a murderer/gunman has been identified, people will no doubt search his/her social media in order to find what might have possibly led to the incident in question. Seeing as there almost certainly has to be a motive for someone to commit such a crime, those searching the culprit will no doubt have already pegged him/her as a terrible person. Therefore, having preconceived notions of the personality of an individual who committed such terrible acts will give the public an idea that everything posted online prior to said tragedy taking place led up to the culprit's eventual breakdown. 

I, for one, do not think it is fair to rely on somebody's social media for an accurate description of their personality - particularly after the individual has done something terrible. Nearly everyone who uses social media relies upon it for the sake of venting feelings, thoughts, and emotions on a regular basis. Posting such feelings, however, does not have to become grounds for judging someone's character. That is not to say that someone (in this case, the Washington shooter) is innocent. Instead, perhaps people interested in specifying the reasoning for his actions should look to his personal history, close friends/family opinions, and other information. There is much more character-defining information to be found in the opinions of one's close friends and family. For instance, I know of an individual who took his own life a few years ago, described by all those who knew him as someone who was always happy and loving life, bringing a smile and comedic relief to all those with whom he had contact. After the incident, all those who were close to him still had the same opinion; it was those who knew this man only through social media who read too far into his prior social media posts and took all the negative ones to mean something more than for what the posts were intended. Such negativity may have only been posted in "the heat of the moment."

In any case, while social media may potentially provide crucial information, it should not be used to judge somebody's character. 

As this article states, some posts are made purely for the sake of boosting the poster's ego and perhaps gaining some sort of following from those who feel the same way: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/13/social-media-narcissism-twitter-facebook_n_3423095.html 

Week 07 - Apple Pay

The launch of Apple Pay could revolutionize the way we purchase items. Whether you go to a restaurant, gas station, or mall, Apple Pay allows users to buy what they need without ever taking out a credit card. In fact, neither the credit card itself nor its numbers are ever seen while a transaction is being made; instead, everything is paid for via iPhone (the iPhone 6/6-plus, to be exact). By simply holding your thumb to the home button and holding the phone near a card reader, a transaction is made in seconds. This, to me, seems like a good idea in terms of avoiding identity theft and security breaches/credit card hacks. Granted, such things could still potentially occur, but without retailers having thousands of credit card numbers stored, security breaches would be less of a threat. Also, use requires the user's fingerprint in order for the payment to go through, so losing a phone or having it stolen does not mean that all your credit card information is available to whoever might take/find the cell phone.
The real struggle for Apple will be getting more than 5% of our nation's stores to make use of the new system. Google Wallet was a similar attempt that failed miserably, becoming obsolete shortly after it was launched. The Wallet attempt was more of a hassle than actually swiping a credit card and therefore did not last long before the appeal of its usefulness was gone. However, Apple Pay offers a much more convenient and secure method of payment with which many individuals (including myself) might find themselves on board. In order for the system to really be a hit, corresponding terminals/card reader systems will have to be installed in stores before they can start taking this form of payment. With the proposed arrival of EMV credit cards in America on the horizon, it is quite likely that switching to mobile payments is not too far in the future.

An article I found that further discusses the coming of EMV credit cards can be read at http://www.cnbc.com/id/102113933

Image from: 

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/apple-pay-is-going-to-be-huge-apple-ceo-tim-100761243774.html

Week 06 Blog Post

"Anonymous", when it comes to social media, is a term that must be used carefully. Apps such as Yik Yak and Fade, along with Facebook/Twitter accounts like Coyote Confessions, are becoming internet sensations due to the obscurity they offer users. However, while some individuals use these apps and websites for good, most users are starting to post little more than trash talk and hurtful comments; hiding behind a wall of anonymity makes people shockingly more brave than they probably should be. Without having their name tied to their comment, nobody cares what they say. Almost all ethical restraints are taken away by the fact that people can say anything without readers having to know who they are. Therefore, I don't much care for these apps. Sure, some posts can be funny, but most of them go too far. Also, it should be noted that none of these posts are truly anonymous; if necessary, a post can be traced back to its author by someone who knows how to navigate a computer. A good rule of thumb to follow with these posts, for the sake of their targets and audience alike, is to not post something online if you wouldn't say it out loud.

The following is an example of people who thought they were being anonymous online actually getting tracked:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/16/-sp-revealed-whisper-app-tracking-users

http://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/460773149.jpg

Week 05 Blog Post

Honestly, I find that technology has made advertising both more streamlined and more annoying. For example, being advertised to through Facebook based on recent internet searches gets to be obnoxious and a little bit creepy. Granted, I like the idea of buying items for a bargain price; however, I would rather seek them out than have my computer keep track of what I look for on search engines and advertise to me accordingly. 
In any case, advertising via social media must be done with care. There is a fine line between appealing to customers and violating their privacy, especially given recent credit card scams and identity theft. Businesses can profit greatly from social media advertising if done without intruding on media users' regular use of their social media. On Twitter, for example, sponsored links and advertisements can sometimes hit the mark on reeling in a new customer; more often, however, these sponsored links get in the way of what users are looking for and end up being neglected and looked over. Facebook is the same way - blatantly throwing a huge advertisement (for a website in which the user might not even be interested) into the user's newsfeed might actually turn users off from that brand entirely. However, if spaced out well enough and worded in a way that will not make users feel as though they are being "bought out," advertisements will be successful. 
Rather than placing any old advertisement out on the web, business should lean more toward drawing in customers with witty comments and consumer engagement. As discussed in class, one of the main benefits of social media is the conversational aspect which it provides, and it is through this aspect that advertising becomes more streamlined. Engaging customers through tweets to which they can respond and retweet allows the customers to feel a more personal relationship with an otherwise faceless company. Taco Bell is an example of one business that actively engages with its followers; in fact, it is often used as an example of one business that effectively streamlines its advertising through the use of technology. 
A point made by the article, "Advertising Turns to Tech to Engage Consumers," states that advertising needs to evoke emotion in addition to the loyalty it is trying to gather from viewers. For the most part, consumers want to feel a personal connection with a brand and product in order to be interested in investing their time in it. With social media advertising just taking off, it might take a while before people can be effectively marketed. Again, as stated in the given article, "It's all part of how advertisers will need to be present, aware and plugged in." To me, this means that businesses will have to pay special attention to what its followers are buying, if they are shopping online or in-store, and if they are directed to such products via social media advertising. In short, the future of social media advertising lies in businesses' abilities to streamline their marketing.

This article basically states that, in order to keep up with the use of social media, businesses and their brands should be keeping up with social media advertising. 
http://www.brandwatch.com/2014/01/why-2014-is-the-year-of-social-media-advertising/

Week 04 Blog Post

Today's work environment is much different from what it was in the past. More and more careers are becoming geared toward technology and social media, and work environments seem to be taking a turn for the casual. Some businesses, such as the one at which I work, require a uniform and therefore have the question of attire answered before employees even have to ask. Uniforms are nice in that they allow for consistency in employee appearance and make the business as a whole look more professional. However, even in environments where uniforms are not required, work can still be done efficiently; work attire does not necessarily have to be professional in order for professionals to work. For example, my sister received her Master's Degree in Business Administration, and soon after got a job in the town she was planning to live. To prepare for this job, we made a special trip to Sioux Falls so she could shop for business clothes that would be acceptable in the workplace. However, after her first few days on the job, she noticed that the outfits she wore were more professional than those of her coworkers, and she was even feeling out of place for being overdressed. As it turns out, the company for which she works is stationed in Chicago, and the office where she got her job (here in South Dakota) is just a branch where local employees for this business work without really making face-to-face contact with customers or the higher-up employees. Therefore, my sister's new wardrobe turned out to be less of a necessity than she first believed. Now, instead, she has a section of her closet devoted to business casual outfits that have been replaced by jeans and sometimes even sweatpants. In fact, the job itself is so relaxed and she is so trusted with her work that her bosses in Chicago allow her to work from her apartment a few days every week. This example just goes to show that what people wear or the environment in which they work does not always have to be professional in order for professional work to be done. To use my sister as an example again, she has said that she works better when doing so at home, due to the lack of other individuals and, consequently, better environment for concentrating on work and work alone. Personally, I feel that work attire should not determine an individual's ability to adequately perform. As the article "Is dressing for success still required?" suggests, a boss's satisfaction should be based on how well an employee works as opposed to how well said employee dresses. That is not to say employees should just "let it all go" in terms of attire; rather, as long as they can look presentable without making the business look bad or having it affect work performance, let them be comfortable. Referring again to the article, bosses should be concerned with the work done by their employees rather than what employees are wearing while they work. 

Another article I found that relates to this topic can be found here: 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/14/living/workplace-dress-code/

The last paragraph is a quote which states, "Be yourself, but don't let your appearance or behaviors detract from your selling points: your intelligence, accomplishments, strengths and experience." and it perfectly sums up my opinion on workplace dress code. 

The Effects of "Pay-to-Play" on Social Media Marketing

With today's generation becoming more and more reliant on technology, the use of social media has skyrocketed. The best way for businesses to reach Internet users, therefore, is becoming the use of advertisements through social media. This, however, must be done carefully; Facebook's recent method of featuring what they assume to be relevant ads and endorsements in users' news feeds has been getting out of hand. From a personal standpoint, the advertisements featured and suggested on my news feed are more of a bother and, for the most part, unappealing to my interests. However, this could be due to the fact that I have not been actively "liking" pages in the last few years. Facebook is trying to catch my interest without knowing how best to appeal to me. News has recently been released of Twitter possibly doing something similar. Again, this method of advertising must be approached with precaution; brands want to make themselves known to customers but not in a way that seems obnoxious.
To be honest, it is not surprising that pay-to-play methods of advertising are starting to be an issue as mentioned in the article, "Pay to play: the end of free social media marketing?". If brands are using social media sites as a vehicle for advertising, it only seems fair that the sites themselves should benefit more from any resulting transactions. Personally, I do not think the pay-to-play will slow all social media marketing. However, I do think some smaller brands might not be able to keep up with the costs. Referring to the comment of Super Bowl television ads now costing astronomical amounts of money, only well-known brands with a strong consumer base will be able to both afford and profit from spending so much on advertising. The competition will instead be reduced to a few of the top brands who will then take over most of the advertising. For instance, when one thinks of car commercials, often the first thing that comes to mind is either Ford or Chevrolet. Fast food? McDonald's, Burger King, or Subway. Retail? Wal-Mart or Target. Therefore, having such a strong hold on consumers will make social media marketing easier; advertising is basically a "survival of the fittest" that only the strongest competitors will endure. Frustrating as it may be, the pay-to-play strategy will also be beneficial to the brands that can afford it. Social media is currently the best way to engage consumers, so paying to advertise to these consumers so directly will be profitable in the long run.

The following article discusses Twitter's "buy" button.Taking advertising one step further and allowing users to directly buy an item definitely has a convenience factor that could appeal to many. However, this step might be one too far, and whether or not it will take off remains uncertain.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237684

CEOs and Social Media Use

After reading the article and its given statistics on how few CEOs are making use of social media, I was shocked. As a generation that is becoming increasingly dependent on technology and Internet use, chief executives should take advantage of the services provided. Social media use is a great way to engage stakeholders and customers alike by keeping them updated and in the loop on company happenings, and even offering coupons and advertisements. Though there was evidence for CEOs becoming socially involved, they are doing so via LinkedIn and therefore in one of the most professional ways possible. That is not to say using LinkedIn is a bad thing; by slowly getting involved and up-to-date with the social media world, chief executives are making progress in branding themselves on social media. However, executives should try harder to involve themselves on more platforms for the sake of getting the name and reputation of their company out in the open. The key to having a beneficial social reputation, though, is to keep it positive.
If I was hired to run the social media of a company, I would advise the CEO to make a presence on the Internet. However, one must tread carefully when it comes to putting oneself out on the social media world. Tweets and Facebook statuses posted stay on the Web for extended periods of time, meaning saying anything that reflects negatively on the CEO or company will have repercussions for (potentially) years to come. Also, the Internet has such a diverse audience and can be reached by almost anyone, anywhere, at any time, that having at least one individual take offense to something you post is not difficult. Even if nothing you say or post is meant to be negative, there are individuals who will read it that way, whether they are actually offended or are simply looking for something to complain about. A general rule to follow when it comes to posting anything is that, if you have any doubt about posting something, don't. Below is a link for 10 tips that can be used as a guide for Internet posts; following these tips should, for the most part, keep safe the individual posting.

http://www.examiner.com/article/10-tips-to-protect-yourself-on-social-networks

Week 01 Blog Post

In my opinion, social media can definitely be considered a double-edged sword; being able to reach any person in any place at any time is both a convenience and a danger for users. Connecting with others on a global scale is a privilege that comes with a cost. By using so many different platforms, we are exposing a lot of personal information to the Internet and its users. The discussion post mentioned one such case with ISIS and its use of social media for personal gain. Easy access to the Internet means equally easy access to the information it contains, a feature of which this group is currently taking advantage.
Social media can be negative in other ways as well. Cyberbullying, identity theft, and even stalking are all issues which have to be monitored when individuals expose so much of themselves to the general public. Facebook "likes" and comments are just as often used to bring people down as they are to build people up, and Twitter posts and comments can stir up as much drama as they do public discussion. When it comes to social media, users have to be careful what they post as well as how much information they allow others to see. By keeping in mind that staying connected with others means staying respectful of them as well, social media can be used as the positive outlet it was intended to be.