How Can Companies Target Potential Audiences in Social Media

by

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Aim of the Research2

Research Questions2

Ethical Considerations3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW4

Social media4

Social media marketing5

Social network sites6

Facebook7

YouTube9

Twitter11

The importance of relationship management in PR and marketing13

Public relations as relationship management13

Relationship management in marketing14

The role of E-Mentoring for acquiring competencies on the labour market15

The impact of computer-based communication on PR and marketing16

Interactivity18

Web 2.0 & social media in the CRe BUS project context19

Conceptual Framework21

Research Gap22

REFERENCES24

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The concept of relationships is increasingly important for companies and spans both public relations and marketing. The first focuses on managing relationships between organizations and stakeholder, while the latter aims at developing bonds that are based on trust and collaboration and foster an exchange of goods. From a relationship management perspective, the transition to digital technology has far-reaching implications for both public relations and marketing. For example, new media allow for cost-effective segmentation of audiences, message tailoring, and message distribution. In particular, the Internet provides public relations and marketing professionals with a wide array of tools to establish two-way, dialogic communication with stakeholder and analyze their attitudes towards products or services (Solomon, 2008, Pp 97).

To this end, interactivity becomes a key function; implementing stakeholder' feedback in communication strategies helps organizations achieve mutually beneficial relationships with publics. Relationship quality, in turn, gives organizations a competitive advantage in the marketplace, resulting, for example, in higher customer loyalty - a key financial variable, given that keeping returning customers costs much less than acquiring new ones. Social media (e.g., blogs, social networking sites, etc.) are highly interactive tools, but also raise challenges for both public relations and marketing, sometimes making companies reluctant to adopt them(Wellman 2005pp 53).

First, compared to traditional mass media, they allow for less control over communication, giving receivers the opportunity to respond to the message and share their unabashed opinions about companies or products with a wide audience. Moreover, social media empower customers, who now have an increased opportunity to retrieve and share information that may influence purchasing decisions. Nonetheless, public relations and marketing professionals have started to accept and incorporate social media as part of wider communication strategies. For example, in a survey conducted by Wright and Hinson (2009), three-quarters of the respondents agreed that social media are more personal than traditional mass media, foster dialogue with key publics, and help gather useful feedback.

However, little research has been done to track the efficiency of these tools, as most businesses overlook the importance of evaluating communications with publics. For example, only one organization out of three evaluates social media use, and most research is directed only at content production. This also holds true for the sports industry. While the Web has become one of the main media channels to communicate with sports fans, no research was found that examines sports promotion through the use of social media (Young, 2009, Pp 120).

Aim of the Research

The aim to research is to find the different ways through which companies target potential audiences in ...