How Wal-Mart Uses Social Media to Persuade Customers - Term Paper Example

Internet Marketing Introduction In contemporary business within the globalized world, effective marketing is inevitable. Most successful companies employ proper use of internet marketing to explore and maintain market share within the globalized world. For instance, large companies use Internet marketing in advertising their products and services to the entire world market. Internet marketing is a fundamental form of promoting and selling products to consumers. Firms using internet as a marketing tool can collect information from consumers that help in improving their product and services. Moreover, the cost of production is lowered and managing competition becomes easy. The paper explores how Walmart as a brand uses social media, newsletters, and online selling propositions in persuading their customers (Viglia 2). It is necessary to understand that increase in internet marketing have resulted in many social media advertisements that lead to increased number of customers and sales for global companies. How Wal-Mart Uses Social Media to Persuade Customers It is crucial for a brand to possess a unique social media strategy in persuading consumers. Using the main networks, the brands can focus on the interests of the customers and make decisions on improving quality of products and services. Wal-Mart brand use Facebook as a social media platform for marketing. Consequently, the company has developed various timeline and web pages for customers to join. Facebook pages allow the company to interact directly with customers hence attracting many customers. Moreover, Facebook pages allow Walmart to launch new products to customers and provide guidelines on how to use the products. Furthermore, Walmart provides pictures of the products which help in winning customers’ loyalty and building brand image. Positive comments and many likes in the updates posted by Walmart further advertise the products to many other web users. In addition, Walmart uses many twitter handles to post products, discussing emerging issues on the products and answering customers’ requests. Tweeter enables Walmart to engage closely with its customers and continually persuade them to use the products. Networking enables Walmart to identify interest of various followers and develop a long-term relationship. Wal-Mart’s followers retweet the tweets to other interested people, which further help in attracting more customers. Furthermore, Walmart establish an expertise in various fields they sell that build reliability and attract more customers. Google is world’s hugest advertising social media platform used by Walmart. Google enables Walmart to target their advertisement on anyone around the world as Walmart Google ads seen within the whole continent. Many Google searches within a second ensure more people familiarize with the product. You tube has been a great channel of advertising Walmart’s products that is viewed with many people worldwide. It enables viewers to share videos that further attract more customers. Moreover, Walmart are able obtain feedback from consumers marketing messages and engage with consumers effectively. In addition, Wal-Mart uses Pinterest to increase visibility and appeal of the products. Pinterest enables Walmart to reach additional consumers and improve personal relationship through instant messages that they respond. How Walmart uses newsletters for marketing. Walmart uses newspapers frequently in giving information and updating subscribers from different parts of the world. Newsletters are sent in form of e-mail to all those who express interest in the products. Detailed responses from the recipient find use in improving the techniques of managing the company and improving on the quality of goods. Each newsletter has a unique marketing goal. Therefore, marketers of Wal-Mart ensure proper key performance indicators to help in managing the newsletters.the use of e-newsletters is a cheap way of internet marketing and help reduce production cost of Walmart. Walmart E-Newsletters has subject line on top of the email, the content that includes videos, pictures, links and texts put in the mail body and the time and date of sending the email (Silverstein 111). Furthermore, the emails link the customers to social media enabling them to access more information on the products. Offers as a type Walmart newsletter attract subscribers with the content and convinces them in purchasing the products. Brand promotions familiarize the subscribers with Walmart and the company, which maintains and increase the brand image and status. Information newsletters provide subscribers with relevant knowledge about Walmart with the objective of persuading more customers. Modern trends in internet technology has resulted in increased e-newspapers marketing and customized e-mails. Walmart brand use HTML-based emails that further increase the rate of sending emails. Viral marketing technology spreads e-newspapers very fast to different web users facilitating access to many web users. E-newspapers effectively develop relationship between Walmart and the customers as it provides information on their opinions. Print newspapers provide a credible way of providing information on various products Walmart deals. Wal-Mart bland remained printed in front of newsletters and keeping it on readers mind and shared among different people. Furthermore, information printed has an intrinsic value that wins readers loyalty. Printed newspapers remains not blocked by faulty connections and have consistent delivery. Walmart use both print and e- newsletters to target and attract large audience, which further increased the sales. Wal-Mart’s Online Selling Proposition It is imperious for businesses to select effective selling methods that differentiate them from competitors. The companies are often involved in frequent market research to ensure a credible selling proposition (Terence and Andrews 280). Walmart incorporates the needs of the customers in developments of the products, which has successfully attracted consumers in purchasing the goods. Low prices on goods are major Walmart online selling proposition. Reduction in production costs due to network marketing translates into lower and affordable prices on goods. Customers are in a position to purchase more goods leading to increased sales volume and more profits. Moreover, Walmart produces high-quality goods that attract more customers. The goods satisfy the consumers’ expectations and maintain constant purchase. Retailing success of Walmart as a brand is based on the focus on the customer services. Improved and efficient customer relations such as responding to their needs on time increases sales. Walmart employs skilled human resource personnel to deliver efficient services. Quick and faster delivery is a powerful tool of Walmart marketing. Goods are delivered directly to customers houses in packages. Walmart has stores in different parts of the country to counter competition from other brands. Walmart ensures all obstacles to ordering and receiving products and services are removed improving convenience of customers in accessing goods and services. Wal-Mart offers its customers guarantees for every good and services provided. Products bought with low satisfaction can be returned to the company within ninety days. Returning online purchases is acceptable. Walmart offers credit facilities to customers, which further increase sales. Furthermore, Walmart provides easy payment platforms such credit card facilities, which are easy to apply. Credit card prevents delays in payment for any reason. Conclusion Internet marketing has resulted in huge sales in various brands that have different web pages, which are accessed with different people in the continent. Specialized areas such e-newsletter and social media platforms majorly used for marketing. Walmart as a brand has effectively designed its web pages to attract more customers. Internet advertisements reduce the cost of production of various companies, as it is cost effective. Moreover, internet marketing enables Walmart to analyze competitors’ strategies and improve on the quality of goods and services that they provide. Data captured from online customer transaction is useful to the brand in getting the popular used product by the consumers and further improving the goods and services. Work Cited Silverstein, Barry. Internet Marketing for Information Technology Companies: Proven Online Techniques to Increase Sales and Profits for Hardware, Software and Networking Companies. Gulf Breeze, FL: Maximum Press, 2001. Print. Terence, Shimp, J and Andrews, Craig. Advertising Promotion and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications. London: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print Viglia, Giampaolo. Behavioral Pricing, Online Marketing Behavior, and Analytics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Pivot, 2014. Print. Read More