1.

INTRODUCTION
In this report, I have made a study on why social media is used as a marketing
tool in today's social business. The method I use to review such information is to use
5 types of journal articles that I get from internet sources.
First of all, what is social media? Social media can be defined as primarily
internet or cellular phone based applications and tools to share information among
people. Social media includes popular networking websites, like Facebook and
Twitter; as well as bookmarking sites like Reddit. It involves blogging and forums
and any aspect of an interactive presence which allows individuals ability to engage in
conversations with one another, often as a discussion over a particular blog post, news
article, or event.
Social media is low-cost tools that are used to combine technology and social
interaction with the use of words. There are two benefits of social media that are
important to businesses; they include cost reduction by decreasing staff time and
increase of probability of revenue generation.
As traditional methods of marketing to customers like advertising, or direct
mail become less and less effective, businesses are turning to social mediums to
connect in positive ways with consumers and the people who influence them. Social
media is becoming an integral part of life online as social websites and applications
proliferate. Most traditional online media include social components, such as
comment fields for users. In business, social media is used to market products,
promote brands, and connect to current customers and foster new business.
The role of social media in marketing is to use it as a communication tool that
makes the companies accessible to those interested in their product and makes them
visible to those that don't know their product. It should be used as a tool that creates a
personality behind their brand and creates relationships that they otherwise may never
gain. This creates not only repeat-buyers, but customer loyalty. Fact is social media is
so diversified that it can be used in whatever way best suits the interest and the needs
of the business.

2.0

BODY OF CONTENT
The explosive growth of social media in the last few years has been well
documented, and for many, a life without Twitter and Facebook is inconceivable. Its
1

hard to believe that social media as we know it has only been around for little longer
than a decade and it has already fundamentally changed the ways people
communicate and interact with each other. This is not only true for conversations with
friends and family, but also, increasingly, for companies looking to discover the value
that social media can add to their marketing operations.
First of all, social media can helps for brand awareness. For many businesses,
using social media to market their brand has been a challenge. This shows the direct
impact social media tools can have on modern businesses and is a creative way of
demonstrating digital savvies and innovativeness to a large audience. It also shows
how thought leadership on social media can take B2B engagements to the next level
and help forming meaningful business relationships via social media. Social tools can
also help to strengthen brand perception by communicating core values to a wider
audience. This, in turn, opens up the opportunity to start conversations, grow business
partnerships and expand the online community to win new followers and potential
customers.
Secondly, social media can helps consumers in buying decision making.
According to the research analysis that I took from one of my journal article, the first
part of the questionnaire contains information regarding demographics and usage
pattern of social media of the respondent. Second part has series of close-ended
indirect questions which are based on impact of social media in making consumer buy
a product and expectation from such media. The survey was conducted online through
social networking sites and responses of 150 social networkers were collected. The
instrument (questionnaire) was put over Google docs and the link was sent to users to
fill the instrument through various social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, Blog, Instagram and etc. The respondents and other people on different
social networking sites were also requested to post the link from their profile. As a
result, I can see that Facebook is the most popular social networking site for the
respondents. There are many reasons for businesses to have a social media presence,
but one of the primary purposes is to build an interactive, welcoming community of
loyal brand enthusiasts. Every time new customers make their way to your Facebook
pages to confirm they made a good purchase, they will immediately see people who
are enthusiastic about the brand. They will be welcomed into a group of people who
likely share common buying habits and interests.

Thirdly, social media can helps to recognition the consumer attitudes or

behavior. It is vital for retailers and marketers to be aware of the factors that affect
consumer attitudes and motives because consumers are increasingly creating content
about brands, something previously controlled solely by companies. As a result,
current research has examined what aspects of social media sites affect consumer
attitudes and motives. Chu (2011) examined the link between Facebook brand related
group participation, advertising responses, and the psychological factors of selfdisclosure and attitudes among members and nonmembers of Facebook groups. Then,
explains group participation and engagement with online ads requires a higher level of
personal information because users openly reveal their connections with Facebook
groups and promote brands or products when they pass on ads to their friends.
Lastly, social media as a viral advertising. Viral advertising has become a way
in which retailers are marketing and providing more information on their brands or
products. A viral approach to online advertising has a major advantage because
communication is more targeted to a brands intended consumer. This can be
attributed to the fact that viral communication affords the marketer a greater degree of
creative license through a message delivery medium that is more intimate and
personalized, thereby increasing the likelihood of reaching hard to get audience
member such as Snapchat or Instagram. It is one of the example of growing social
networks that are becoming new tools for marketing that marketers use to promote
their products or services, nowadays. It is especially important in reaching a young
audience. A recent survey has found that photo-sharing platform Instagram is the
most-used social network for teenagers, with 32 percent giving it their top spot. Two
years ago, one-third gave that distinction to Facebook. There have a few simple steps
that marketers need to do when using this application. At first, the marketer need to
take pictures on their products or services, and then create a visual sells. To create a
visual sells, marketers need to create a creative part to enhance the attention of the
customers. The last part of course the decision making of buying marketers products
or service after they review of marketers show the picture with description of
3.0

products.
CONCLUSION
In a nutshell, business today is being transformed from a transactional
relationship to a social relationship. It is now more critical than ever that successful
businesses use Engagement Marketing principles to plan for successfully engaging
3

their prospects and customers before, during and after their purchase cycle, and that
the basis for this engagement is high-quality and relevant information.
Information, which is demanded by target market at a time and place of their
choice and it, is very important. Marketers job is to provide this information in such a
manner that you are viewed in a positive light, create a positive brand and product
reputation, and are selected as their brand of choice.
With the present growth and scale of social networking, we would even be
able to buy products and services through the social medium. The medium is growing
very fast and holds huge potential including in our country. Therefore, it is time for
the companies to make effective strategies and execute them to win larger share of
business through this revolutionary medium and become the innovative firm of
coming future.
Actively using social media is one of the easiest ways to reach a large
audience and get the company or brand name in the heads of existing or potential
customers. Not only does an already established network help to create new contacts,
it will also help to deepen connections that have been formed.
Even though this sounds very familiar to traditional marketing techniques,
social media has given them a new twist. Companies that fail to adapt to a new more
connected and interactive market, will inevitably fall behind.

4.0

REFERENCES

1. Google. Social Media. businessdictionary.com. August 24, 2015. Retrieved from;

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/social-media.html
4

2. Google. What is Reddit. August 24, 2015. Retrieved from;

https://www.google.com/search?
q=Reddit&oq=Reddit&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.2522j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=
93&ie=UTF-8
3. Google. business.vic.gov.au. August 24, 2015. Retrieved from;
http://www.business.vic.gov.au/marketing-sales-and-online/online-business-andtechnology/social-media-for-business/using-social-media-to-boost-business

The 5 Journal Article:

1. Google. Social Media as Marketing Tool. digitalcommons.uri.edu. August 25, 2015.
Retrieved from;
http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1001&context=tmd_major_papers
2. Google. Social Media Marketing in Industry. socialmediaexaminer.com. August 25,
2015. Retrieved from;
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/SocialMediaMarketingIndustryReport2014.pdf
3. Google. Effectiveness of Social Media As a Marketing Tool. academia.edu. August
25. Retrieved from:
http://www.academia.edu/2948659/EFFECTIVENESS_OF_SOCIAL_MEDIA_AS_
A_MARKETING_TOOL
4. Google. Social Media and Its Role in Marketing. ijecbs.com. August 25, 2015.
Retrieved from;
http://www.ijecbs.com/July2011/13.pdf
5. Google. Businesses Embrace New Social Media Platforms for Marketing.
argusleader.com. August 25, 2015. Retrieved from;
http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/business-journal/2015/05/05/businessesembrace-new-social-media-platforms-marketing/26951623/