New Media and Consumer Behaviour - Coursework Example

? NEW MEDIA AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR As technology advances, different means of reaching the consumers are developed. The different companies and organizations embrace the new technology to reach their consumers and increase their revenue. In most cases, companies have managed to embrace the new technologies with great success. Key among the new technology is the use of social media to market their products. In most cases, the companies that have failed to embrace the use of social media have ended up failing to reach potential clients. The different kinds of social media that can be used to market products include social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, badoo, MySpace, blogs, and others. In understanding the use of social media for marketing purposes, there are several terms that must be understood. Such terms include the term social media itself. Social media can be defined as the usage of mobile and web based technologies to communicate and maintain dialogue. Social media usually allows interactions to take place across multiple platforms. Social content on the other hand refers to material such as blogs and micro blogs that form part of the social networking experience (Zarrella 2009, p. 1). The increased use of social media has had a huge impact on the way that consumers relate with the marketers and how they relate with the different products. The impact of social media on the relationship has mostly been a positive one where a higher level of interaction has been achieved. There have however been some negative impacts on the dependence on social media on the relationship between customers and brands. It has for example been suggested that the use of social media has led to a decrease in brand loyalty among consumers. The positive benefits of the use of social media however outweigh the negative impacts and it is therefore important for the marketers to understand the power and the potential of the social media on their products (Tuten 2008, p. 10). The change or shift in consumer behavior has made it necessary for marketers to adopt the new strategies to market their products. Most consumers have adopted online shopping as opposed to physically visiting the stores. This means that there is a large group of potential clients that are easily reached through the use of the social media. There has also been an increase in the amount of online activity by the potential shoppers which has made it necessary for marketers to venture online to reach more customers. This has therefore made it easier for the marketers to reach the potential clients. The increase in the number of social networking sites that are available have also meant that more consumers can be found in the social networking sites. It has indeed been stated that the social networking sites are responsible for the revolution that has been see in the consumer behavior. The social networking sites provide the consumers and the marketers a means to interact without being limited by geographical or time boundaries. It also provides the marketer a means to interact with the consumer without being limited by their budget (Kabani & Brogan 2010, p. 8). The social media has also improved the relationship between the clients or consumers and the different companies in that is more usable than the traditional means of interaction between the consumers and the clients. The technology that is used in the social media simplifies the process of interaction and is generally more user friendly. This mean that people can use, simplify and even reinvent communications and the messages that are being communicated. The accessibility of the social media or social networking sites also improve the relationship between the consumers and the product. most of the social networking sites such as facebook and twitter are accessible via many means including through the use of internet enabled mobile phones. This means that they are widely accessible thus interaction will be more efficient. For marketer to effectively use social media, they have to be well knowledgeable on how the social media works. This is because the use of social media as a marketing platform is relatively new and it therefore proves to be a challenge for the marketers. The importance of being knowledgeable on social media is also important as markets have been turned into conversation. This means that the consumers want to take part in the conversation about the various products. This forms part of the consumer behavior that influences marketers in their use of social media as a marketing tool. The successful use of social media in marketing lies in the fact that social media provides an avenue for marketers to interact with the consumers and get feedback on the products and services that they offer. This means that the use of social media helps the marketers to personalize the brand they are offering. It also provides an avenue for the marketers to promote their products in a way that is relaxed and friendly. The consumers also view social media as a more convenient way to get information about the various products and services that are of interest to them. The consumers are more receptive to any form of advertising or marketing that is directed at them in the social networking sites if the content is interactive and entertaining. For those who have succeeded in social media marketing, they have had to place their products on the social media in a creative way to ensure that it is not seen as an interruption by the users of social media. This is because if the social media users perceive attempts at marketing as an interruption to their interaction, they are likely to be turned off from using the product or providing any form of feedback about the product to the marketers. This is one of the additional benefits that have been brought about by the use of ne w media to reach consumers (Safco 2010 pp 22). It should however be noted that it is not all the companies that venture into the use of social media as a marketing tool achieve success. Some of the marketers fail at their attempt and only end up alienating the consumers from their products. The main reason that this happens is that some of the marketers do not maintain their momentum in pushing their products on the social scene. They therefore do not provide updated information on their products and services. For this reason, the consumers do not connect with the product. It is therefore necessary that the information that is being provided on the media about a given product remains relevant and updated. The use of new media has also been blamed for the decrease in the level of customer loyalty for a given brand. This has been brought about by the increase in the level and amount of information that is available to the customer. There are more and more brands that are venturing into the new media to attract and retain the customers. As a customer gets more access to information, they are more likely to abandon the brands that they were previously using for the brands that have provided them with more interaction and more information. This has led to some established brands losing some of their market as the market shifts into consumption of alternative products. The increase in available information also means that the consumers have more choices when it comes to the different products and as such, it is hard for marketers to achieve brand and customer loyalty (Stern 2010 pp 9). In relation to consumer behavior, there are several measures that a given company or organization can put in place to ensure that they achieve the maximum benefits from their involvement in new media. These measures are centered towards achieving an understanding of the consumer behavior so that they can leap maximum benefits from the interaction with the consumers. One such measure would be to ensure that they provide adequate room for the consumer to express his views regarding the particular product. This is because the need to express themselves is one of the major consumer needs that should be addresses by interacting through the social media or the social networking sites. The marketers should therefore provide the consumers with a platform through which they can express their opinions and thoughts regarding the various brands. They can then link the feedback messages that they will get from the consumers with the brand’s messages (Evans & Bratton 2008 pp44). The marketers or the companies should also seek to ensure that they pay critical attention to the search engine optimization on the different blog specific search engines that are available. The information that is provided on the social media should also be stimulating so that it creates discussion regarding the brands. This creates forums in which the different consumers can participate. The marketers should ensure that they respond quickly and efficiently to both negative and positive comments about the brand. This goes to ensure that the consumer is satisfied with the interaction that is provided. It is also important for the marketers to realize that the social networks or social media is very dynamic in nature. This means that to be successful in their use, they must constantly change to adapt to the changing trends in the consumer behavior. It has for example been noted that consumers are changing their preference to the shorter and briefer yet more instant micro interactions that are provided by social networks such as twitter. The constant lookout and adaptation to the trends is one of the key factors in determining what the result of the interaction between the brand and consumer would be. Reports by Wall Street Journal suggest that social networks such as twitter are considered by many to be a source of information on various brands (Meyerson 2010 pp 4). The different companies can use the customer profiles and buying patterns to influence the customer into buying a given product. This is because the understanding of the consumer behavior even on the social media sites is key in developing strategies that will target the consumer and influence him to buy a given brand. A marketer with a clear understanding of the consumer behavior which can be attained by following the online discussions will therefore be better prepared to satisfy the needs of the customer. One can therefore say that social media has continued to experience widespread growth and has a big impact on consumer behavior. The social media continues to increase in popularity and many people across the age groups are present in at least one social media network. The many consumers depend on the social media as a source of information on the different brands. The consumers also depend on the social media in their decision making process about the different brands and on what they should purchase. The different companies and marketers should therefore embrace the new media and use it appropriately to influence the consumer’s behavior (Brogan 2010 pp 6). The new media can also be used as a way to gauge consumer’s behavior and consumer’s attitudes regarding different products and brands and find a way to improve the brands or adjust the brands to suit the consumer’s gauging from their behavior. This means that the companies that use social media and other forms of new media successfully are able to engage in customer relationship management (CRM) through the different networking avenues. They are also able to develop long term relations with the consumers which helps them retain their client base as well as attract new customers. In targeting the consumer, it is also important to understand which form of social network the consumer is likely to use. This will help in the development of the appropriate content. It is important to note that the social media influences all the stages that constitute consumer behavior. These stages include the need or the recognition of the existing problem, the search for information (the level at which the social media plays the most important role of providing information), the evaluation of the available options, the purchase and the post purchase evaluation. It is therefore important for companies to fully recognize and utilize the new media in influencing consumer behavior. References Brogan, C 2010, Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to Develop Your Business Online, New York, John Wiley and Sons. Evans, D and Bratton, S 2008, Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, New York, John Wiley & Sons. Kabana, S and Brogan, C 2010, The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue, New York, BenBalla Books. Meyerson, M 2010, Success Secrets of Social Media Marketing Superstars. Entrepreneur Press. Safco, L 2010, The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success, New York, John Wiley and Sons. Sterne, J 2010, Social Media Metrics: How to Measure and Optimize Your Marketing Investment, New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons. Tutten, T 2008, Advertising 2.0: social media marketing in a Web 2.0 world, Westport, Greenwood Publishing Group. Zarrella, Z 2009, The Social Media Marketing Book, O'Reilly Media, Inc. Read More