Social Media in the Marketing Mix - Literature review Example

? Social media in the marketing mix affiliation Social media in the marketing mix Over the years, marketing and service strategies have evolved in order to capture the attention of as many consumers as possible. Kincy (2011) points out that customer decision making greatly depend on the ability of a marketing strategy to capture the attention of the consumers as fast as possible. This feature of marketing strategy has made many organizations opt to use social media as their marketing tool. Social media provides the most comfortable and appealing platform for marketing than any other medium (Kincy, 2011). In explaining the significance of the social media, Hargadon & Douglas (2001) also point out that social media makes it easy for consumer to realize their need, access available options and receive customer service. With social media, an organization is able to easily use features available in social media to create eye capturing g adverts and applications that would help consumers make their shopping decisions. For instance, the probability of a young person to access a social media site is high on daily basis as compared to the probability to access an advert from another source. Additionally, the features in social media such as creation of organizational pages make it easier for an organization to effectively market its products (Hargadon & Douglas, 2001). Muntinga, Moorman & Smit (2011) argue that when consumers make shopping decisions, they base their decisions on customer service and approach an organization uses. The authors further point out that the fast a n advert captures the eye of a consumer the higher probability of a consumer has in choosing the organization for a shopping option (Buchanan & Gilles, 1990). The same sentiments are supported by Carrol & Reichheld (1992) who point out that the relationship between a consumer’s decision making process and choosing a shopping destination greatly depends on the presentation of an advertisement or knowledge of an organization. Once a consumer seeks to make a shopping decision, they need to make the decision in the least time possible. An organization should ensure that they produce a short but concise advert and use the most suitable medium to display the advert. On social media, these needs are easily addressed. The social media is an interesting medium, which captures the attention of the consumer, and a customer is likely to spend more time in the social media. This gives an organization’s marketing approach to gain more audience and enough time to influence the shopping decision making of a consumer (Kim, Mattila & Baloglu, 2011). The results of this argument have been outstanding as many organizations in the globe have social media pages. This is regardless of their size and significance in the corporate market. Cambria et.al (2011) also argue that the demand to use shopping media to provide shopping options for consumers has been on the rise since its initiation. Cambria et.al (2011) focuses on Apple Company and their utilization of the social media for marketing purposes: the organization has an outstanding social media response. Additionally, most consumers using their services and interested in their products use their social media contact information to acquire the required information on the products (Kim, Mattila & Baloglu, 2011). The organization has also increased their sensitivity in handling and responding to their social media handles. Wenger (2000) analyses the effects of the entry of the social media in the marketing industry. Prior to the introduction of the social media, consumers had to rely on physical rather than digital shopping methods. This was tiring and time consuming as they had to access organization at their centers of operation. With the introduction of the social media this has changed: consumers can now be able to access web pages, blogs and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to access shopping options. This is easier; less tiring ad does not require a certain age limit to access these services (Wenger, 2000). Additionally, Lars (1997) argues that social media also provides the consumer with an option of purchasing and placing orders at their own comfort. These advances create a psychological notion that consumers embrace that they need to be treated with great sensitivity and attention by being provided with the best shopping options at their own comfort (Trattner & Kappe, 2013). This psychological change has changed the way in which consumers perceive shopping. Trattner & Kappe (2013) also argue that about 70% of the whole consumer population uses the social media to look for their desirable goods or services. There is also great relationship between information searching and the social media (Lars, 1997). Digital marketing involves the use of web information on an organization. Apart from the normal company web pages companies have generated more friendly information about their goods and services in the social media for easy understanding by the consumer population (Deis & Kyle, 2010). While reviewing social media pages on companies, Deis & Kyle (2010) point out that there is great difference in the way in which information is presented comparing it to the information on their catalogue or web pages. Companies have realized the need to change the ease of accessibility and understanding on company information. Additionally, social media promotes conciseness and accuracy since the users of the social media are extremely choosy in terms ease and nature of information provided. In analyzing the factors that drive to online decision making (Lars, 1997) argues that ease and proximity to delivery dictate most decisions. The author points out that organizations should make social network marketing be easy and interesting and possible (Lars, 1997). Additionally, the final order result should be less tat ten clicks away. The online consumer has little or no interest on the elongated process of shopping or analyzing commodities. While analyzing the way in which organizations have incorporated the use of social media in their advertising and customer service system, the social media is undeniable the most significant advertising tool in the modern corporate world. Reichheld & Sasser (1990) argue that there is no single company that has not included the social media marketing medium in their strategies. This has become a necessity for an organization to maintain a great competitive advantage and retain their target market. In reviewing the indulgence of Apple in the social media, the organization provides all its important information on its social media handles and equally caters to the consumer needs in terms of customer care and providing feedback (Cambria et.al (2011). References Buchanan, R. & Gilles, C. (1990). Value managed relationship: The key to customer retention and profitability. European Management Journal, 8 (4): 523-26. Cambria, E., Grassi, M., Hussain, A. & Havasi, C. (2011). Sentic Computing for Social Media Marketing. Multimedia Tools and Applications 59 (2): 557. Carrol, P. & Reichheld, F. (1992). The fallacy of customer retention. Journal of Retail Banking, 13(4). Deis, M. & Kyle, H. (2010). Using social media to increase advertising and improve marketing. Entrepreneurial Executive: 87. Hargadon, A. & Douglas, Y. (2001). When Innovations Meet Institutions: Edison and the Design of the Electric Light. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46 (3): 476-501. Kim, E., Mattila, A. & Baloglu, S. (2011). Effects of gender and expertise on consumers' motivation to read online hotel reviews. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly 52 (4): 399–406. Kincy, J. (2011). Advertising and social media. ABA Bank Marketing 43 (7): 40. Lars, C. (1997). Marketing as auto?communication. Consumption Markets & Culture, 1(3): 197-227. Muntinga, D., Moorman, M & Smit, E. (2011). Introducing COBRAs exploring motivations for brand-related social media use. International Journal of Advertising, 30 (1): 13–46. Reichheld, F. & Sasser, W. (1990). Zero defects: quality comes to services. Harvard Business Review, 68(5):105–111. Trattner, C. & Kappe, F. (2013). Social Stream Marketing on Facebook: A Case Study. International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing (IJSHC) 2 (1/2). Wenger, E. (2000). Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems. Organizational articles, 7(2): 225–246. Read More