comm$427$ socialmediaand advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! introduction before social...

20
Comm 427 Social Media and Advertising Rachel Kneiss and Liz Furrer

Upload: others

Post on 17-Sep-2020

0 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

 

 

Comm  427  

Social  Media  and  Advertising  Rachel  Kneiss  and  Liz  Furrer  

Page 2: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

2    

Table  of  Contents  

Introduction…………………………,,……………………………………………………………3

Twitter……………………………………………………………………………………………..3

Facebook…………………………………………………………………………………………..7

Foursquare………………………………………………………………………………………..11

Google Buzz……………………………………………………………………………………...14

Conclusion.………………………………………………………………………………………18

Works Cited ………………………………………………………..……………………….. ….19

Page 3: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

3    

Introduction

Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture

has defined social networking. I can remember a time, when my parents discussed their

childhood. Their stories included running around outside, radio shows, and black and white

television sets with limited channels. Our generation has experienced a total opposite childhood

experience. Our childhoods consisted of running around outside, colored television, household

computers, VHS players, CDs, and the invention of Nintendo. Now, take time to consider

children in today’s society. They are born into a world that revolves around cell phone usage,

smart phones, the internet, iPods, home computers, and multiple video game systems. These

three different childhood experiences are an example how our culture has changed within the last

sixty years. The culture of today’s generations has an emphasis on technology. Technology has

changed the way our culture behaves and completes tasks. In return, social networking has been

impacted as well. The internet being available on mobile phones and computers being a standard

part of households have all influenced social networking websites. In addition, the future of

social networking websites depends on mobile phone companies and the possibility of making

internet standard on mobile phones. With mobile phones, people are able to access social

networking websites easily as well as multiple times a day. They can log on to their Twitter

accounts, Facbook profiles, Foursquare, and Google Buzz accounts. Since people interact using

these mediums, companies also have the opportunity to advertise within them.

Twitter

What is it?

Twitter is a recent addition to social networking websites that is owned and operated by Twitter

Inc. Created in March 2006 and launched in July 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Twitter has become a

staple in social networking websites. Awareness about Twitter has greatly spread in the past

couple of years. In 2008, five percent of Americans twelve years of age and older were aware of

Twitter, compared to currently in 2010 where eighty-seven percent of Americans are aware of

Twitter. In comparison, Facebook awareness within the American population twelve years of

age and older, is at eighty-eight percent. Although awareness of Twitter is almost as high as

Page 4: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

4    

awareness of Facebook, Facebook still has more users. Fifty percent of Americans twelve years

of age and older maintain a profile

on a social networking website.

Only seven percent of the

population has a Twitter account

compared to the forty-one percent

of the population that has a

Facebook account (slideshare.net).

A user can access Twitter on the

internet and create a Twitter

account. Creating an account will

allow one to construct a profile,

where a person can create a user

name, upload a picture, and write a brief statement for people to view. The purpose of Twitter is

to tweet. A tweet is equivalent to a Facebook status update consisting of a hundred and forty

characters. You can retweet what someone else has posted, make mentions and tag someone in

your tweet, follow others, and be followed by individuals. Therefore, Twitter is considered a

mixture of social networking and micro-blogging (twitter.com).

About 190 million individuals have created a Twitter account. In a day, there are about sixty-five

million tweets and 800,000 search queries. It has become the tenth most visited website online.

However, even though awareness of Twitter has grown, most of the users that have created

accounts are not active. They are considered “passive” users that only visit their Twitter account

to view other people’s tweets. Passive users do not create tweets of their own or interact with

other users by making mentions or tags (twitter.com).

The average user of Twitter is an individual who is well educated and lives in a higher income

household. In addition, Twitter users are also heavy users of texting on mobile phones.

Individuals twelve to twenty-four years of age are the majority of Twitter account holders.

Therefore, Twitter is popular with a younger demographic. Fifty-three percent of users are

female and forty-seven percent are male. In addition, usage is above average in the African

American demographic.

Page 5: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

5    

Two-thirds of Twitter users access their accounts using iPhones or smart phones. Since the

majority of people access Twitter through mobile phone devices with internet capabilities, they

can access their accounts multiple times a day. For the users who do not have internet

capabilities on their mobile phones and do not have access to the internet consistently, Twitter

can be hard to keep up with, since others can make multiple tweets a day (slideshow.net).

Where ads are placed?

There is no way to advertise within Twitter. However, companies are given the opportunity to

create accounts and set up a profile for their company. Advertisements come in the form of

tweeting. In our current culture, people want to be active with a brand or company and feel a

personal connection to them.

Does research back it up?

With the current Twitter account holder’s behavior and demographics, companies have the

opportunity to effectively advertise in this medium. Fifty-one percent of Twitter users follow a

brand or company through their Twitter accounts. This statistic can compare to other social

networking sites where only sixteen percent of their users actively interact with companies or

brands. As a result, Twitter is three times more likely to have their users follow a company or

brand compared to any other social networking website. In addition, Twitter generates traffic for

companies and creates an additional way to reach consumers (slideshow.net).

Twitter has the potential to be an effective advertising medium. Research shows that sixty-five

percent of firms have a Twitter account. On average, firms post tweets about twenty-five to thirty

times a week. However, only thirty-eight percent of the sixty-five percent are using those tweets

to actually respond and interact to the users that post tweets about their company. In order to

show that an individual’s company is involved and takes into consideration feedback, it requires

companies to respond. Companies and firms need to start to acknowledge how to use Twitter

effectively for their business (freshnetworks.com).

Is it effective?

Twitter allows companies to be given the opportunity to be active with their followers. Currently,

consumers desire a brand with a personality because it is a way that companies and brands can

Page 6: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

6    

differentiate themselves from their competition. Twitter allows a company or brand to create and

enact a personality to compliment their image. A company or brand’s personality can be

constructed with the combination of the style of writing, word usage, frequency of tweets,

content within the tweets, and the set-up of one’s profile. How a company presents oneself

mimics how a consumer views their brand, company, or product (twitter.com).

Twitter also provides the opportunity for workers within a company to build a connection.

Relationships can be started, maintained, and strengthened by keeping in constant contact.

Twitter gives workers a way to interact and keep updated with one another. Receiving

notifications on one’s computer or mobile phone can provide a fast way to spread information

and stay connected within a company. Also, consumers can now be connected with the workers

within a company or brand. Therefore, it creates another strong connection between a company

and its consumers (slideshow.net)

Feedback and exposure can be generated and effectively calculated using Twitter. Companies

can actively track and record interactions with followers. They receive feedback from people

tweeting and the company can respond in real-time. In addition, companies can post coupon

codes, announcements, and product specials to provide incentive to Twitter followers and

generate sales. A company can direct consumers to certain websites through posting links to their

websites that could drive awareness and sales. Companies can be successful by responding and

interacting with followers who tweet about their company or brand. Reacting the correct way can

now brand a company and create a personality (twitter.com).

Twitter is now becoming an effective part in hiring workers. Potential workers can be found and

researched using Twitter. Since Twitter accounts are becoming common for companies, workers

are starting to be encouraged to create accounts to interact and promote their company. Also,

Twitter can be used to research potential employees through searching through their accounts

(slideshow.net).

Given that Twitter is in real-time, posts can be made at any time. At times, the negative tweets

and ranting from users can lead to bad reputations, especially for celebrities and companies.

Twitter can be used as a tool to build a company, but the incorrect postings could also bring

negative views to a company or brand. Therefore, for Twitter to be effective for consumers the

Page 7: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

7    

correct tweets need to be posted to compliment a company and there needs to be consideration

put into each posting.

Networking with different companies has also proven to be effective for companies or brands

that have Twitter accounts. Companies not only have the opportunity to follow and be followed

by individuals, but they also have the chance to be followed and follow other various companies.

Networking can give a company or brand an opportunity to grow and expand. This also can lead

to new prospective clients.

Facebook

What is it?

Facebook is a social networking site designed to help

friends, family and coworkers communicate more

efficiently and effectively with each other. It

digitally maps their social connections through

applications, fan pages, groups, and personalized

profiles where one can share photos, events, and

videos. Instant communication capabilities include

status updates, Facebook chat, messaging, and most

recently, email capabilities. Founded on February 4,

2004 by Mark Zuckerberg (current CEO), Chris

Hughes, and Dustin Moskovitz, its mission is giving

people the power to share and make the world more

open and connected (facebook.com). Now there are 1,700+ employees working under the

Facebook name.

Where are the ads placed?

Facebook advertisements appear on other websites, as there is always the option to “like”

something that you’re looking at, especially videos on YouTube. Facebook is also mentioned

many times on television commercials, radio advertisements, and magazines ads.

Page 8: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

8    

Advertisements related to your likes and interests will appear on the side of your Facebook page

for you to click on for more information.

Facebook plans to insert advertisements on to their message page to strengthen its edge in

display advertising. It’s future plans could impact online advertising greatly and it looks as

though the battle for effective online advertising will be between Facebook and Google (Peers

2010). New Age Media claims that targeted advertisements on Facebook need to be a part of the

social media campaign. Business need to target to friends of friends because if a person sees

their friend’s name under a link, they’re more likely to click on it even if they’re just curious.

“This aspect alone makes ads 100% social and need to be considered for a social media

campaign” (Peers 2010).

Does research back it up?

At first, Facebook’s advertising was recording a less than satisfactory performance in 2007.

Advertiser Fred Wilson from Union Square Ventures reported that for one of his campaigns, “out

of 10,080 impressions, there were only 8 clicks. The average cost-per-click for Wilson was $0.08

and the average CPM was $0.06.” The one challenge that Facebook needed to overcome was to

focus their target audience to the advertisement rather than completely on the overwhelming

amount of content on Facebook’s site. In 2007, it was believed that Facebook needed to extend

their advertising platform out of Facebook (to other websites for example) in order for the

advertising to more effectively resonant with its target audiences (O’Neill, 2007).

From this information, Nick O’Neill wrote his 10 rules for advertising on Facebook. They are:

Facebook is least effective with direct sales, create a greater volume ads that target less people,

friend users before you sell to them, understand your market, set budgets with a goal in mind,

monitor ad performance and adjust, test landing pages, split test ads by demographic, develop

very creative ad copy, and don’t over target. (businessinsider.com). These rules have been used

in making Facebook an extremely effective form of social media with the following statistics to

back it up.

Facebook currently has over 500 million active users (reached in July 2010) logging on within

the last thirty days, with fifty percent of them logging onto Facebook any given day.

Collectively people spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook.

Page 9: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

9    

An important statistic that marketers should know is that ninety percent of online brand engagers

spend money online. Even though brands have created huge fan bases on Facebook, it does not

necessarily bring in revenue because it does not encourage people to visit their Facebook page

over a commercial site. It’s important to make a transactional website just a click away from

Facebook (Handley 2010).

There are statistics that back up just how many people make a connection with brands on

Facebook. Fifty-nine percent of brands are active on Facebook, utilizing a fan page with an

average of 3.8 posts per week and an average of 41,000 fans on that specific page. More than

150 million people engage with Facebook on external websites every month and two thirds of

comScore’s U.S. Top 100 websites have been integrated with Facebook. There are over 900

million objects that people can interact with such as groups, events and community pages, where

the average user is connected to at least eighty of these. As a result, it is important for marketers

to break the monotony of Facebook’s layout and find ways to make their brand stand out and

integrate it with outside sites. Marketers need to make the Facebook experience unique for

people and jump out from the repetitive feed. Brands can instantly reach tens of millions of

people, and it can be difficult for brands to break through (Palmer 2010). Finally more than 30

billion pieces of content (web links, stories, blogs, photos, etc.) are shared each month, making

this site a forerunner in social media sharing (facebook.com).

There is also research to report the effectiveness of Facebook’s global presence. There are more

than seventy translations available on the site and about 70% of Facebook users are outside the

United States, while more than half of comScore’s Global Top 100 websites have been

integrated on the site. 48% of people in the UK have a Facebook account. The percent of people

on social networking sites in the UK has increased from 16% to 57% in the past four years,

corroborating Facebook and social networking sites have a strong presence worldwide as well.

To back this up even further, 50% of those with a social networking account have connected

with a brand and 20% of this population are content with receiving online advertisements that are

based off the preferences set in their social media profiles and are receptive to them (Handley

2010). In other words, this group is two and a half times more likely to be receptive to the

“right” advertisement.

Is it effective?

Page 10: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

10    

Facebook is currently two steps ahead of Yahoo and AOL’s hopes to even remain semi-relevant

in the advertising world. Facebook’s newest development is the incorporation of email addresses

with the ending of “Facebook.com.” Because of its “sticky” content on the site, people will

spend more time on it (Peers 2010). "The biggest indicator of success on social media however

is the buzz online. The voice of the people is one sure-fire way of measuring if you have been

successful in a campaign" (Digital Strategy 2010). In the years to come, Facebook will come to

parallel Google’s online advertising.

Facebook is becoming more influential with mobile advertising as well, as there are more than

200 million active users on Facebook accessing it through their mobile devices. It’s important to

target people on mobile devices because these individuals are twice more active on Facebook

than non-mobile users. Globally, there are companies in over sixty countries promoting mobile

Facebook products (facebook.com).

One aspect of social media advertising that Facebook is very efficient with is connecting in an

effective way to its audience. With traditional media, a lot of people are reluctant to share any

form of their information with marketers, advertisers, and the media because they feel it will be

intrusive; however, Facebook makes it hard for brands to be intrusive to their customers because

people want to be on Facebook. Because Facebook is able to specify their audience more by

getting specific ages instead of an age range like with traditional media, it’s easier for advertisers

to place ads with the right people.

Facebook helps brands grow in other ways besides advertising, which is important when trying

to establish a connection with your consumers. The vice-president of global communications

planning at Unilever says, “Social media is all about the shift from interruption to engagement"

(DITIGAL STRATEGY). Since it’s hard to break the traditional ways of senior advertising

executives, it’s a challenge for marketers and brands to decide when and how to get involved in

social media. The success of social media is harder to quantify than the traditional medium

vehicles (DITIGAL STRATEGY). However it is a reward for those who know how to break the

traditional molds and reap success from brands. Nathan McDonald, a managing partner at We

Are Social claims that you need to be driven by your business objectives and how social media

can help meet them. He says, “Social media offers so many opportunities to the marketer

because it spans the whole purchase cycle, from awareness and consideration, to purchase,

Page 11: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

11    

service, and loyalty” (DITIGAL STRATEGY). This is extremely hard to do with traditional

media such as television, magazines, and radio. Social media is letting the consumer connect

with a brand on a level that has never been achieved before. It also allows consumers to give a

brand feedback to tweak the product and service to cater to its consumers’ needs, and people

appreciate when their voice is heard. Facebook is a key element in all of these areas and is very

effective at achieving them.

Foursquare

What is it?

Foursquare is an expert in location-based social networking.

It is a mobile application that makes it easier and more

interesting to explore cities and their surrounding areas. You

connect with friends with the badge collection game-play, e.g.

the swarm badge, which motivates users to check-in to

different places around cities. Check-ins through social

media will alert your friends on your location as well as your

preferences. Marketers hope that customers will check-in at

these places for discounts and preferred treatment (Dilworth

2010). People write reviews on particular locations and

business hold different promotions to attract people and share

their reviews as well. The reviews are good and bad insights

about a particular place (Wee 2009).

Foursquare promotes users to experience new parts of the culture and be rewarded for doing so

whether it is points, a badge for your adventurousness or even a ten percent off coupon from

local businesses. The participating “Special Offers” locations are marked on the app whenever a

customer is within a certain distance of a place. When you’ve checked in to a place more than

anyone else, you will have reached “mayor” status, and most restaurant businesses offer you a

free coffee or appetizer when you are a “mayor.” You can check in at restaurants, parks, bars,

museums, libraries, and even your home. You can mark these locations as public, friends-only,

Page 12: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

12    

or private, and you also have the option to publish your location to Twitter or Facebook to share

your location with those followers (foursquare.com).

The first Foursquare application was launched in March 2009 in Austin Texas and as of October

2010, Foursquare has had over 4 million users worldwide. There are over 10,000 businesses that

currently are toying with Special Offers on Foursquare. Foursquare’s office is located in New

York City and they currently have about forty employees (foursquare.com).

Where ads are placed?

Foursquare advertisements are promoted through Facebook, Twitter, and email. Facebook will

continue to be fuel for Foursquare as its location status updates will keep people interested in

location-based social networks (Carter 2010). Certain restaurants that promote a Foursquare

campaign will usually have in-store signage, like Chili’s Bar & Grill had in their July 2010

campaign. They gave away free chips and salsa to anyone who checked in at their participating

locations. A New Jersey Nets promotion placed a Foursquare advertisement on a billboard in

New York City encouraging people to check-in to the team’s Foursquare page to find out about

special offers (Dilworth, 2010). These businesses are using traditional media to promote their

non-traditional media.

Does research back it up?

Marketers have been finding through research that people who are involved with Foursquare

networks are driving in-store traffic and building brand loyalty. Forrester Research analyst Sarah

Glass claims, “The value in location-based technologies is that it allows people to connect in

real-time in a real location.”

Forrest research has found that Foursquare targets a younger audience. Eighty-five percent of

the location-based social networking audience is under forty years of age. Less than one percent

of adults in the United States are using location-based social networking once a week. Four

percent of online adults have used this type of social networking at least once. As a result, it

only makes sense to market through Foursquare when targeting a younger demographic.

Page 13: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

13    

Some business such as the Del Mar Racetrack in California

are taking advantage of promoting to the younger

demographic, who may not have grown up with horseracing

by implementing rewards for those who check-in at the

track. The track has tried numerous Twitter and Facebook

efforts, but they feel as though just “liking” something on

Facebook won’t bring attendees out to the track. ‘"Our

objective is to convert online communities into real track

attendees," says Craig Dado, senior VP of marketing at the

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’ (Dilworth 2010). This

business has proved the Foursquare is taking an active

approach to social networking to increase its track

attendance to a new demographic.

In Chili’s July 2010 Foursquare campaign, Nicole Cochran, marketing director for Chili’s Bar &

Grill, claimed it was a test-run for their involvement in social media. If it proved successful,

they would extend it out its other national franchise locations. Cochran did not want to disclose

how many customers checked in (Dilworth 2010). No concluding research was found on this

offer.

The New Jersey Nets also have brand loyalty statistics to back up their small successes through

Foursquare. The people who participated in Foursquare won tickets to the game and were given

special merchandise to identify them at the event. Fifteen percent of people who actually won

the tickets to the game attended and because of this percentage, the marketing department for the

team will continue to run location-based marketing and promote it through Twitter and

Facebook.

Is it effective?

The mobile phone is becoming one of the most popular marketing platforms. It has evolved to

support location-based advertising while there is still SMS (short message service) advertising.

Location-based is more of a pull strategy because people are voluntarily receiving promotional

messages based on their location, while SMS entails a push advertising strategy, which is

Page 14: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

14    

intrusive to the customers. As AJ Vaynerchuk, cofounder of VaynerMedia has pointed out, "An

advertisement on a sports website might get tuned out amid other content, but if you give

something away to someone who checks in to a sports bar, you have their complete and utter

focus" (Dilworth, 2010). Because mobile marketing is supporting location-based advertising,

Foursquare has been able to thrive in the mobile advertising market, but all in all, it is still a

work in progress (Wee 2009). According to an article in New Age Media, “While location can

be used to build loyalty, trust and word of mouth, creativity is the key to overwhelming the ‘so

what’ factor” (Carter 2010). Promoting location-based marketing is a huge factor in its success.

Since the mobile marketing platform is becoming a new trend within social media, it has been

shown that on-location mobile advertising isn’t exactly the most effective mobile marketing

platform when planning a social media campaign for all industries. The travel and restaurant

industry are the ones benefitting the most from this form because you can download applications

that are specific to your personal location (Wee, 2009); however, if you know your business

objectives will thrive through mobile marketing, it can be a profitable decision.

To help make Foursquare more effective for businesses, there are different ways to leverage the

application. Two of the most important ways are to monitor the check-ins and gain feedback for

the business. Also, connecting with other social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook is

important to promote customers to use Foursquare, and in return, build customer loyalty (Wee,

2010). SMS and location-based advertising are two areas of marketing that will continue to

grow as new technologies evolve and people’s technological knowledge bases expand. Since a

majority of Foursquare’s audience is under forty years of age, it is imperative that marketers

focus their Foursquare efforts on a younger demographic and not older adults online.

Google Buzz

What is it?

Google has proven to be the most widely used search engine. Now Google has brilliantly

expanded on its popularity. The addition of Gmail, Google Groups, Google Documents, Google

Webpages, Google Calendar, and G-Chat have all shaped Google into being a necessary part of

Page 15: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

15    

a consumer’s life. Now, it is an invaluable

addition to society giving individuals a way to

connect with one another with ease in one

place.

Google expanded once again and as of February

9, 2010, Google launched its version of a social

networking website called Google Buzz.

Google Buzz highlights on the aspects of social

networks websites. It allows an individual to set

their account as private or public. It allows the

whole world to view their postings or just their

select friends. In addition, it sends updates in

the form of emails to a person’s email account.

Also, people are able to respond to posting and

comments by responding to their email they

receive about the comment. This allows account holders to remain constantly updated on

interactions going on around them. A unique application that Google Buzz provides is the

opportunity to post pictures in high resolution and large image sizes. People can view full screen

images of pictures others posted. In addition, Google Buzz allows account holders to have their

Twitter, Picasa, Flickr, and Google Reader information imported to their Google Buzz account.

Since updates and posts occur in real-time, information can be spread quickly. Google Buzz also

has an application to link to a person’s mobile device as well. Linking a person’s Google Buzz

account to their phone allows he or she the opportunity to be constantly available to view

information on their account.

Google Buzz determines the people an account holder follows on Google Buzz by incorporating

their already existing Gmail accounts. It takes the people that an individual emails and G-chats

with and adds them to their account. Therefore, there is no searching involved with trying to find

other individual’s account. However, if a person desires to search out an individual’s profile,

they are more than able to search for a profile.

Page 16: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

16    

Although Google Buzz seems a lot like Facebook in the fact that a person can comment, post

pictures, post videos, and respond to other people’s postings, Google Buzz is actually quite

different. There is no profile that an account holder has as a homepage. A person’s profile is

based off of the picture that is linked to one’s Gmail account. Postings are made on a wall and

they are constantly updated as the people an account holder follows posts new information. A

distinctive characteristic of Google Buzz is that it takes out the “fluff” that Facebook has. There

are no applications and games available. Google Buzz is a simple edited version of a social

networking website that focuses on the need for people to interact and post information to share

to others for entertainment.

Where ads are placed?

A company can set up a Google Buzz account if they already have an existing Gmail account. A

company can post comments and post links to draw people to their company. Being able to post

pictures that are high resolution and can be viewed full screen allows a company to post images

that represents their company. This can allow a company to showcases images of events they

have hosted, their company locations, workers, etc. Using a Google Buzz account and posting

responses allows a company to seem personable. Consumers can interact with a company. If

consumers have emailed or sent correspondence to them through a company’s Gmail account, a

company can follow their Google Buzz account. From postings, companies can post coupons for

consumers to print, post links to draw them to their website, and announces upcoming special

events.

In addition, since Google Buzz is accessed through an individual’s Gmail account, there is still

the opportunity to advertise on the ticker tape that runs along the top of the Gmail account. One

can access a company’s advertisement further by clicking on the link on the ticker tape.

Does research back it up?

There are 620 million people that access Google daily and Google holds 85.78 percent of the

global search market share. Furthermore, 97 percent of Google’s revenue comes from

advertising. Advertising is how Google remains profitable. The search engine was just the

beginning. Now Google is expanding on their ability to recognize and understand a consumer by

providing individuals with easy to use applications such as Calendar, Buzz, Checkout,

Page 17: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

17    

Documents, Spreadsheets, Apps, Postini, Picasa, Groups, Reader, Talk, Translate, Webmaster

Tools, Finance, Maps, Earth, Toolbar, Chrome OS, Sites, and Alerts (digitalbuzzblog.com).

Even though Google Buzz is a new addition to social networking websites, there is still some

research available. When it first got released, Google Buzz quickly generated nine million posts

and comments in two days. In addition, there were about 200 posts per minute being made on a

mobile phone device (Research and Markets: Google Buzz).

In the beginning, there was no way to gather statistics about users of Google Buzz and the

frequency and types of posts and comments account holders posted (techpp.com). However,

now there is Buzz statistics available to research capabilities with the social networking website.

Is it effective?

Since Google Buzz is new, it still has a lot growing and adapting to do. When Google Buzz was

first released, they rapidly received feedback on their new addition to Google. The privacy

settings were a huge concern for individuals. Google Buzz responded and adapted to their

feedback by enabling an account holder to hide the people they are following and the people who

are following, enabling an account holder to block an individual even if their account is private,

and allowing an account holder to set their account as public or private. Privacy is a huge

concern within social networking websites, and companies need to be highly aware of the type of

people that are following them and who they are following. Image is very important to a

company. In fact, Google Buzz’ss image has been under review since there has two class action

lawsuits and a Federal Trade Commission complaint as a result of their privacy issues when they

first launched their website. However, although bad press can sometimes deter away consumers,

the more times Google Buzz is mentioned and talked about, the more consumers hear about it

and become aware. Fascination and the desire to gain further information about a company can

generate sales, even if the information coming across is not positive (techpp.com).

For marketers, research has shown that marketing on Google Buzz just raises the amount of

impressions for links that are posted (adage.com). However, Google Buzz has the potential to be

a popular choice with advertisers because it does not depend on someone clicking and choosing

to follow their information. With Google Buzz, the company gets to advertise and place

information directly to the consumers by making posts and comments that will show up on their

Page 18: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

18    

newsfeed. Therefore, they can access their target audience with greater ease. Also, to be effective

in this medium, companies must post creative and interesting comments in order to grab an

individual’s attention. A company has to be able to seize a consumer’s attention right away.

Google Buzz works differently than any other social media network because it determines the

position of the postings by filtering the most popular content. The more followers you have and

the more times they comment on the content one posts, the more it will spread and gain

popularity. This can be very effective for businesses that want to spread information to a vast

amount of people.

Conclusion

In the future, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and Google Buzz will become an integral

part of advertising as a growing number of companies begin to launch social media campaigns.

Currently, 79% of firms worldwide are using social media, meaning social media has proven

itself effective and is here to stay. More than fifty percent of people on these sites interact with

brands, and the brands’ marketers need to create a meaningful connection.

It’s important for companies to realize their objectives through social media to share videos,

blogs, advice, insider news, but most importantly gain feedback and build one on one

relationships with their customers, which will in return, build brand loyalty (DITIGAL

STRATEGY). Social media has something that other media such as broadcast or direct

marketing do not, and that is the ability to achieve click-through, making social media the most

effective and efficient form of advertising in today’s society.

Page 19: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

19    

Works  Cited  http://adage.com/digitalnext/article?article_id=142030

http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/

http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/google-interesting-facts-figures/

http://www.businessinsider.com/10-rules-for-advertising-on-facebook-2009-7

http://www.facebook.com/facebook

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?founderbios

http://www.facebook.com/advertising/?campaign_id=402047449186&placement=pf&extra_1=0

http://foursquare.com/about

http://www.freshnetworks.com/blog/2010/02/how-the-global-fortune-100-are-using-social-media-some-statistics/

http://mashable.com/2010/02/11/google-buzz-9-million/

http://www.slideshare.net/duckofdoom/twitter-usage-in-america-2010

http://techpp.com/2010/03/22/google-buzz-stats/

Brand. 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2009. http://www.penn-olson.com/2010/04/09/is-location- based-advertising-effective/.

Chafkin, M.. "Social Media Grows Up. " Inc 1 Sep. 2010: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. … Web. 5 Dec. 2010.

"Coupons.com Launches Social-Net Coupons with Redemption Controls. " Promo (Online) …. 29 Apr. 2010: ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry, ProQuest. Web. 7 Dec. 2010.

Dilworth, D.. "Marketers 'check in' for social sales. " DM News 23 Aug. 2010: ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry, ProQuest. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

"DITIGAL STRATEGY: Taking the conversation into the online space. " Marketing

Week 16 Sep. 2010: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

"LETTER: Facebook Advertising can be in social strategy. " New Media Age

11 Nov. 2010: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Lucy Handley. "BRAND ENGAGERS: Online brands get measure of digital

Page 20: Comm$427$ SocialMediaand Advertising$ · 2019. 10. 25. · 3!! Introduction Before social networking websites can be discussed, we must begin with how America’s culture has defined

20    

natives. " Marketing Week 9 Sep. 2010: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Martin Peers. "Facebook Pokes Its Rivals. " Wall Street Journal 16

Nov. 2010, Eastern edition: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

Meg Carter. "CREATIVITY: Right place, right time. " New Media Age

17 Jun 2010: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

Nicholson, A.. "TWEET IT ON. " Boxoffice 1 Nov. 2010: ABI/INFORM Trade & …. Industry, ProQuest. Web. 30 Nov. 2010.

O’Neill, Nick. 10 Rules for Advertising on Facebook. Business Insider. 25 Nov. 2010.

Web. 16 Jul. 2009. http://www.businessinsider.com/10-rules-for-advertising-on-facebook-2009-7.

O’Neill, Nick. Is Facebook Advertising Effective? All Facebook. The Unofficial

Facebook Resource. 25 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2007. http://www.allfacebook.com/is-facebook-advertising-effective-2007-11.

Palmer, Benjamin. “The Facebook Dilemma.” Adweek 1 Nov. 2010, 51, 39

ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

Payton, S.. "To Tweet or Not to Tweet: There's Really No Question. " Brandweek …. 4 Oct. 2010: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 30 Nov. 2010.

"Research and Markets: Google Buzz. " Business Wire 16 March 2010 ABI/INFORM .. Dateline, ProQuest. Web. 7 Dec. 2010. Wee, Willis. 5 Ways to Leverage Foursquare for Business. Penn Olson: Social. Media.

Brand. 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. http://www.penn-olson.com/2010/03/02/5-ways-to-leverage-foursquare-for-business/.

Wee, Willis. Is Location Based Advertising Effective? Penn Olson: Social. Media.