social media marketing essay

Presentations made painless

• Get Premium

120 Social Media Marketing Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Social media marketing has become an essential tool for businesses looking to reach their target audience and drive engagement. With the rise of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, companies have the opportunity to connect with customers in a more personal and interactive way than ever before.

If you're looking for inspiration for your next social media marketing essay, we've compiled a list of 120 topic ideas and examples to get you started. Whether you're interested in exploring the impact of social media on consumer behavior, analyzing successful social media campaigns, or discussing the future of social media marketing, there's sure to be a topic that piques your interest.

• The evolution of social media marketing: from MySpace to TikTok
• The role of influencers in social media marketing
• How social media platforms are changing the way businesses communicate with customers
• The impact of social media on consumer purchasing decisions
• The importance of visual content in social media marketing
• The rise of live streaming as a marketing tool
• Social media advertising: best practices and strategies
• The benefits of user-generated content in social media marketing
• How to measure the ROI of social media marketing campaigns
• The ethical implications of targeted advertising on social media
• The power of storytelling in social media marketing
• The role of emotion in social media marketing
• The impact of social media on brand loyalty
• The future of social media marketing: trends to watch
• The challenges of social media marketing in a crowded digital landscape
• Social media influencers vs. traditional celebrities: who holds more sway?
• The role of customer feedback in shaping social media marketing strategies
• The impact of social media algorithms on marketing tactics
• The rise of micro-influencers in social media marketing
• The role of authenticity in successful social media marketing campaigns
• The impact of social media on small businesses
• How to leverage social media for B2B marketing
• The role of social media in crisis communication
• The benefits of social media listening for market research
• The impact of social media on customer service
• The role of social media in building brand communities
• The challenges of maintaining brand consistency across multiple social media platforms
• The impact of video content on social media engagement
• The benefits of using social media for customer retention
• The impact of social media on SEO
• The role of social media in driving website traffic
• The benefits of social media contests and giveaways
• The impact of social media on event marketing
• The challenges of measuring the success of social media marketing campaigns
• The role of social media in influencer marketing
• The benefits of using social media for employee advocacy
• The impact of social media on employee recruitment
• The role of social media in crisis management
• The benefits of using social media for thought leadership
• The impact of social media on customer loyalty programs
• The role of social media in product launches
• The benefits of using social media for customer feedback
• The impact of social media on brand reputation
• The challenges of managing social media in regulated industries
• The role of social media in driving sales
• The benefits of using social media for customer education
• The impact of social media on customer retention
• The role of social media in building brand awareness
• The benefits of using social media for customer service
• The impact of social media on brand identity
• The challenges of building a social media following
• The role of social media in building trust with customers
• The benefits of using social media for market research
• The impact of social media on customer engagement
• The role of social media in building relationships with influencers
• The benefits of using social media for content marketing
• The impact of social media on customer loyalty
• The challenges of managing social media in a crisis
• The role of social media in building brand advocates
• The benefits of using social media for employee engagement
• The impact of social media on brand positioning
• The role of social media in building brand equity
• The benefits of using social media for lead generation
• The impact of social media on customer satisfaction
• The role of social media in building customer trust
• The impact of social media on customer acquisition
• The role of social media in building customer relationships
• The benefits of using social media for brand awareness
• The impact of social media on customer lifetime value
• The challenges of measuring the ROI of social media marketing
• The role of social media in building brand loyalty
• The benefits of using social media for customer engagement
• The impact of social media on customer advocacy
• The role of social media in building brand authority
• The benefits of using social media for influencer marketing
• The impact of social media on customer experience
• The role of social media in building brand reputation
• The impact of social media on customer trust
• The role of social media in building customer loyalty
• The impact of social media on employee engagement

With these 120 social media marketing essay topic ideas and examples, you're sure to find a topic that interests you and sparks your creativity. Whether you're writing a research paper, a case study, or a critical analysis, there's no shortage of fascinating and relevant topics to explore in the world of social media marketing. So grab your laptop, start researching, and get ready to craft a compelling and informative essay that will impress your readers and earn you top marks.

Want to create a presentation now?

Instantly Create A Deck

Let PitchGrade do this for me

Hassle Free

We will create your text and designs for you. Sit back and relax while we do the work.

Explore More Content

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2023 Pitchgrade

Feb 15, 2023

6 Example Essays on Social Media | Advantages, Effects, and Outlines

Got an essay assignment about the effects of social media we got you covered check out our examples and outlines below.

Social media has become one of our society's most prominent ways of communication and information sharing in a very short time. It has changed how we communicate and has given us a platform to express our views and opinions and connect with others. It keeps us informed about the world around us. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn have brought individuals from all over the world together, breaking down geographical borders and fostering a genuinely global community.

However, social media comes with its difficulties. With the rise of misinformation, cyberbullying, and privacy problems, it's critical to utilize these platforms properly and be aware of the risks. Students in the academic world are frequently assigned essays about the impact of social media on numerous elements of our lives, such as relationships, politics, and culture. These essays necessitate a thorough comprehension of the subject matter, critical thinking, and the ability to synthesize and convey information clearly and succinctly.

But where do you begin? It can be challenging to know where to start with so much information available. Jenni.ai comes in handy here. Jenni.ai is an AI application built exclusively for students to help them write essays more quickly and easily. Jenni.ai provides students with inspiration and assistance on how to approach their essays with its enormous database of sample essays on a variety of themes, including social media. Jenni.ai is the solution you've been looking for if you're experiencing writer's block or need assistance getting started.

So, whether you're a student looking to better your essay writing skills or want to remain up to date on the latest social media advancements, Jenni.ai is here to help. Jenni.ai is the ideal tool for helping you write your finest essay ever, thanks to its simple design, an extensive database of example essays, and cutting-edge AI technology. So, why delay? Sign up for a free trial of Jenni.ai today and begin exploring the worlds of social networking and essay writing!

Want to learn how to write an argumentative essay? Check out these inspiring examples!

We will provide various examples of social media essays so you may get a feel for the genre.

6 Examples of Social Media Essays

Here are 6 examples of Social Media Essays:

The Impact of Social Media on Relationships and Communication

Introduction:.

The way we share information and build relationships has evolved as a direct result of the prevalence of social media in our daily lives. The influence of social media on interpersonal connections and conversation is a hot topic. Although social media has many positive effects, such as bringing people together regardless of physical proximity and making communication quicker and more accessible, it also has a dark side that can affect interpersonal connections and dialogue.

Positive Effects:

Connecting People Across Distances

One of social media's most significant benefits is its ability to connect individuals across long distances. People can use social media platforms to interact and stay in touch with friends and family far away. People can now maintain intimate relationships with those they care about, even when physically separated.

Improved Communication Speed and Efficiency

Additionally, the proliferation of social media sites has accelerated and simplified communication. Thanks to instant messaging, users can have short, timely conversations rather than lengthy ones via email. Furthermore, social media facilitates group communication, such as with classmates or employees, by providing a unified forum for such activities.

Negative Effects:

Decreased Face-to-Face Communication

The decline in in-person interaction is one of social media's most pernicious consequences on interpersonal connections and dialogue. People's reliance on digital communication over in-person contact has increased along with the popularity of social media. Face-to-face interaction has suffered as a result, which has adverse effects on interpersonal relationships and the development of social skills.

Decreased Emotional Intimacy

Another adverse effect of social media on relationships and communication is decreased emotional intimacy. Digital communication lacks the nonverbal cues and facial expressions critical in building emotional connections with others. This can make it more difficult for people to develop close and meaningful relationships, leading to increased loneliness and isolation.

Increased Conflict and Miscommunication

Finally, social media can also lead to increased conflict and miscommunication. The anonymity and distance provided by digital communication can lead to misunderstandings and hurtful comments that might not have been made face-to-face. Additionally, social media can provide a platform for cyberbullying , which can have severe consequences for the victim's mental health and well-being.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the impact of social media on relationships and communication is a complex issue with both positive and negative effects. While social media platforms offer many benefits, such as connecting people across distances and enabling faster and more accessible communication, they also have a dark side that can negatively affect relationships and communication. It is up to individuals to use social media responsibly and to prioritize in-person communication in their relationships and interactions with others.

The Role of Social Media in the Spread of Misinformation and Fake News

Social media has revolutionized the way information is shared and disseminated. However, the ease and speed at which data can be spread on social media also make it a powerful tool for spreading misinformation and fake news. Misinformation and fake news can seriously affect public opinion, influence political decisions, and even cause harm to individuals and communities.

The Pervasiveness of Misinformation and Fake News on Social Media

Misinformation and fake news are prevalent on social media platforms, where they can spread quickly and reach a large audience. This is partly due to the way social media algorithms work, which prioritizes content likely to generate engagement, such as sensational or controversial stories. As a result, false information can spread rapidly and be widely shared before it is fact-checked or debunked.

The Influence of Social Media on Public Opinion

Social media can significantly impact public opinion, as people are likelier to believe the information they see shared by their friends and followers. This can lead to a self-reinforcing cycle, where misinformation and fake news are spread and reinforced, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

The Challenge of Correcting Misinformation and Fake News

Correcting misinformation and fake news on social media can be a challenging task. This is partly due to the speed at which false information can spread and the difficulty of reaching the same audience exposed to the wrong information in the first place. Additionally, some individuals may be resistant to accepting correction, primarily if the incorrect information supports their beliefs or biases.

In conclusion, the function of social media in disseminating misinformation and fake news is complex and urgent. While social media has revolutionized the sharing of information, it has also made it simpler for false information to propagate and be widely believed. Individuals must be accountable for the information they share and consume, and social media firms must take measures to prevent the spread of disinformation and fake news on their platforms.

The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health and Well-Being

Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of people around the world using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay connected with others and access information. However, while social media has many benefits, it can also negatively affect mental health and well-being.

Comparison and Low Self-Esteem

One of the key ways that social media can affect mental health is by promoting feelings of comparison and low self-esteem. People often present a curated version of their lives on social media, highlighting their successes and hiding their struggles. This can lead others to compare themselves unfavorably, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

Cyberbullying and Online Harassment

Another way that social media can negatively impact mental health is through cyberbullying and online harassment. Social media provides a platform for anonymous individuals to harass and abuse others, leading to feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

Social Isolation

Despite its name, social media can also contribute to feelings of isolation. At the same time, people may have many online friends but need more meaningful in-person connections and support. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression.

Addiction and Overuse

Finally, social media can be addictive, leading to overuse and negatively impacting mental health and well-being. People may spend hours each day scrolling through their feeds, neglecting other important areas of their lives, such as work, family, and self-care.

In sum, social media has positive and negative consequences on one's psychological and emotional well-being. Realizing this, and taking measures like reducing one's social media use, reaching out to loved ones for help, and prioritizing one's well-being, are crucial. In addition, it's vital that social media giants take ownership of their platforms and actively encourage excellent mental health and well-being.

The Use of Social Media in Political Activism and Social Movements

Social media has recently become increasingly crucial in political action and social movements. Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have given people new ways to express themselves, organize protests, and raise awareness about social and political issues.

Raising Awareness and Mobilizing Action

One of the most important uses of social media in political activity and social movements has been to raise awareness about important issues and mobilize action. Hashtags such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, for example, have brought attention to sexual harassment and racial injustice, respectively. Similarly, social media has been used to organize protests and other political actions, allowing people to band together and express themselves on a bigger scale.

Connecting with like-minded individuals

A second method in that social media has been utilized in political activity and social movements is to unite like-minded individuals. Through social media, individuals can join online groups, share knowledge and resources, and work with others to accomplish shared objectives. This has been especially significant for geographically scattered individuals or those without access to traditional means of political organizing.

Challenges and Limitations

As a vehicle for political action and social movements, social media has faced many obstacles and restrictions despite its many advantages. For instance, the propagation of misinformation and fake news on social media can impede attempts to disseminate accurate and reliable information. In addition, social media corporations have been condemned for censorship and insufficient protection of user rights.

In conclusion, social media has emerged as a potent instrument for political activism and social movements, giving voice to previously unheard communities and galvanizing support for change. Social media presents many opportunities for communication and collaboration. Still, users and institutions must be conscious of the risks and limitations of these tools to promote their responsible and productive usage.

The Potential Privacy Concerns Raised by Social Media Use and Data Collection Practices

With billions of users each day on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, social media has ingrained itself into every aspect of our lives. While these platforms offer a straightforward method to communicate with others and exchange information, they also raise significant concerns over data collecting and privacy. This article will examine the possible privacy issues posed by social media use and data-gathering techniques.

Data Collection and Sharing

The gathering and sharing of personal data are significant privacy issues brought up by social media use. Social networking sites gather user data, including details about their relationships, hobbies, and routines. This information is made available to third-party businesses for various uses, such as marketing and advertising. This can lead to serious concerns about who has access to and uses our personal information.

Lack of Control Over Personal Information

The absence of user control over personal information is a significant privacy issue brought up by social media usage. Social media makes it challenging to limit who has access to and how data is utilized once it has been posted. Sensitive information may end up being extensively disseminated and may be used maliciously as a result.

Personalized Marketing

Social media companies utilize the information they gather about users to target them with adverts relevant to their interests and usage patterns. Although this could be useful, it might also cause consumers to worry about their privacy since they might feel that their personal information is being used without their permission. Furthermore, there are issues with the integrity of the data being used to target users and the possibility of prejudice based on individual traits.

Government Surveillance

Using social media might spark worries about government surveillance. There are significant concerns regarding privacy and free expression when governments in some nations utilize social media platforms to follow and monitor residents.

In conclusion, social media use raises significant concerns regarding data collecting and privacy. While these platforms make it easy to interact with people and exchange information, they also gather a lot of personal information, which raises questions about who may access it and how it will be used. Users should be aware of these privacy issues and take precautions to safeguard their personal information, such as exercising caution when choosing what details to disclose on social media and keeping their information sharing with other firms to a minimum.

The Ethical and Privacy Concerns Surrounding Social Media Use And Data Collection

Our use of social media to communicate with loved ones, acquire information, and even conduct business has become a crucial part of our everyday lives. The extensive use of social media does, however, raise some ethical and privacy issues that must be resolved. The influence of social media use and data collecting on user rights, the accountability of social media businesses, and the need for improved regulation are all topics that will be covered in this article.

Effect on Individual Privacy:

Social networking sites gather tons of personal data from their users, including delicate information like search history, location data, and even health data. Each user's detailed profile may be created with this data and sold to advertising or used for other reasons. Concerns regarding the privacy of personal information might arise because social media businesses can use this data to target users with customized adverts.

Additionally, individuals might need to know how much their personal information is being gathered and exploited. Data breaches or the unauthorized sharing of personal information with other parties may result in instances where sensitive information is exposed. Users should be aware of the privacy rules of social media firms and take precautions to secure their data.

Responsibility of Social Media Companies:

Social media firms should ensure that they responsibly and ethically gather and use user information. This entails establishing strong security measures to safeguard sensitive information and ensuring users are informed of what information is being collected and how it is used.

Many social media businesses, nevertheless, have come under fire for not upholding these obligations. For instance, the Cambridge Analytica incident highlighted how Facebook users' personal information was exploited for political objectives without their knowledge. This demonstrates the necessity of social media corporations being held responsible for their deeds and ensuring that they are safeguarding the security and privacy of their users.

Better Regulation Is Needed

There is a need for tighter regulation in this field, given the effect, social media has on individual privacy as well as the obligations of social media firms. The creation of laws and regulations that ensure social media companies are gathering and using user information ethically and responsibly, as well as making sure users are aware of their rights and have the ability to control the information that is being collected about them, are all part of this.

Additionally, legislation should ensure that social media businesses are held responsible for their behavior, for example, by levying fines for data breaches or the unauthorized use of personal data. This will provide social media businesses with a significant incentive to prioritize their users' privacy and security and ensure they are upholding their obligations.

In conclusion, social media has fundamentally changed how we engage and communicate with one another, but this increased convenience also raises several ethical and privacy issues. Essential concerns that need to be addressed include the effect of social media on individual privacy, the accountability of social media businesses, and the requirement for greater regulation to safeguard user rights. We can make everyone's online experience safer and more secure by looking more closely at these issues.

In conclusion, social media is a complex and multifaceted topic that has recently captured the world's attention. With its ever-growing influence on our lives, it's no surprise that it has become a popular subject for students to explore in their writing. Whether you are writing an argumentative essay on the impact of social media on privacy, a persuasive essay on the role of social media in politics, or a descriptive essay on the changes social media has brought to the way we communicate, there are countless angles to approach this subject.

However, writing a comprehensive and well-researched essay on social media can be daunting. It requires a thorough understanding of the topic and the ability to articulate your ideas clearly and concisely. This is where Jenni.ai comes in. Our AI-powered tool is designed to help students like you save time and energy and focus on what truly matters - your education. With Jenni.ai , you'll have access to a wealth of examples and receive personalized writing suggestions and feedback.

Whether you're a student who's just starting your writing journey or looking to perfect your craft, Jenni.ai has everything you need to succeed. Our tool provides you with the necessary resources to write with confidence and clarity, no matter your experience level. You'll be able to experiment with different styles, explore new ideas , and refine your writing skills.

So why waste your time and energy struggling to write an essay on your own when you can have Jenni.ai by your side? Sign up for our free trial today and experience the difference for yourself! With Jenni.ai, you'll have the resources you need to write confidently, clearly, and creatively. Get started today and see just how easy and efficient writing can be!

Try Jenni for free today

Create your first piece of content with Jenni today and never look back

Likes, Shares, and Beyond: Exploring the Impact of Social Media in Essays

Table of contents

• 1 Definition and Explanation of a Social Media Essay
• 2.1 Topics for an Essay on Social Media and Mental Health
• 2.2 Social Dynamics
• 2.3 Social Media Essay Topics about Business
• 2.4 Politics
• 3 Research and Analysis
• 4 Structure Social Media Essay
• 5 Tips for Writing Essays on Social Media
• 6 Examples of Social Media Essays
• 7 Navigating the Social Media Labyrinth: Key Insights

In the world of digital discourse, our article stands as a beacon for those embarking on the intellectual journey of writing about social media. It is a comprehensive guide for anyone venturing into the dynamic world of social media essays. Offering various topics about social media and practical advice on selecting engaging subjects, the piece delves into research methodologies, emphasizing the importance of credible sources and trend analysis. Furthermore, it provides invaluable tips on structuring essays, including crafting compelling thesis statements and hooks balancing factual information with personal insights. Concluding with examples of exemplary essays, this article is an essential tool for students and researchers alike, aiding in navigating the intricate landscape of its impact on society.

Definition and Explanation of a Social Media Essay

Essentially, when one asks “What is a social media essay?” they are referring to an essay that analyzes, critiques, or discusses its various dimensions and effects. These essays can range from the psychological implications of its use to its influence on politics, business strategies, and social dynamics.

A social media essay is an academic or informational piece that explores various aspects of social networking platforms and their impact on individuals and society.

In crafting such an essay, writers blend personal experiences, analytical perspectives, and empirical data to paint a full picture of social media’s role. For instance, a social media essay example could examine how these platforms mold public opinion, revolutionize digital marketing strategies, or raise questions about data privacy ethics. Through a mix of thorough research, critical analysis, and personal reflections, these essays provide a layered understanding of one of today’s most pivotal digital phenomena.

Great Social Media Essay Topics

When it comes to selecting a topic for your essay, consider its current relevance, societal impact, and personal interest. Whether exploring the effects on business, politics, mental health, or social dynamics, these social media essay titles offer a range of fascinating social media topic ideas. Each title encourages an exploration of the intricate relationship between social media and our daily lives. A well-chosen topic should enable you to investigate the impact of social media, debate ethical dilemmas, and offer unique insights. Striking the right balance in scope, these topics should align with the objectives of your essays, ensuring an informative and captivating read.

Topics for an Essay on Social Media and Mental Health

• The Impact of Social Media on Self-Esteem.
• Unpacking Social Media Addiction: Causes, Effects, and Solutions.
• Analyzing Social Media’s Role as a Catalyst for Teen Depression and Anxiety.
• Social Media and Mental Health Awareness: A Force for Good?
• The Psychological Impacts of Cyberbullying in the Social Media Age.
• The Effects of Social Media on Sleep and Mental Health.
• Strategies for Positive Mental Health in the Era of Social Media.
• Real-Life vs. Social Media Interactions: An Essay on Mental Health Aspects.
• The Mental Well-Being Benefits of a Social Media Detox.
• Social Comparison Psychology in the Realm of Social Media.

Social Dynamics

• Social Media and its Impact on Interpersonal Communication Skills: A Cause and Effect Essay on Social Media.
• Cultural Integration through Social Media: A New Frontier.
• Interpersonal Communication in the Social Media Era: Evolving Skills and Challenges.
• Community Building and Social Activism: The Role of Social Media.
• Youth Culture and Behavior: The Influence of Social Media.
• Privacy and Personal Boundaries: Navigating Social Media Challenges.
• Language Evolution in Social Media: A Dynamic Shift.
• Leveraging Social Media for Social Change and Awareness.
• Family Dynamics in the Social Media Landscape.
• Friendship in the Age of Social Media: An Evolving Concept.

Social Media Essay Topics about Business

• Influencer Marketing on Social Media: Impact and Ethics.
• Brand Building and Customer Engagement: The Power of Social Media.
• The Ethics and Impact of Influencer Marketing in Social Media.
• Measuring Business Success Through Social Media Analytics.
• The Changing Face of Advertising in the Social Media World.
• Revolutionizing Customer Service in the Social Media Era.
• Market Research and Consumer Insights: The Social Media Advantage.
• Small Businesses and Startups: The Impact of Social Media.
• Ethical Dimensions of Social Media Advertising.
• Consumer Behavior and Social Media: An Intricate Relationship.
• The Role of Social Media in Government Transparency and Accountability
• Social Media’s Impact on Political Discourse and Public Opinion.
• Combating Fake News on Social Media: Implications for Democracy.
• Political Mobilization and Activism: The Power of Social Media.
• Social Media: A New Arena for Political Debates and Discussions.
• Government Transparency and Accountability in the Social Media Age.
• Voter Behavior and Election Outcomes: The Social Media Effect.
• Political Polarization: A Social Media Perspective.
• Tackling Political Misinformation on Social Media Platforms.
• The Ethics of Political Advertising in the Social Media Landscape.
• Memes as a Marketing Tool: Successes, Failures, and Pros of Social Media.
• Shaping Public Opinion with Memes: A Social Media Phenomenon.
• Political Satire and Social Commentary through Memes.
• The Psychology Behind Memes: Understanding Their Viral Nature.
• The Influence of Memes on Language and Communication.
• Tracing the History and Evolution of Internet Memes.
• Memes in Online Communities: Culture and Subculture Formation.
• Navigating Copyright and Legal Issues in the World of Memes.
• Memes as a Marketing Strategy: Analyzing Successes and Failures.
• Memes and Global Cultural Exchange: A Social Media Perspective.

Research and Analysis

In today’s fast-paced information era, the ability to sift through vast amounts of data and pinpoint reliable information is more crucial than ever. Research and analysis in the digital age hinge on identifying credible sources and understanding the dynamic landscape. Initiating your research with reputable websites is key. Academic journals, government publications, and established news outlets are gold standards for reliable information. Online databases and libraries provide a wealth of peer-reviewed articles and books. For websites, prioritize those with domains like .edu, .gov, or .org, but always critically assess the content for bias and accuracy. Turning to social media, it’s a trove of real-time data and trends but requires a discerning approach. Focus on verified accounts and official pages of recognized entities.

Analyzing current trends and user behavior is crucial for staying relevant. Platforms like Google Trends, Twitter Analytics, and Facebook Insights offer insights into what’s resonating with audiences. These tools help identify trending topics, hashtags, and the type of content that engages users. Remember, it reflects and influences public opinion and behavior. Observing user interactions, comments, and shares can provide a deeper understanding of consumer attitudes and preferences. This analysis is invaluable for tailoring content, developing marketing strategies, and staying ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Structure Social Media Essay

In constructing a well-rounded structure for a social media essay, it’s crucial to begin with a strong thesis statement. This sets the foundation for essays about social media and guides the narrative.

Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is the backbone of your essay, outlining the main argument or position you will explore throughout the text. It guides the narrative, providing a clear direction for your essay and helping readers understand the focus of your analysis or argumentation. Here are some thesis statements:

• “Social media has reshaped communication, fostering a connected world through instant information sharing, yet it has come at the cost of privacy and genuine social interaction.”
• “While social media platforms act as potent instruments for societal and political transformation, they present significant challenges to mental health and the authenticity of information.”
• “The role of social media in contemporary business transcends mere marketing; it impacts customer relationships, shapes brand perception, and influences operational strategies.”

Social Media Essay Hooks

Social media essay hooks are pivotal in grabbing the reader’s attention right from the beginning and compelling them to continue reading. A well-crafted hook acts as the engaging entry point to your essay, setting the tone and framing the context for the discussion that will follow.

Here are some effective social media essay hooks:

• “In a world where a day without social media is unimaginable, its pervasive presence is both a testament to its utility and a source of various societal issues.”
• “Each scroll, like, and share on social media platforms carries the weight of influencing public opinion and shaping global conversations.”
• “Social media has become so ingrained in our daily lives that its absence would render the modern world unrecognizable.”

Introduction:

Navigating the digital landscape, an introduction for a social media essay serves as a map, charting the terrain of these platforms’ broad influence across various life aspects. This section should briefly summarize the scope of the essay, outlining both the benefits and the drawbacks, and segue into the thesis statement.

When we move to the body part of the essay, it offers an opportunity for an in-depth exploration and discussion. It can be structured first to examine the positive aspects of social media, including improved communication channels, innovative marketing strategies, and the facilitation of social movements. Following this, the essay should address the negative implications, such as issues surrounding privacy, the impact on mental health, and the proliferation of misinformation. Incorporating real-world examples, statistical evidence, and expert opinions throughout the essay will provide substantial support for the arguments presented.

Conclusion:

It is the summit of the essay’s exploration, offering a moment to look back on the terrain covered. The conclusion should restate the thesis in light of the discussions presented in the body. It should summarize the key points made, reflecting on the multifaceted influence of social media in contemporary society. The essay should end with a thought-provoking statement or question about the future role of social media, tying back to the initial hooks and ensuring a comprehensive and engaging end to the discourse.

Tips for Writing Essays on Social Media

In the ever-evolving realm of digital dialogue, mastering the art of essay writing on social media is akin to navigating a complex web of virtual interactions and influences. Writing an essay on social media requires a blend of analytical insight, factual accuracy, and a nuanced understanding of the digital landscape. Here are some tips to craft a compelling essay:

• Incorporate Statistical Data and Case Studies

Integrate statistical data and relevant case studies to lend credibility to your arguments. For instance, usage statistics, growth trends, and demographic information can provide a solid foundation for your points. Case studies, especially those highlighting its impact on businesses, politics, or societal change, offer concrete examples that illustrate your arguments. Ensure your sources are current and reputable to maintain the essay’s integrity.

• Balance Personal Insights with Factual Information

While personal insights can add a unique perspective to your essay, balancing them with factual information is crucial. Personal observations and experiences can make your essay relatable and engaging, but grounding these insights in factual data ensures credibility and helps avoid bias.

• Respect Privacy

When discussing real-world examples or case studies, especially those involving individuals or specific organizations, be mindful of privacy concerns. Avoid sharing sensitive information, and always respect the confidentiality of your sources.

• Maintain an Objective Tone

It is a polarizing topic, but maintaining an objective tone in your essay is essential. Avoid emotional language and ensure that your arguments are supported by evidence. An objective approach allows readers to form opinions based on the information presented.

• Use Jargon Wisely

While using social media-specific terminology can make your essay relevant and informed, it’s important to use jargon judiciously. Avoid overuse and ensure that terms are clearly defined for readers who might not be familiar with their lingo.

Examples of Social Media Essays

Title: The Dichotomy of Social Media: A Tool for Connection and a Platform for Division

Introduction

In the digital era, social media has emerged as a paradoxical entity. It serves as a bridge connecting distant corners of the world and a battleground for conflicting ideologies. This essay explores this dichotomy, utilizing statistical data, case studies, and real-world examples to understand its multifaceted impact on society.

Section 1 – Connection Through Social Media:

Social media’s primary allure lies in its ability to connect. A report by the Pew Research Center shows that 72% of American adults use some form of social media, where interactions transcend geographical and cultural barriers. This statistic highlights the platform’s popularity and role in fostering global connections. An exemplary case study of this is the #MeToo movement. Originating as a hashtag on Twitter, it grew into a global campaign against sexual harassment, demonstrating its power to mobilize and unify people for a cause.

However, personal insights suggest that while it bridges distances, it can also create a sense of isolation. Users often report feeling disconnected from their immediate surroundings, hinting at the platform’s double-edged nature. Despite enabling connections on a global scale, social media can paradoxically alienate individuals from their local context.

Section 2 – The Platform for Division

Conversely, social media can amplify societal divisions. Its algorithm-driven content can create echo chambers, reinforcing users’ preexisting beliefs. A study by the Knight Foundation found that it tends to polarize users, especially in political contexts, leading to increased division. This is further exacerbated by the spread of misinformation, as seen in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election case, where it was used to disseminate false information, influencing public opinion and deepening societal divides.

Respecting privacy and maintaining an objective tone, it is crucial to acknowledge that social media is not divisive. Its influence is determined by both its usage and content. Thus, it is the obligation of both platforms to govern content and consumers to access information.

In conclusion, it is a complex tool. It has the unparalleled ability to connect individuals worldwide while possessing the power to divide. Balancing the personal insights with factual information presented, it’s clear that its influence is a reflection of how society chooses to wield it. As digital citizens, it is imperative to use it judiciously, understanding its potential to unite and divide.

Delving into the intricacies of social media’s impact necessitates not just a keen eye for detail but an analytical mindset to dissect its multifaceted layers. Analysis is paramount because it allows us to navigate through the vast sea of information, distinguishing between mere opinion and well-supported argumentation.

This essay utilizes tips for writing a social media essay. Statistical data from the Pew Research Center and the Knight Foundation lend credibility to the arguments. The use of the #MeToo movement as a case study illustrates its positive impact, while the reference to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election demonstrates its negative aspects. The essay balances personal insights with factual information, respects privacy, maintains an objective tone, and appropriately uses jargon. The structure is clear and logical, with distinct sections for each aspect of its impact, making it an informative and well-rounded analysis of its role in modern society.

Navigating the Social Media Labyrinth: Key Insights

In the digital age, the impact of social media on various aspects of human life has become a critical area of study. This article has provided a comprehensive guide for crafting insightful and impactful essays on this subject, blending personal experiences with analytical rigor. Through a detailed examination of topics ranging from mental health and social dynamics to business and politics, it has underscored the dual nature of social media as both a unifying and divisive force. The inclusion of statistical data and case studies has enriched the discussion, offering a grounded perspective on the nuanced effects of these platforms.

The tips and structures outlined serve as a valuable framework for writers to navigate the complex interplay between social media and societal shifts. As we conclude, it’s clear that understanding social media’s role requires a delicate balance of critical analysis and open-mindedness. Reflecting on its influence, this article guides the creation of thoughtful essays and encourages readers to ponder the future of digital interactions and their implications for the fabric of society.

Readers also enjoyed

WHY WAIT? PLACE AN ORDER RIGHT NOW!

Just fill out the form, press the button, and have no worries!

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy.

Social Media Essay: A Full Guide

In an era where a single tweet can spark a global conversation and an Instagram post can redefine trends, it's fascinating to note that the average person spends approximately 2 hours and 31 minutes per day on social media platforms. That's more than 900 hours a year devoted to scrolling, liking, and sharing in the vast digital landscape. As we find ourselves deeply intertwined in the fabric of online communities, the significance of understanding and articulating the dynamics of social media through the written word, particularly in an essay on social media, becomes increasingly apparent. So, why embark on the journey of crafting an essay on this ubiquitous aspect of modern life? Join us as we unravel the layers of social media's impact, explore its nuances, and discover the art of conveying these insights through the written form.

Short Description

In this article, we'll explore how to write an essay on social media and the purpose behind these narratives while also delving into a myriad of engaging topics. From the heartbeat of online connections to the rhythm of effective storytelling, we'll guide you organically through the process, sharing insights on structure, approach, and the creative essence that makes each essay unique. And if you're seeking assistance, pondering - ' I wish I could find someone to write my essay ,' we'll also furnish example essays to empower you to tackle such tasks independently.

Why Write a Social Media Essay

In a world buzzing with hashtags, filters, and the constant hum of notifications, the idea of sitting down to craft an essay about social media might seem as out of place as a cassette tape in a streaming era. Yet, there's something oddly therapeutic, almost rebellious, about pausing in the midst of 280-character wisdom to delve deeper into the why behind our digital existence.

So, what is social media essay, and what's the purpose of writing it? Well, it's more than just an exercise in intellectual curiosity. It's a personal journey, a reflective pause in the ceaseless scroll. While writing the essay, we gain the power to articulate the intangible, to breathe life into the pixels that dance across our screens. It's an opportunity to make sense of the chaos, to find meaning in the memes, and perhaps, in the process, to uncover a bit more about ourselves in this digital wilderness.

Let's face it - our online lives are a fast-paced carousel of memes, viral challenges, and carefully curated selfies. So, why bother wrestling with words and paragraphs in a world where brevity is king? The answer lies in the art of unraveling the digital tapestry that envelops us.

There's a magic in articulating the dance between the profound and the mundane that occurs within the confines of our screens. An essay becomes a lens, focusing our attention on the subtleties of social media dynamics – the inside jokes that become global phenomena, the ripple effect of a well-timed retweet, and the silent conversations unfolding in the comment sections.

6 Key Tips for Crafting a Social Media Essay

Now that we've set sail into the realm of essays on the digital landscape, it's only fair to equip ourselves with a few trusty tools for the journey. Think of these tips as your compass, helping you navigate the sometimes choppy, often unpredictable waters of crafting an essay on social media.

• Embrace Your Authentic Voice: Just like your favorite Instagram filter can't hide the real you, your essay should reflect your genuine thoughts and feelings. Don't be afraid to let your unique voice shine through – whether it's witty, contemplative, or a delightful blend of both.
• Dive into the Details: Social media isn't just about the grand gestures; it's the small, often unnoticed details that weave the most compelling narratives. Explore the minutiae of your online experiences – the peculiar hashtags, the quirky bios, and the unexpected connections that leave a lasting imprint.
• Craft Your Hashtag Haiku: Much like poetry, brevity can be your ally in social media essays. Think of hashtags as haikus – succinct, impactful, and capable of conveying a universe of meaning in just a few characters. Choose them wisely.
• Engage with the Comments Section: The comments section is the lively pub where digital conversations unfold. Dive in, clink glasses, and engage with the diverse perspectives swirling around. It's in these interactions that the real magic happens – where ideas collide, evolve, and sometimes, transform.
• Navigate the Memescape: Memes are the folklore of the digital age, carrying tales of humor, irony, and cultural resonance. Don't shy away from exploring the memescape in your essay. Unravel the layers, decipher the symbolism, and appreciate the humor that often holds up a mirror to society.
• Be Mindful of the Clickbait Pitfalls: While clickbait might be the flashy neon sign on the digital highway, it's essential to tread carefully. Ensure your essay isn't just a sensational headline but a thoughtful exploration that goes beyond the surface.

Want to Watch Your Academic Goals Take Flight?

Let us take the reins and help you soar to academic excellence!

Social Media Essay Structure

In the age of viral tweets and digital conversations, tackling the essay format is more than just stringing words together—it's about creating a roadmap. As we navigate this landscape of likes and retweets, understanding the structural foundations becomes key. So, let's cut through the noise and explore the practical aspects of how to write a social media essay that mirrors the rhythm of our online experiences.

Form an Outline

Now that we've acknowledged the importance of structure in your essay, the next step is to build a solid roadmap. Think of it like planning a road trip; you wouldn't hit the highway without a map or GPS, right? Similarly, creating an outline for your essay gives you a clear direction and ensures your thoughts flow smoothly.

So, whether you decide to order an essay online or tackle it yourself, here's a simple way to go about it:

Introduction (Where You Start):

• Briefly introduce the topic.
• State your social media essay thesis or main idea.
• Example: 'Let's begin by introducing the impact of social media on modern communication, focusing on its role in shaping opinions and fostering connections.'

Body Paragraphs (The Journey):

• Each paragraph should cover a specific social media essay argument and point.
• Use examples or evidence to support your ideas.
• Example: 'The first aspect we'll explore is how social media amplifies voices. For instance, hashtags like #ClimateAction mobilize a global audience around environmental issues.'

Transitions (Smooth Turns):

• Guide your readers from one point to the next.
• Ensure a logical flow between paragraphs.
• Example: 'Having discussed the amplification of voices, let's now shift our focus to the influence of social media in spreading information.'

Counter Arguments (Addressing Detours):

• Acknowledge different perspectives.
• Counter Arguments with evidence or reasoning.
• Example: 'While social media can be a powerful tool for connectivity, critics argue that it also contributes to the spread of misinformation. Let's explore this counterargument and analyze its validity.'

Conclusion (The Destination):

• Summarize your main points.
• Restate your thesis and leave a lasting impression.
• Example: 'In conclusion, social media serves as both a bridge and a battleground of ideas. Understanding its nuances is crucial in navigating this digital landscape.'

Creating an outline for your essay not only streamlines the writing process but also ensures your readers embark on a clear and organized journey through your insights on social media. If you're exploring more options, you might even want to buy thesis for more convenience.

Make a Social Media Essay Introduction

Begin your introduction by presenting a concise overview of the key theme or topic you're addressing. Clearly state the main purpose or argument of your essay, giving readers a roadmap for what to expect. Integrate social media essay hooks like a relevant statistic, quote, or provocative question to capture attention.

For instance, if your essay is about the impact of social media on personal relationships, you might start by mentioning a statistic on the percentage of couples who met online.

Social Media Essay Body Paragraph

Structure each social media essay body paragraph around a specific aspect of your chosen topic. Start with a clear topic sentence that encapsulates the main idea of the paragraph. Provide concrete examples, data, or case studies to support your points and strengthen your argument. Maintain a logical flow between paragraphs by using effective transitions.

If your essay focuses on the positive effects of social media on business marketing, dedicate a paragraph to showcasing successful campaigns and how they leveraged different platforms.

Social Media Essay Conclusion

In your conclusion, succinctly recap the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. Reinforce your thesis statement and emphasize its broader implications. Rather than introducing new information, use the conclusion to leave a lasting impression on your readers. Consider prompting further thought or suggesting practical applications of your findings.

For instance, if your essay examined the impact of social media on political discourse, conclude by encouraging readers to critically evaluate the information they encounter online and actively engage in constructive conversations.

Proofread and Revise

In the process of writing social media essay, proofreading and revising are indispensable steps that can significantly enhance the overall quality of your work. Begin by meticulously checking for grammatical errors, ensuring that your sentences are clear and concise. Pay attention to the flow of your ideas, confirming that each paragraph seamlessly transitions into the next.

During the proofreading phase, keep an eye out for any inconsistencies in tone or style. This is an opportunity to refine your language and ensure that it aligns with the intended voice of your essay. Look for repetitive phrases or unnecessary words that might detract from the clarity of your message.

As you revise, consider the effectiveness of your hook. Does it still resonate as strongly as you intended? Can it be tweaked to better captivate your audience? A compelling hook sets the tone for your entire essay, so invest time in perfecting this crucial element.

Furthermore, don't hesitate to seek feedback from peers or mentors. Another perspective can provide valuable insights into areas that may need improvement. Fresh eyes often catch nuances that the writer might overlook. Alternatively, you might also explore the option to buy coursework for additional support.

Social Media Essay Topics

In the vast realm of social media, where every like and share contributes to the digital narrative, choosing the right essay topic becomes a crucial compass for exploration. Let's explore thought-provoking topics that not only capture attention but also invite insightful discussions on the intricacies of our interconnected world.

Impact on Society:

• The Role of Social Media in Redefining Friendship and Social Bonds
• How Has TikTok Influenced Global Pop Culture Trends?
• The Impact of Social Media on Political Polarization
• Social Media and Mental Health: Exploring the Connection
• The Evolution of Language on Social Media Platforms
• Examining the Influence of Social Media on Body Image
• Fake News and Its Proliferation on Social Media
• Social Media and the Rise of Influencer Marketing
• The Intersection of Social Media and Dating Apps
• Has Social Media Narrowed or Expanded Cultural Perspectives?
• The Role of Social Media in Fostering Global Communities
• The Influence of Social Media on Consumer Behavior
• Analyzing the Impact of Social Media on News Consumption
• The Rise of 'Cancel Culture' on Social Media Platforms
• Social Media and Its Role in Spreading Disinformation
• The Impact of Social Media on Language and Communication Skills
• Social Media and its Influence on Political Movements
• The Relationship Between Social Media Use and Sleep Patterns
• Social Media and the Accessibility of Educational Resources
• The Cultural Significance of Memes on Social Media

Individual and Identity:

• The Impact of Social Media Addiction on Personal Relationships and Intimacy
• Self-Expression and Authenticity on Social Networking Sites
• Social Media and Its Influence on Teenage Identity Formation
• The Role of Social Media in Shaping Beauty Standards
• Navigating Online Dating and Relationships in the Social Media Age
• The Impact of Social Media on Parenting Styles
• Social Media and Its Influence on Body Positivity Movements
• The Perception of Success: Social Media's Role in Achievement Culture
• Social Media and the Construction of Online Persona vs. Real Self
• Social Media and Its Influence on Lifestyle Choices
• The Role of Social Media in Shaping Career Aspirations
• The Intersection of Mental Health Narratives and Social Media
• The Impact of Social Media on Self-Esteem and Well-Being
• How Social Media Influences Gender Identity and Expression
• Exploring the Concept of Digital Detox in the Social Media Era
• The Role of Social Media in Shaping Cultural Identity
• The Connection Between Social Media and Impulse Buying
• Social Media and Its Influence on Dietary Choices
• Balancing Privacy and Self-Disclosure on Social Media
• The Impact of Social Media on Friendships Over Time

Digital Activism and Advocacy:

• The Effectiveness of Hashtag Movements in Promoting Social Change
• Social Media and Its Role in Amplifying Underrepresented Voices
• The Impact of Social Media on Global Environmental Activism
• Online Activism: The Evolution from Clicktivism to Concrete Action
• The Role of Social Media in Advancing LGBTQ+ Rights
• Social Media and Its Impact on Anti-Racism Movements
• Analyzing the Challenges of Digital Advocacy in Authoritarian Regimes
• Social Media and the Global Fight Against Cyberbullying
• The Intersection of Social Media and Mental Health Advocacy
• Examining the Role of Social Media in Humanitarian Campaigns
• Crowdsourcing for Change: How Social Media Fuels Fundraising
• The Challenges of Digital Activism in the Age of Information Overload
• Social Media and Its Impact on Disability Advocacy
• The Role of Social Media in Combating Gender-Based Violence
• Online Petitions and Their Influence on Policy Change
• Exploring the Intersection of Social Media and Animal Rights Activism
• The Impact of Social Media on Indigenous Rights Advocacy
• Digital Advocacy and Its Role in Healthcare Reform
• Social Media's Influence on Youth Activism
• Navigating Challenges in Allyship on Social Media Platforms

Privacy and Ethics:

• The Implications of Facial Recognition Technology on Social Media
• Social Media Platforms and the Ethics of User Data Collection
• The Role of Social Media in Combating Deepfakes
• Balancing Freedom of Speech and Moderation on Social Media
• Social Media and the Challenges of Regulating Disinformation
• Ethical Considerations in Targeted Advertising on Social Media
• The Impact of Social Media Algorithms on User Behavior
• Social Media and the Right to Privacy: Where to Draw the Line?
• The Influence of Social Media on Political Manipulation and Propaganda
• Data Security Concerns in the Era of Social Media
• The Ethics of Social Media Influencer Marketing
• Social Media and Its Role in Combating Cyberbullying
• The Impact of Social Media on Juror Bias in Legal Cases
• Exploring the Ethics of Incorporating Social Media Usage in Hiring Decisions by Employers
• Social Media and Its Role in Combating Hate Speech
• Balancing Personalization with Privacy in Social Media Websites
• The Influence of Social Media on Public Perceptions of Law Enforcement
• Social Media and the Challenges of Content Moderation
• Addressing Online Harassment: Ethical Considerations for Platforms
• The Responsibility of Social Media Platforms in Protecting User Privacy

Future Trends and Innovations:

• The Future of Social Media: Emerging Platforms and Trends
• The Role of Augmented Reality (AR) in Shaping the Future of Social Media
• Virtual Reality (VR) and Its Potential Impact on Social Media Engagement
• The Rise of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and Social Media
• Social Media and the Evolution of Live Streaming Culture
• The Impact of Voice Search and Voice Assistants on Social Media
• Social Commerce: The Future of E-Commerce Through Social Media
• Exploring the Influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Social Media
• The Role of Blockchain Technology in Enhancing Social Media Security
• Social Media and the Integration of Virtual Influencers
• The Future of Social Media Content: Short-Form vs. Long-Form
• The Influence of User-Generated Content on Future Social Media Trends
• Social Media and the Adoption of 5G Technology
• The Potential of Gamification in Shaping Social Media Engagement
• The Impact of Social Media on the Future of Work and Remote Collaboration
• Exploring the Relationship Between Social Media and Mental Health Apps
• The Influence of User Privacy Concerns on Future Social Media Developments
• Social Media and the Role of Ephemeral Content in Communication
• The Intersection of Social Media and Virtual Events
• Predicting the Next Wave of Social Media Influencer Trends

If these topics piqued your interest, you'll likely find persuasive essay topics equally fascinating! Dive into our article for a variety of options that might just spark your curiosity and inspire your next writing venture.

Social Media Essay Example

Crafting a standout essay isn't just about the words; it's about weaving a narrative that grabs your reader's attention. Before we say our goodbyes, why not take a peek at our sample essays? Our seasoned writers poured their expertise into creating persuasive pieces, offering you insights into both how to write an essay on social media and the kind of polished language that can elevate your own writing.

Wrapping Up

As our college essay service experts conclude this article, we've journeyed through the emotional complexities, societal reflections, and transformative potentials embedded in our digital narratives. An essay on social media is a portal into the intricate dance of our online lives, urging introspection, empathy, and an awareness of diverse stories. Let your essays authentically reflect, sparking conversations that enrich our collective experience in this ever-evolving digital realm.

Ready to Take Your Writing Skills to the Next Level?

Our expert writers can help you create something truly unique

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Social Media Essay: Insights: Advantages, Disadvantages, Importance, Impact, Limitation & More

Social media. Just hearing the words conjures images of smiling selfies, heated debates, and endless scrolling. It’s everywhere, in our pockets, on our screens, in our conversations. But what really lies beneath the surface of this digital world?

This social media essay aims to shed light on the “why” and “how” of social media, unravelling its complexities in simple terms.

We’ll start by breaking down the basics. This isn’t just about technical jargon; it’s about understanding its core purpose and impact. 

But knowledge without examples is like seeing stars without a map. So, we’ll look into a few essays on social media navigating online safety, analyses of popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram , and much more. 

Each example paints a different picture, helping us get a clearer view of this vast digital landscape.

Whether you’re struggling with an SPM essay or simply want to be a smarter online citizen, we’ll help you find your way.

So, put down your phone for a moment and join us on this journey. Together, we’ll unravel the mysteries of likes and shares, untangle the web of connections, and gain a deeper understanding of the force shaping our online lives.

This isn’t just about writing essays; it’s about making sense of the world around us, one tweet, one post, one click at a time.

For businesses seeking to thrive in this digital era, understanding and leveraging social media is crucial. Brand360 offers expert strategies to elevate your online presence and connect with your audience more effectively

Table of Content

What is social media?

Essay on why is social media so important , how to write a social media essay, examples of social media essays.

• Social Media Essays FAQs
• Final Thoughts

We all know what social media is and does but let’s go through it one last time before getting deeper into our topics today.

Social media is like this big virtual hangout where everyone’s invited. Think of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – they’re the go-to spots for catching up with friends, sharing bits of your life, and even peeking into what celebrities are up to.

It’s all about staying connected, no matter where you are in the world. You can share photos from your beach vacation, tweet your thoughts on the latest TV show, or simply scroll through to see what your friends are up to.

But here’s the thing, social media isn’t just about fun and games. It’s serious business too, especially when it comes to things like raising awareness about important issues or social media marketing.

Brands, companies and influencers use these platforms to get the word out about their products or causes, and it’s pretty effective. You’ve probably seen ads or posts about cool new gadgets or upcoming events, right? That’s social media marketing in action.

However, it’s not all roses and sunshine. Spending too much time on these sites can be a bit of a downer. You know, when you’re scrolling through and start feeling like everyone’s life is more exciting than yours?

That’s a common downside, and it’s why some folks talk about social media addiction or the negative impacts it can have. It’s important to balance your online life with your real-life stuff – hanging out with family, going outside, all that good stuff.

So yeah, social media is this huge part of our lives now. It’s got its upsides, like keeping us connected and helping businesses grow, but it’s also got a few pitfalls, like making us feel a bit left out or glued to our screens. Like most things, it’s best enjoyed in moderation.

Alright, let’s dive into why social media is such a big deal. Imagine a world without Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Sounds pretty dull, right? Social media has become this super important part of our lives, almost like the morning coffee for the digital age. It’s where news breaks, friends meet, and yes, even revolutions start!

Firstly, think about staying connected. Social media is like this magical bridge that connects you with friends and family, no matter where they are on the planet. Missed your cousin’s wedding in Bali? No worries, her Instagram is flooded with pictures. Want to know what your buddy from high school is up to these days? Check his Facebook updates. It’s all about keeping those connections alive, even if you’re miles apart.

But wait, there’s more! Social media isn’t just for sharing memes and holiday pics. It’s a powerhouse for raising awareness about, well, anything. From local bake sales to global movements, these platforms give a voice to causes and bring people together for the greater good. It’s like having a megaphone that reaches millions of people.

Now, let’s talk business. Social media marketing has turned the business world on its head. It’s a game-changer for small businesses and big brands alike . You’ve seen those ads on your feed, right? Brands can use social media to reach out to potential customers, and it works like a charm. Moreover, it’s a great way for brands to chat with their customers and get real-time feedback.

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There’s a flip side to this coin. Ever heard of social media addiction? Yeah, it’s a thing. Spending too much time online can make you feel a bit out of touch with the real world. And then there’s the pressure of seeing everyone’s ‘perfect’ life online – it can be a bit much sometimes.

But hey, let’s not forget the big picture. Social media has transformed the way we communicate, get our news, and even do business. It’s a tool that’s as powerful as it is popular. 

Sure, it’s got its downsides, like anything else, but the key is to use it wisely. So, the next time you’re scrolling through your feed, remember – it’s not just about likes and shares; it’s a window to the world.

Brand360’s strategy and marketing services can help your brand effectively communicate its core message on social media

Let’s talk about crafting a killer social media essay, step by step. 

It’s not just about throwing words on a page; it’s like assembling the pieces of a puzzle to make a picture that totally pops. 

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Pick Your Angle

This is where your essay begins. Ask yourself, “What about social media really interests me?” It could be anything from its influence on politics, to how it shapes our self-image, or even its effects on education. Also, choose a topic that feels personal or intriguing to you. It’s like selecting the theme of your party – make it something you’re excited about!

2. Research Time

Hit the books (or the web)! Look for facts, opinions, and stats about your topic. This part’s like a treasure hunt – you never know what interesting info you’ll find.  Don’t forget to note down where you found your information – this will be super helpful when you need to cite your sources.

3. Your Thesis Statement

It’s a clear, concise statement that presents your main argument or perspective. Imagine you’re giving a one-sentence summary to a friend about what your essay is arguing or explaining. Besides, it should be specific enough to give a clear direction for your essay.

4. Sketch an Outline

Decide the main points you want to cover in each paragraph. An outline before an essay helps organise your thoughts and ensures you cover everything you want to. Think of each paragraph as a mini-chapter in your story, each with its own little message.

5. Introduction

First impressions matter. Start with a hook – a fascinating fact, a question, or a bold statement about social media. Then, give a brief overview of what you’ll be discussing. Your introduction should be enticing, making the reader curious to know more.

6. Body Paragraphs

Each paragraph should focus on a single idea or point that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that clearly states the paragraph’s main idea, then provide evidence or examples. Remember to explain how this evidence supports your point. It’s like building a Lego model – each piece (or sentence) should connect smoothly to the next.

7. Personal Touch

If possible, include a personal story or experience related to social media. This makes your essay more relatable and engaging. It’s like adding a splash of your favourite colour to a painting – it adds a unique touch.

8. Conclusion

Sum up your main points and restate your thesis (in a fresh way). Your conclusion should give a sense of closure and leave the reader with something to ponder. It’s the final chord of your song, so make it resonate.

9. Proofread and Edit

Go over your essay with a fine-tooth comb. Look for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and awkward sentences. Explicitly check if your ideas flow logically. This step is like grooming – you’re making your essay look its best.

10. Get Feedback

Show your essay to someone else – a friend, family member, or teacher. They can offer valuable insights and point out things you might not have noticed. It’s like having a test audience for a movie – their reactions can help you fine-tune your final product.

Well if that is a lot to you and if you want a clear example of how this works in real time then just read this essay. We at Brand360 have written this essay exactly as we mentioned above to give you an impression on how to create a social media essay.

But in case this is not enough for you, then in the following section we have plenty of examples on social media essays that you can get inspired by and learn more on the intricacies of social media. 

Must Read: Social Media for B2B: Should Your Brand Join the Party?

When you’re thinking about writing a social media essay, it’s like deciding what to post on your own social media page. You want it to be interesting, relevant, and something people can connect with. Here are a few ideas to help you get started. 

Essay on Advantages & Disadvantages of Social Media

Absolutely, let’s dive into the world of social media with a casual chat about its ups and downs. Social media, right? It’s like everywhere these days, and it’s kind of hard to imagine life without it. So, let’s break it down – the good, the bad, and the in-between.

The Good Stuff About Social Media: Pros of Social Media

• Staying Connected : It’s like a 24/7 party where everyone’s invited. You can catch up with your long-lost school buddy, check out what your cousins are up to on the other side of the world, or just share a laugh with friends.
• Information at Your Fingertips : News, trends, what’s hot, what’s not – it’s all there. Whether it’s a viral cat video or a breaking news story, social media keeps you in the loop.
• Hello, Opportunities! : For creative folks, entrepreneurs , or anyone with a passion, social media is like a launching pad. You can showcase your talents, sell products, or just share your thoughts with the world.
• Support and Community : Ever felt like you’re the only one obsessed with underwater basket weaving? Guess what, there’s probably a Facebook group or a Twitter hashtag for that. Social media connects you with like-minded souls.

Read Also: Building An Emotional Connection with Social Media

The Not-So-Great Side: Cons of Social Media

• Hello, Anxiety! : Ever heard of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)? Scrolling through endless feeds of perfect vacations and dream jobs can make your own life seem a bit dull in comparison.
• Trolls and Drama : It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are trolls, cyberbullies, and just plain mean people who can spoil the experience.
• Privacy? What’s That? : With social media, your life is an open book. That can be cool, but sometimes it’s like, where’s the line? Personal information can be misused, and privacy breaches are real.
• Time Suck : Ever logged in for a minute and emerged hours later wondering where the time went? Yeah, social media can be a major time vampire.

Navigating the complexities of social media requires skill and experience, something that Brand360 specialises in. Our tailored marketing solutions and data analytics can help your brand harness the power of social media while avoiding common pitfalls

Balancing Act

So, what’s the takeaway? Like most things in life, social media is a mixed bag. It’s about finding that sweet spot where you enjoy the perks but don’t get bogged down by the negatives. Maybe it’s about setting limits, being mindful about privacy, or remembering to take everything with a grain of salt.

Essay on how to stay safe on social media essay

Social Media is thrilling, but just like any great adventure, it comes with its risks. Here’s a guide to help you navigate these waters safely, ensuring that your social media experience is both enjoyable and secure.

Protect Your Personal Information

Every post, every check-in, and every photo can give away bits of personal information. Be mindful of what you share. Further, avoid posting sensitive details like your address, financial information, or anything that could be used for identity theft.

Social media platforms offer various privacy settings. Take time to understand these and adjust them to suit your comfort level. This can include who can see your posts, who can tag you, and who can send friend requests or messages.

Be Aware of Scams and Phishing

Cybercriminals often use social media to spread malware and phishing scams . Be wary of suspicious links, even if they come from friends. If something looks too good to be true (like a free iPhone giveaway), it probably is.

Be cautious with quizzes and games that ask for personal information. These can be fronts for collecting data for identity theft.

Managing Connections Wisely

Not everyone needs to be in your digital circle. It’s okay to decline friend requests from people you don’t know or trust.

Basically, don’t hesitate to block or report users who make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Social media platforms have mechanisms for dealing with harassment and abuse.

Navigating Conversations and Content

Don’t feed the trolls! Engaging with toxic users can escalate situations. Focus on positive interactions and communities that uplift you.

Social media is rife with misinformation. Before sharing something, do a quick fact-check. Reliable sources and fact-checking websites can help discern truth from fiction.

Taking Breaks for Mental Health

Social media can be overwhelming. It’s essential to take breaks and disconnect now and then. A digital detox can do wonders for your mental health.

Remember, there’s a whole world outside the screen. Make time for offline activities and face-to-face interactions. Balance is key to a healthy social media life.

Embracing Social Media Safely

Social media is a powerful tool that connects us in ways never before possible. By following these safety tips, we can enjoy all its benefits while protecting ourselves from potential dangers. 

Essay on how does social media affect teenagers’ mental health

Social media has become an integral part of the lives of teenagers, offering both opportunities and challenges when it comes to their mental health . The pervasive presence of social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok has reshaped the way teens interact, form relationships, and perceive themselves and the world around them.

On the positive side, social media can be a source of support and connection, especially for teens who feel isolated or marginalised in their offline lives. It allows them to connect with peers who share similar interests or experiences, providing a sense of belonging and community. Educational and motivational content on these platforms can also inspire and inform them.

However, the adverse effects of social media on teenagers’ mental health are increasingly concerning. Constant exposure to idealised images and lifestyles can lead to negative body image, self-esteem issues, and feelings of inadequacy. The pressure to maintain a certain online persona and the fear of missing out (FOMO) can cause anxiety and stress. Cyberbullying, another dark aspect of social media, exposes teens to harassment and abuse, which can lead to severe psychological trauma.

Moreover, excessive use of social media can lead to addiction, disrupting sleep patterns, reducing physical activity, and diminishing real-life social interactions, all of which are crucial for healthy mental development in teenagers. The instant gratification and constant feedback loops of likes and comments can also affect attention spans and self-control.

While social media can offer valuable opportunities for connection and growth, its impact on teenagers’ mental health is complex and multi-faceted. It’s vital for parents, educators, and policymakers to understand these dynamics and provide guidance and support to help teens navigate the digital world healthily and positively.

Until now, we have looked at a few examples of essays on social media and how they were structured and I believe you are equipped with everything you need to create one by yourself. So, let’s get back to our article and talk a little bit more on social media. 

Essay on Famous Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites have evolved significantly, becoming integral to daily life and communication. As of 2023, several platforms dominate the landscape, each with unique features and user demographics.

• Facebook : Continues to be a giant in the social networking world, offering a broad range of features from personal posts to business marketing.
• YouTube : Not just a video-sharing platform but also the world’s second-largest search engine, YouTube has an extensive global reach with a diverse range of content.
• WhatsApp : A messaging app used in 180 countries, WhatsApp is known for its simplicity and reliability in communication, including voice and video calls.
• Instagram : Owned by Facebook, Instagram is a photo and video sharing app popular among the younger demographic, particularly for its “stories” feature and influencer culture.
• WeChat/Weixin : Predominantly used in China, WeChat is a multi-purpose messaging, social media, and mobile payment app with a vast array of functions.
• TikTok : A platform for short-form videos, TikTok has gained immense popularity, particularly among younger audiences, for its engaging and creative content.
• Facebook Messenger : Originally a part of Facebook, Messenger evolved into its own app, focusing on instant messaging and a range of interactive features.
• Douyin : The Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin, shares many similarities with its global counterpart but includes additional features like in-video search.
• QQ : A messaging software service from China, QQ offers a range of services including social games, music, and group chat.
• Sina Weibo : A Chinese microblogging website, Sina Weibo is akin to a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook and is used extensively for sharing news and entertainment content.
• Kuaishou : Another Chinese short-form video sharing app, Kuaishou, is popular for its authentic content and is particularly favored by older demographics in China.
• Snapchat : Known for its ephemeral messaging system where messages disappear after being viewed, Snapchat is popular among younger users, especially in the United States.
• Telegram : A cloud-based instant messaging service, Telegram is known for its emphasis on security and privacy, offering encrypted messaging options.
• Pinterest : An image sharing and discovery app, Pinterest is used for finding inspiration in areas like fashion, home décor, and recipes

Transform your brand’s social media marketing with Brand360 . Our team leads and manages revenue-generating activities, aligning them with your core strengths to maximise impact and growth.

Related: 13 Killer Social Media Content Ideas to Engage Your Audience: The Ultimate Guide

 Social Media Essays FAQs

  1. How to Avoid Social Media Addiction?

Avoid social media addiction by setting usage limits, engaging in offline activities, and using app blockers or other tools to regulate usage.

2. How Social Media Lowers Self-Esteem?

Social media can lower self-esteem through unrealistic comparisons, cyberbullying, and the pressure to meet perceived standards of success and beauty.

3. How Can Social Media Help Students in Their Studies?

Social media aids students by providing educational resources, enabling collaborative learning, and facilitating communication between students and educators.

4. How to Avoid Fake News in Social media?

To avoid fake news, critically evaluate sources, cross-check information, and rely on reputable news outlets.

5. How Social Media Influences Public Opinion?

Social media sway’s public opinion through viral content, echo chambers, and the rapid spread of both information and misinformation.

6. How Social Media Affects Body Image?

Social media affects body image by often promoting unrealistic beauty standards, leading to body dissatisfaction and related mental health issues.

7. What is Social Media Addiction?

Social media addiction is a behavioural addiction characterised by excessive and compulsive use of social media platforms, often at the expense of other activities and relationships.

8. Why Do We Express Ourselves in Social Media?

People express themselves on social media for self-expression, connectivity, validation, and to share their experiences and opinions with a wider audience.

9. How to Protect Your Privacy on Social Media?

Protecting privacy involves adjusting privacy settings, being cautious about what is shared, and understanding each platform’s privacy policies.

10. Social Media Can Be Used as a Reference When Writing an Academic Essay

While not always a primary source, social media can provide insights, current perspectives, and real-time data for academic essays.

Final thoughts

Social media, at its core, is a tool for connection, expression, and information sharing. While it offers remarkable advantages like global connectivity, opportunities for business and activism, and a platform for diverse voices, it is not without its challenges.

As we continue to navigate this ever-evolving landscape, the importance of understanding and wisely engaging with social media cannot be overstated.

It’s not just about the content we consume or create; it’s about shaping a healthy digital culture for ourselves and future generations. 

Certainly, in this journey, if you’re looking to harness the power of social media for your brand’s strategy and marketing, Brand360 is your ideal partner. 

We specialise in leveraging social media to create impactful strategies and marketing campaigns that resonate with your target audience. 

Let us help you turn the challenges of social media into opportunities for growth and success. 

Connect with Brand360 today , and let’s start shaping your brand’s future in the digital world. 

The future of social media in marketing

• Conceptual/Theoretical Paper
• Open access
• Published: 12 October 2019
• Volume 48 , pages 79–95, ( 2020 )

Cite this article

You have full access to this open access article

• Gil Appel 1 ,
• Lauren Grewal 2 ,
• Rhonda Hadi 3 &
• Andrew T. Stephen 3 , 4  

914k Accesses

81 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

Social media allows people to freely interact with others and offers multiple ways for marketers to reach and engage with consumers. Considering the numerous ways social media affects individuals and businesses alike, in this article, the authors focus on where they believe the future of social media lies when considering marketing-related topics and issues. Drawing on academic research, discussions with industry leaders, and popular discourse, the authors identify nine themes, organized by predicted imminence (i.e., the immediate, near, and far futures), that they believe will meaningfully shape the future of social media through three lenses: consumer, industry, and public policy. Within each theme, the authors describe the digital landscape, present and discuss their predictions, and identify relevant future research directions for academics and practitioners.

Similar content being viewed by others

Social media influencer marketing: foundations, trends, and ways forward

Social media marketing strategy: definition, conceptualization, taxonomy, validation, and future agenda

Advances in social media research: past, present and future.

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Social media is used by billions of people around the world and has fast become one of the defining technologies of our time. Facebook, for example, reported having 2.38 billion monthly active users and 1.56 billion daily active users as of March 31, 2019 (Facebook 2019 ). Globally, the total number of social media users is estimated to grow to 3.29 billion users in 2022, which will be 42.3% of the world’s population (eMarketer 2018 ). Given the massive potential audience available who are spending many hours a day using social media across the various platforms, it is not surprising that marketers have embraced social media as a marketing channel. Academically, social media has also been embraced, and an extensive body of research on social media marketing and related topics, such as online word of mouth (WOM) and online networks, has been developed. Despite what academics and practitioners have studied and learned over the last 15–20 years on this topic, due to the fast-paced and ever-changing nature of social media—and how consumers use it—the future of social media in marketing might not be merely a continuation of what we have already seen. Therefore, we ask a pertinent question, what is the future of social media in marketing?

Addressing this question is the goal of this article. It is important to consider the future of social media in the context of consumer behavior and marketing, since social media has become a vital marketing and communications channel for businesses, organizations and institutions alike, including those in the political sphere. Moreover, social media is culturally significant since it has become, for many, the primary domain in which they receive vast amounts of information, share content and aspects of their lives with others, and receive information about the world around them (even though that information might be of questionable accuracy). Vitally, social media is always changing. Social media as we know it today is different than even a year ago (let alone a decade ago), and social media a year from now will likely be different than now. This is due to constant innovation taking place on both the technology side (e.g., by the major platforms constantly adding new features and services) and the user/consumer side (e.g., people finding new uses for social media) of social media.

What is social media?

Definitionally, social media can be thought of in a few different ways. In a practical sense, it is a collection of software-based digital technologies—usually presented as apps and websites—that provide users with digital environments in which they can send and receive digital content or information over some type of online social network. In this sense, we can think of social media as the major platforms and their features, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We can also in practical terms of social media as another type of digital marketing channel that marketers can use to communicate with consumers through advertising. But we can also think of social media more broadly, seeing it less as digital media and specific technology services, and more as digital places where people conduct significant parts of their lives. From this perspective, it means that social media becomes less about the specific technologies or platforms, and more about what people do in these environments. To date, this has tended to be largely about information sharing, and, in marketing, often thought of as a form of (online) word of mouth (WOM).

Building on these definitional perspectives, and thinking about the future, we consider social media to be a technology-centric—but not entirely technological—ecosystem in which a diverse and complex set of behaviors, interactions, and exchanges involving various kinds of interconnected actors (individuals and firms, organizations, and institutions) can occur. Social media is pervasive, widely used, and culturally relevant. This definitional perspective is deliberately broad because we believe that social media has essentially become almost anything—content, information, behaviors, people, organizations, institutions—that can exist in an interconnected, networked digital environment where interactivity is possible. It has evolved from being simply an online instantiation of WOM behaviors and content/information creation and sharing. It is pervasive across societies (and geographic borders) and culturally prominent at both local and global levels.

Throughout the paper we consider many of the definitional and phenomenological aspects described above and explore their implications for consumers and marketing in order to address our question about the future of marketing-related social media. By drawing on academic research, discussions with industry leaders, popular discourse, and our own expertise, we present and discuss a framework featuring nine themes that we believe will meaningfully shape the future of social media in marketing. These themes by no means represent a comprehensive list of all emerging trends in the social media domain and include aspects that are both familiar in extant social media marketing literature (e.g., online WOM, engagement, and user-generated content) and emergent (e.g., sensory considerations in human-computer interaction and new types of unstructured data, including text, audio, images, and video). The themes we present were chosen because they capture important changes in the social media space through the lenses of important stakeholders, including consumers, industry/practice, and public policy.

In addition to describing the nature and consequences of each theme, we identify research directions that academics and practitioners may wish to explore. While it is infeasible to forecast precisely what the future has in store or to project these on a specific timeline, we have organized the emergent themes into three time-progressive waves, according to imminence of impact (i.e., the immediate, near, and far future). Before presenting our framework for the future of social media in marketing and its implications for research (and practice and policy), we provide a brief overview of where social media currently stands as a major media and marketing channel.

Social media at present

The current social media landscape has two key aspects to it. First are the platforms—major and minor, established and emerging—that provide the underlying technologies and business models making up the industry and ecosystem. Second are the use cases; i.e., how various kinds of people and organizations are using these technologies and for what purposes.

The rise of social media, and the manner in which it has impacted both consumer behavior and marketing practice, has largely been driven by the platforms themselves. Some readers might recall the “early days” of social media where social networking sites such as MySpace and Friendster were popular. These sites were precursors to Facebook and everything else that has developed over the last decade. Alongside these platforms, we continue to have other forms of social media such as messaging (which started with basic Internet Relay Chat services in the 1990s and the SMS text messaging built into early digital mobile telephone standards in the 2000s), and asynchronous online conversations arranged around specific topics of interest (e.g., threaded discussion forums, subreddits on Reddit). More recently, we have seen the rise of social media platforms where images and videos replace text, such as Instagram and Snapchat.

Across platforms, historically and to the present day, the dominant business model has involved monetization of users (audiences) by offering advertising services to anyone wishing to reach those audiences with digital content and marketing communications. Prior research has examined the usefulness of social media (in its various forms) for marketing purposes. For example, work by Trusov et al. ( 2009 ) and Stephen and Galak ( 2012 ) demonstrated that certain kinds of social interactions that now happen on social media (e.g., “refer a friend” features and discussions in online communities) can positively affect important marketing outcomes such as new customer acquisition and sales. More recently, the value of advertising on social media continues to be explored (e.g., Gordon et al. 2019 ), as well as how it interacts with other forms of media such as television (e.g., Fossen and Schweidel 2016 , 2019 ) and affects new product adoption through diffusion of information mechanisms (e.g., Hennig-Thurau et al. 2015 ).

Although the rise (and fall) of various kinds of social media platforms has been important for understanding the social media landscape, our contention is that understanding the current situation of social media, at least from a marketing perspective, lies more in what the users do on these platforms than the technologies or services offered by these platforms. Presently, people around the world use social media in its various forms (e.g., news feeds on Facebook and Twitter, private messaging on WhatsApp and WeChat, and discussion forums on Reddit) for a number of purposes. These can generally be categorized as (1) digitally communicating and socializing with known others, such as family and friends, (2) doing the same but with unknown others but who share common interests, and (3) accessing and contributing to digital content such as news, gossip, and user-generated product reviews.

All of these use cases are essentially WOM in one form or another. This, at least, is how marketing scholars have mainly characterized social media, as discussed by Lamberton and Stephen ( 2016 ). Indeed, online WOM has been—and, we contend, will continue to be—important in marketing (e.g., in the meta-analysis by Babić Rosario et al. 2016 the authors found, on average, a positive correlation between online WOM and sales). The present perspective on social media is that people use it for creating, accessing, and spreading information via WOM to various types of others, be it known “strong ties” or “weak ties” in their networks or unknown “strangers.” Some extant research has looked at social media from the WOM perspective of the consequences of the transmission of WOM (e.g., creating a Facebook post or tweeting) on others (e.g., Herhausen et al. 2019 ; Stephen and Lehmann 2016 ), the impact of the type of WOM content shared on others’ behavior (e.g., Villarroel Ordenes et al. 2017 ; Villarroel Ordenes et al. 2018 ), and on the motivations that drive consumer posting on social media, including considerations of status and self-presentation (e.g., Grewal et al. 2019 ; Hennig-Thurau et al. 2004 ; Hollenbeck and Kaikati 2012 ; Toubia and Stephen 2013 ; Wallace et al. 2014 ).

While this current characterization of WOM appears reasonable, it considers social media only from a communications perspective (and as a type of media channel). However, as social media matures, broader social implications emerge. To appropriately consider the future, we must expand our perspective beyond the narrow communicative aspects of social media and consider instead how consumers might use it. Hence, in our vision for the future of social media in marketing in the following sections, we attempt to present a more expansive perspective of what social media is (and will become) and explain why this perspective is relevant to marketing research and practice.

Overview of framework for the future of social media in marketing

In the following sections we present a framework for the immediate, near, and far future of social media in marketing when considering various relevant stakeholders. Themes in the immediate future represent those which already exist in the current marketplace, and that we believe will continue shaping the social media landscape. The near future section examines trends that have shown early signs of manifesting, and that we believe will meaningfully alter the social media landscape in the imminent future. Finally, themes designated as being in the far future represent more speculative projections that we deem capable of long-term influence on the future of social media. The next sections delve into each of the themes in Table 1 , organized around the predicted imminence of these theme’s importance to marketing (i.e., the immediate, near, and far futures).

The immediate future

To begin our discussion on the direction of social media, in this section, we highlight three themes that have surfaced in the current environment that we believe will continue to shape the social media landscape in the immediate future. These themes—omni-social presence, the rise of influencers, and trust and privacy concerns—reflect the ever-changing digital and social media landscape that we presently face. We believe that these different areas will influence a number of stakeholders such as individual social media users, firms and brands that utilize social media, and public policymakers (e.g., governments, regulators).

Omni-social presence

In its early days, social media activity was mostly confined to designated social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (or their now-defunct precursors). However, a proliferation of websites and applications that primarily serve separate purposes have capitalized on the opportunity to embed social media functionality into their interfaces. Similarly, all major mobile and desktop operating systems have in-built social media integration (e.g., sharing functions built into Apple’s iOS). This has made social media pervasive and ubiquitous—and perhaps even omnipotent—and has extended the ecosystem beyond dedicated platforms.

Accordingly, consumers live in a world in which social media intersects with most aspects of their lives through digitally enabled social interactivity in such domains as travel (e.g., TripAdvisor), work (e.g., LinkedIn), food (e.g., Yelp), music (e.g., Spotify), and more. At the same time, traditional social media companies have augmented their platforms to provide a broader array of functionalities and services (e.g., Facebook’s marketplace, Chowdry 2018 ; WeChat’s payment system, Cheng 2017 ). These bidirectional trends suggest that the modern-day consumer is living in an increasingly “omni-social” world.

From a marketing perspective, the “omni-social” nature of the present environment suggests that virtually every part of a consumer’s decision-making process is prone to social media influence. Need recognition might be activated when a consumer watches their favorite beauty influencer trying a new product on YouTube. A consumer shopping for a car might search for information by asking their Facebook friends what models they recommend. A hungry employee might sift through Yelp reviews to evaluate different lunch options. A traveler might use Airbnb to book future accommodation. Finally, a highly dissatisfied (or delighted) airline passenger might rant (rave) about their experience on Twitter. While the decision-making funnel is arguably growing flatter than the aforementioned examples would imply (Cortizo-Burgess 2014 ), these independent scenarios illustrate that social media has the propensity to influence the entire consumer-decision making process, from beginning to end.

Finally, perhaps the greatest indication of an “omni-social” phenomenon is the manner in which social media appears to be shaping culture itself. YouTube influencers are now cultural icons, with their own TV shows (Comm 2016 ) and product lines (McClure 2015 ). Creative content in television and movies is often deliberately designed to be “gifable” and meme-friendly (Bereznak 2018 ). “Made-for-Instagram museums” are encouraging artistic content and experiences that are optimized for selfie-taking and posting (Pardes 2017 ). These examples suggest that social media’s influence is hardly restricted to the “online” world (we discuss the potential obsolescence of this term later in this paper), but is rather consistently shaping cultural artifacts (television, film, the arts) that transcend its traditional boundaries. We believe this trend will continue to manifest, perhaps making the term “social media” itself out-of-date, as it’s omni-presence will be the default assumption for consumers, businesses, and artists in various domains.

This omni-social trend generates many questions to probe in future research. For example, how will social interactivity influence consumer behavior in areas that had traditionally been non-social? From a practitioner lens, it might also be interesting to explore how marketers can strategically address the flatter decision-making funnel that social media has enabled, and to examine how service providers can best alter experiential consumption when anticipating social media sharing behavior.

The rise of new forms of social influence (and influencers)

The idea of using celebrities (in consumer markets) or well-known opinion leaders (in business markets), who have a high social value, to influence others is a well-known marketing strategy (Knoll and Matthes 2017 ). However, the omnipresence of social media has tremendously increased the accessibility and appeal of this approach. For example, Selena Gomez has over 144 million followers on Instagram that she engages with each of her posts. In 2018, the exposure of a single photo shared by her was valued at $3.4 million (Maxim 2018 ). However, she comes at a high price: one post that Selena sponsors for a brand can cost upwards of $800,000 (Mejia 2018 ). However, putting high valuations on mere online exposures or collecting “likes” for specific posts can be somewhat speculative, as academic research shows that acquiring “likes” on social media might have no effect on consumers’ attitudes or behaviors (John et al. 2017 ; Mochon et al. 2017 ). Moreover, Hennig-Thurau et al. ( 2015 ), show that while garnering positive WOM has little to no effect on consumer preferences, negative WOM can have a negative effect on consumer preferences.

While celebrities like Selena Gomez are possible influencers for major brands, these traditional celebrities are so expensive that smaller brands have begun, and will continue to, capitalize on the popularity and success of what are referred to as “micro-influencers,” representing a new form of influencers. Micro-influencers are influencers who are not as well-known as celebrities, but who have strong and enthusiastic followings that are usually more targeted, amounting anywhere between a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of followers (Main 2017 ). In general, these types of influencers are considered to be more trustworthy and authentic than traditional celebrities, which is a major reason influencer marketing has grown increasingly appealing to brands (Enberg 2018 ). These individuals are often seen as credible “experts” in what they post about, encouraging others to want to view the content they create and engage with them. Furthermore, using these influencers allows the brand via first person narration (compared to ads), which is considered warmer and more personal, and was shown to be more effective in engaging consumers (Chang et al. 2019 ).

Considering the possible reach and engagement influencers command on social media, companies have either begun embracing influencers on social media, or plan to expand their efforts in this domain even more. For example, in recent conversations we had with social media executives, several of them stated the growing importance of influencers and mentioned how brands generally are looking to incorporate influencer marketing into their marketing strategies. Further, recent conversations with executives at some globally leading brands suggest that influencer marketing spending by big brands continues to rise.

While influencer marketing on social media is not new, we believe it has a lot of potential to develop further as an industry. In a recent working paper, Duani et al. ( 2018 ) show that consumers enjoy watching a live experience much more and for longer time periods than watching a prerecorded one. Hence, we think live streaming by influencers will continue to grow, in broad domains as well as niche ones. For example, streaming of video game playing on Twitch, a platform owned by Amazon, may still be niche but shows no signs of slowing down. However, live platforms are limited by the fact that the influencers, being human, need to sleep and do other activities offline. Virtual influencers (i.e., “CGI” influencers that look human but are not), on the other hand, have no such limitations. They never get tired or sick, they do not even eat (unless it is needed for a campaign). Some brands have started exploring the use of virtual influencers (Nolan 2018 ), and we believe that in coming years, along with stronger computing power and artificial intelligence algorithms, virtual influencers will become much more prominent on social media, being able to invariably represent and act on brand values and engage with followers anytime.

There are many interesting future research avenues to consider when thinking about the role of influencers on social media. First, determining what traits and qualities (e.g., authenticity, trust, credibility, and likability) make sponsored posts by a traditional celebrity influencer, versus a micro-influencer, or even compared to a CGI influencer, more or less successful is important to determine for marketers. Understanding whether success has to do with the actual influencer’s characteristics, the type of content being posted, whether content is sponsored or not, and so on, are all relevant concerns for companies and social media platforms when determining partnerships and where to invest effort in influencers. In addition, research can focus on understanding the appeal of live influencer content, and how to successfully blend influencer content with more traditional marketing mix approaches.

Privacy concerns on social media

Consumer concerns regarding data privacy, and their ability to trust brands and platforms are not new (for a review on data privacy see Martin and Murphy 2017 ). Research in marketing and related disciplines has examined privacy and trust concerns from multiple angles and using different definitions of privacy. For example, research has focused on the connections between personalization and privacy (e.g., Aguirre et al. 2015 ; White et al. 2008 ), the relationship of privacy as it relates to consumer trust and firm performance (e.g., Martin 2018 ; Martin et al. 2017 ), and the legal and ethical aspects of data and digital privacy (e.g., Culnan and Williams 2009 ; Nill and Aalberts 2014 ). Despite this topic not seeming novel, the way consumers, brands, policy makers, and social media platforms are all adjusting and adapting to these concerns are still in flux and without clear resolution.

Making our understanding of privacy concerns even less straightforward is the fact that, across extant literature, a clear definition of privacy is hard to come by. In one commentary on privacy, Stewart ( 2017 ), defined privacy as “being left alone,” as this allows an individual to determine invasions of privacy. We build from this definition of privacy to speculate on a major issue in privacy and trust moving forward. Specifically, how consumers are adapting and responding to the digital world, where “being left alone” isn’t possible. For example, while research has shown benefits to personalization tactics (e.g., Chung et al. 2016 ), with eroding trust in social platforms and brands that advertise through them, many consumers would rather not share data and privacy for a more personalized experiences, are uncomfortable with their purchases being tracked and think it should be illegal for brands to be able to buy their data (Edelman 2018 ). These recent findings seem to be in conflict with previously established work on consumer privacy expectations. Therefore, understanding if previously studied factors that mitigated the negative effects of personalization (e.g., perceived utility; White et al. 2008 ) are still valued by consumers in an ever-changing digital landscape is essential for future work.

In line with rising privacy concerns, the way consumers view brands and social media is becoming increasingly negative. Consumers are deleting their social media presence, where research has shown that nearly 40% of digitally connected individuals admitted to deleting at least one social media account due to fears of their personal data being mishandled (Edelman 2018 ). This is a negative trend not only for social media platforms, but for the brands and advertisers who have grown dependent on these avenues for reaching consumers. Edelman found that nearly half of the surveyed consumers believed brands to be complicit in negative aspects of content on social media such as hate speech, inappropriate content, or fake news (Edelman 2018 ). Considering that social media has become one of the best places for brands to engage with consumers, build relationships, and provide customer service, it’s not only in the best interest of social media platforms to “do better” in terms of policing content, but the onus of responsibility has been placed on brands to advocate for privacy, trust, and the removal of fake or hateful content.

Therefore, to combat these negative consumer beliefs, changes will need to be made by everyone who benefits from consumer engagement on social media. Social media platforms and brands need to consider three major concerns that are eroding consumer trust: personal information, intellectual property and information security (Information Technology Faculty 2018 ). Considering each of these concerns, specific actions and initiatives need to be taken for greater transparency and subsequent trust. We believe that brands and agencies need to hold social media accountable for their actions regarding consumer data (e.g., GDPR in the European Union) for consumers to feel “safe” and “in control,” two factors shown necessary in cases of privacy concerns (e.g., Tucker 2014 ; Xu et al. 2012 ). As well, brands need to establish transparent policies regarding consumer data in a way that recognizes the laws, advertising restrictions, and a consumer’s right to privacy (a view shared by others; e.g., Martin et al. 2017 ). All of this is managerially essential for brands to engender feelings of trust in the increasingly murky domain of social media.

Future research can be conducted to determine consumer reactions to different types of changes and policies regarding data and privacy. As well, another related and important direction for future research, will be to ascertain the spillover effects of distrust on social media. Specifically, is all content shared on social media seen as less trustworthy if the platform itself is distrusted? Does this extend to brand messages displayed online? Is there a negative spillover effect to other user-generated content shared through these platforms?

The near future

In the previous section, we discussed three areas where we believe social media is immediately in flux. In this section, we identify three trends that have shown early signs of manifesting, and which we believe will meaningfully alter the social media landscape in the near, or not-too-distant, future. Each of these topics impact the stakeholders we mentioned when discussing the immediate social media landscape.

Combatting loneliness and isolation

Social media has made it easier to reach people. When Facebook was founded in 2004, their mission was “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together... use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them” (Facebook 2019 ). Despite this mission, and the reality that users are more “connected” to other people than ever before, loneliness and isolation are on the rise. Over the last fifty years in the U.S., loneliness and isolation rates have doubled, with Generation Z considered to be the loneliest generation (Cigna 2018 ). Considering these findings with the rise of social media, is the fear that Facebook is interfering with real friendships and ironically spreading the isolation it was designed to conquer something to be considered about (Marche 2012 )?

The role of social media in this “loneliness epidemic” is being hotly debated. Some research has shown that social media negatively impacts consumer well-being. Specifically, heavy social media use has been associated with higher perceived social isolation, loneliness, and depression (Kross et al. 2013 ; Primack et al. 2017 ; Steers et al. 2014 ). Additionally, Facebook use has been shown to be negatively correlated with consumer well-being (Shakya and Christakis 2017 ) and correlational research has shown that limiting social media use to 10 min can decrease feelings of loneliness and depression due to less FOMO (e.g., “fear of missing out;” Hunt et al. 2018 ).

On the other hand, research has shown that social media use alone is not a predictor of loneliness as other factors have to be considered (Cigna 2018 ; Kim et al. 2009 ). In fact, while some research has shown no effect of social media on well-being (Orben et al. 2019 ), other research has shown that social media can benefit individuals through a number of different avenues such as teaching and developing socialization skills, allowing greater communication and access to a greater wealth of resources, and helping with connection and belonging (American Psychological Association 2011 ; Baker and Algorta 2016 ; Marker et al. 2018 ). As well, a working paper by Crolic et al. ( 2019 ) argues that much of the evidence of social media use on consumer well-being is of questionable quality (e.g., small and non-representative samples, reliance on self-reported social media use), and show that some types of social media use are positively associated with psychological well-being over time.

Managerially speaking, companies are beginning to respond as a repercussion of studies highlighting a negative relationship between social media and negative wellbeing. For example, Facebook has created “time limit” tools (mobile operating systems, such as iOS, now also have these time-limiting features). Specifically, users can now check their daily times, set up reminder alerts that pop up when a self-imposed amount of time on the apps is hit, and there is the option to mute notifications for a set period of time (Priday 2018 ). These different features seem well-intentioned and are designed to try and give people a more positive social media experience. Whether these features will be used is unknown.

Future research can address whether or not consumers will use available “timing” tools on one of many devices in which their social media exists (i.e., fake self-policing) or on all of their devices to actually curb behavior. It could also be the case that users will actually spend less time on Facebook and Instagram, but possibly spend that extra time on other competing social media platforms, or attached to devices, which theoretically will not help combat loneliness. Understanding how (and which) consumers use these self-control tools and how impactful they are is a potentially valuable avenue for future research.

One aspect of social media that has yet to be considered in the loneliness discussion through empirical measures, is the quality of use (versus quantity). Facebook ads have begun saying, “The best part of Facebook isn’t on Facebook. It’s when it helps us get together” (Facebook 2019 ). There have been discussions around the authenticity of this type of message, but at its core, in addition to promoting quantity differences, it’s speaking to how consumers use the platform. Possibly, to facilitate this message, social media platforms will find new ways to create friend suggestions between individuals who not only share similar interests and mutual friends to facilitate in-person friendships (e.g., locational data from the mobile app service). Currently there are apps that allow people to search for friends that are physically close (e.g., Bumble Friends), and perhaps social media will go in this same direction to address the loneliness epidemic and stay current.

Future research can examine whether the quantity of use, types of social media platforms, or the way social media is used causally impacts perceived loneliness. Specifically, understanding if the negative correlations found between social media use and well-being are due to the demographics of individuals who use a lot of social media, the way social media works, or the way users choose to engage with the platform will be important for understanding social media’s role (or lack of role) in the loneliness epidemic.

Integrated customer care

Customer care via digital channels as we know it is going to change substantially in the near future. To date, many brands have used social media platforms as a place for providing customer care, addressing customers’ specific questions, and fixing problems. In the future, social media-based customer care is expected to become even more customized, personalized, and ubiquitous. Customers will be able to engage with firms anywhere and anytime, and solutions to customers’ problems will be more accessible and immediate, perhaps even pre-emptive using predictive approaches (i.e., before a customer even notices an issue or has a question pop into their mind).

Even today, we observe the benefits that companies gain from connecting with customers on social media for service- or care-related purposes. Customer care is implemented in dedicated smartphone apps and via direct messaging on social media platforms. However, it appears that firms want to make it even easier for customers to connect with them whenever and wherever they might need. Requiring a customer to download a brand specific app or to search through various social media platforms to connect with firms through the right branded account on a platform can be a cumbersome process. In those cases, customers might instead churn or engage in negative WOM, instead of connecting with the firm to bring up any troubles they might have.

The near future of customer care on social media appears to be more efficient and far-reaching. In a recent review on the future of customer relationship management, Haenlein ( 2017 ) describes “invisible CRM” as future systems that will make customer engagement simple and accessible for customers. New platforms have emerged to make the connection between customer and firm effortless. Much of this is via instant messaging applications for businesses, which several leading technology companies have recently launched as business-related features in existing platforms (e.g., contact business features in Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp or Apple’s Business Chat).

These technologies allow businesses to directly communicate via social media messaging services with their customers. Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are in the process, or have already released early versions of such platforms (Dequier 2018 ). Customers can message a company, ask them questions, or even order products and services through the messaging system, which is often built around chatbots and virtual assistants. This practice is expected to become more widespread, especially because it puts brands and companies into the social media messaging platforms their customers already use to communicate with others, it provides quicker—even instantaneous—responses, is economically scalable through the use of AI-driven chatbots, and, despite the use of chatbots, can provide a more personalized level of customer service.

Another area that companies will greatly improve upon is data collection and analysis. While it is true that data collection on social media is already pervasive today, it is also heavily scrutinized. However, we believe that companies will adapt to the latest regulation changes (e.g., GDPR in Europe, CCPA in California) and improve on collecting and analyzing anonymized data (Kakatkar and Spann 2018 ). Furthermore, even under these new regulations, personalized data collection is still allowed, but severely limits firm’s abilities to exploit consumers’ data, and requires their consent for data collection.

We believe that in the future, companies will be able recognize early indications of problems within customer chatter, behavior, or even physiological data (e.g., monitoring the sensors in our smart watches) before customers themselves even realize they are experiencing a problem. For example, WeWork, the shared workspace company, collects data on how workers move and act in a workspace, building highly personalized workspaces based on trends in the data. Taking this type of approach to customer care will enable “seamless service,” where companies would be able to identify and address consumer problems when they are still small and scattered, and while only a small number of customers are experiencing problems. Customer healthcare is a pioneer in this area, where using twitter and review sites were shown to predict poor healthcare quality (Greaves et al. 2013 ), listen to patients to analyze trending terms (Baktha et al. 2017 ; Padrez et al. 2016 ), or even predict disease outbreaks (Schmidt 2012 ).

Companies, wanting to better understand and mimic human interactions, will invest a lot of R&D efforts into developing better Natural Language Processing, voice and image recognition, emotional analysis, and speech synthesis tools (Sheth 2017 ). For example, Duplex, Google’s latest AI assistant, can already call services on its own and seamlessly book reservations for their users (Welch 2018 ). In the future, AI systems will act as human ability augmenters, allowing us to accomplish more, in less time, and better results (Guszcza 2018 ).

For marketers, this will reduce the need for call centers and agents, reducing points of friction in service and increasing the convenience for customers (Kaplan and Haenlein 2019 ). However, some raise the question that the increased dependence on automation may result in a loss of compassion and empathy. In a recent study, Force (2018) shows that interacting with brands on social media lowered people’s empathy. In response to such concerns, and to educate and incentivize people to interact with machines in a similar way they do with people, Google programmed their AI assistant to respond in a nicer way if you use a polite, rather than a commanding approach (Kumparak 2018 ). While this might help, more research is needed to understand the effect of an AI rich world on human behavior. As well, future research can examine how consumer generated data can help companies preemptively predict consumer distress. Another interesting path for research would be to better understand the difference in consumer engagement between the various platforms, and the long-term effects of service communications with non-human AI and IoT.

Social media as a political tool

Social media is a platform to share thoughts and opinions. This is especially true in the case of disseminating political sentiments. Famously, President Barack Obama’s victory in the 2008 election was partially attributed to his ability to drive and engage voters on social media (Carr 2008 ). Indeed, Bond et al. ( 2012 ) have shown that with simple interventions, social media platforms can increase targeted audiences’ likelihood of voting. Social media is considered one of the major drivers of the 2010 wave of revolutions in Arab countries, also known as the Arab Spring (Brown et al. 2012 ).

While social media is not new to politics, we believe that social media is transitioning to take a much larger role as a political tool in the intermediate future. First evidence for this could be seen in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as social media took on a different shape, with many purported attempts to influence voter’s opinions, thoughts, and actions. This is especially true for then-candidate and now-President Donald Trump. His use of Twitter attracted a lot of attention during the campaign and has continued to do so during his term in office. Yet, he is not alone, and many politicians changed the way they work and interact with constituents, with a recent example of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that even ran a workshop for fellow congress members on social media (Dwyer 2019 ).

While such platforms allow for a rapid dissemination of ideas and concepts (Bonilla and Rosa 2015 ; Bode 2016 ), there are some, both in academia and industry that have raised ethical concerns about using social media for political purposes. Given that people choose who to follow, this selective behavior is said to potentially create echo chambers, wherein, users are exposed only to ideas by like-minded people, exhibiting increased political homophily (Bakshy et al. 2015 ). People’s preference to group with like-minded people is not new. Social in-groups have been shown to promote social identification and promote in-group members to conform to similar ideas (Castano et al. 2002 ; Harton and Bourgeois 2004 ). Furthermore, it was also shown that group members strongly disassociate and distance themselves from outgroup members (Berger and Heath 2008 ; White and Dahl 2007 ). Thus, it is not surprising to find that customized newsfeeds within social media exacerbate this problem by generating news coverage that is unique to specific users, locking them in their purported echo chambers (Oremus 2016 ).

While social media platforms admit that echo chambers could pose a problem, a solution is not clear (Fiegerman 2018 ). One reason that echo chambers present such a problem, is their proneness to fake news. Fake news are fabricated stories that try to disguise themselves as authentic content, in order to affect other social media users. Fake news was widely used in the 2016 U.S. elections, with accusations that foreign governments, such as Iran and Russia, were using bots (i.e., online automatic algorithms), to spread falsified content attacking Hillary Clinton and supporting President Trump (Kelly et al. 2018 ). Recent research has furthermore shown how the Chinese government strategically uses millions of online comments to distract the Chinese public from discussing sensitive issues and promote nationalism (King et al. 2017 ). In their latest incarnation, fake news uses an advanced AI technique called “Deep Fake” to generate ultra-realistic forged images and videos of political leaders while manipulating what those leaders say (Schwartz 2018 ). Such methods can easily fool even the sharpest viewer. In response, research has begun to explore ways that social media platforms can combat fake news through algorithms that determine the quality of shared content (e.g., Pennycook and Rand 2019 ).

One factor that has helped the rise of fake news is echo chambers. This occurs as the repeated sharing of fake news by group members enhance familiarity and support (Schwarz and Newman 2017 ). Repetition of such articles by bots can only increase that effect. Recent research has shown that in a perceived social setting, such as social media, participants were less likely to fact-check information (Jun et al. 2017 ), and avoided information that didn’t fit well with their intuition (Woolley and Risen 2018 ). Schwarz and Newman ( 2017 ) state that misinformation might be difficult to correct, especially if the correction is not issued immediately and the fake news has already settled into the minds of users. It was also shown that even a single exposure to fake news can create long term effect on users, making their effect larger than previously thought (Pennycook et al. 2019 ).

Notably, some research has found that exposure to opposing views (i.e., removing online echo chambers) may in fact increase (versus decrease) polarization (Bail et al. 2018 ). Accordingly, more work from policy makers, businesses, and academics is needed to understand and potentially combat political extremism. For example, policy makers and social media platforms will continually be challenged to fight “fake news” without censoring free speech. Accordingly, research that weighs the risk of limited freedom of expression versus the harms of spreading fake news would yield both theoretical and practically meaningful insights.

The far future

In this section, we highlight three emerging trends we believe will have a have long-term influence on the future of social media. Note that although we label these trends as being in the “far” future, many of the issues described here are already present or emerging. However, they represent more complex issues that we believe will take longer to address and be of mainstream importance for marketing than the six issues discussed previously under the immediate and near futures.

Increased sensory richness

In its early days, the majority of social media posts (e.g., on Facebook, Twitter) were text. Soon, these platforms allowed for the posting of pictures and then videos, and separate platforms dedicated themselves to focus on these specific forms of media (e.g., Instagram and Pinterest for pictures, Instagram and SnapChat for short videos). These shifts have had demonstrable consequences on social media usage and its consequences as some scholars suggest that image-based posts convey greater social presence than text alone (e.g., Pittman and Reich 2016 ). Importantly however, a plethora of new technologies in the market suggest that the future of social media will be more sensory-rich.

One notable technology that has already started infiltrating social media is augmented reality (AR). Perhaps the most recognizable examples of this are Snapchat’s filters, which use a device’s camera to superimpose real-time visual and/or video overlays on people’s faces (including features such as makeup, dog ears, etc.). The company has even launched filters to specifically be used on users’ cats (Ritschel 2018 ). Other social media players quickly joined the AR bandwagon, including Instagram’s recent adoption of AR filters (Rao 2017 ) and Apple’s Memoji messaging (Tillman 2018 ). This likely represents only the tip of the iceberg, particularly given that Facebook, one of the industry’s largest investors in AR technology, has confirmed it is working on AR glasses (Constine 2018 ). Notably, the company plans to launch a developer platform, so that people can build augmented-reality features that live inside Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Whatsapp (Wagner 2017 ). These developments are supported by academic research suggesting that AR often provides more authentic (and hence positive) situated experiences (Hilken et al. 2017 ). Accordingly, whether viewed through glasses or through traditional mobile and tablet devices, the future of social media is likely to look much more visually augmented.

While AR allows users to interact within their current environments, virtual reality (VR) immerses the user in other places, and this technology is also likely to increasingly permeate social media interactions. While the Facebook-owned company Oculus VR has mostly been focusing on the areas of immersive gaming and film, the company recently announced the launch of Oculus Rooms where users can spend time with other users in a virtual world (playing games together, watching media together, or just chatting; Wagner 2018 ). Concurrently, Facebook Spaces allows friends to meet online in virtual reality and similarly engage with one another, with the added ability to share content (e.g., photos) from their Facebook profiles (Whigham 2018 ). In both cases, avatars are customized to represent users within the VR-created space. As VR technology is becoming more affordable and mainstream (Colville 2018 ) we believe social media will inevitably play a role in the technology’s increasing usage.

While AR and VR technologies bring visual richness, other developments suggest that the future of social media might also be more audible. A new player to the social media space, HearMeOut, recently introduced a platform that enables users to share and listen to 42-s audio posts (Perry 2018 ). Allowing users to use social media in a hands-free and eyes-free manner not only allows them to safely interact with social media when multitasking (particularly when driving), but voice is also said to add a certain richness and authenticity that is often missing from mere text-based posts (Katai 2018 ). Given that podcasts are more popular than ever before (Bhaskar 2018 ) and voice-based search queries are the fastest-growing mobile search type (Robbio 2018 ), it seems likely that this communication modality will accordingly show up more on social media use going forward.

Finally, there are early indications that social media might literally feel different in the future. As mobile phones are held in one’s hands and wearable technology is strapped onto one’s skin, companies and brands are exploring opportunities to communicate to users through touch. Indeed, haptic feedback (technology that recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user; Brave et al. 2001 ) is increasingly being integrated into interfaces and applications, with purposes that go beyond mere call or message notifications. For example, some companies are experimenting with integrating haptics into media content (e.g., in mobile ads for Stoli vodka, users feel their phone shake as a woman shakes a cocktail; Johnson 2015 ), mobile games, and interpersonal chat (e.g., an app called Mumble! translates text messages into haptic outputs; Ozcivelek 2015 ). Given the high levels of investment into haptic technology (it is predicted to be a $20 billion industry by 2022; Magnarelli 2018 ) and the communicative benefits that stem from haptic engagement (Haans and IJsselsteijn 2006 ), we believe it is only a matter of time before this modality is integrated into social media platforms.

Future research might explore how any of the new sensory formats mentioned above might alter the nature of content creation and consumption. Substantively-focused researchers might also investigate how practitioners can use these tools to enhance their offerings and augment their interactions with customers. It is also interesting to consider how such sensory-rich formats can be used to bridge the gap between the online and offline spaces, which is the next theme we explore.

Online/offline integration and complete convergence

A discussion occurring across industry and academia is on how marketers can appropriately integrate online and offline efforts (i.e., an omnichannel approach). Reports from industry sources have shown that consumers respond better to integrated marketing campaigns (e.g., a 73% boost over standard email campaigns; Safko 2010 ). In academia meanwhile, the majority of research considering online promotions and advertisements has typically focused on how consumers respond to these strategies through online only measures (e.g., Manchanda et al. 2006 ), though this has begun to change in recent years with more research examining offline consequences to omnichannel strategies (Lobschat et al. 2017 ; Kumar et al. 2017 ).

Considering the interest in integrated marketing strategies over the last few years, numerous strategies have been utilized to follow online and offline promotions and their impacts on behavior such as the usage of hashtags to bring conversations online, call-to-actions, utilizing matching strategies on “traditional” avenues like television with social media. While there is currently online/offline integration strategies in marketing, we believe the future will go even further in blurring the lines between what is offline and online to not just increase the effectiveness of marketing promotions, but to completely change the way customers and companies interact with one another, and the way social media influences consumer behavior not only online, but offline.

For brands, there are a number of possible trends in omnichannel marketing that are pertinent. As mentioned earlier, a notable technology that has begun infiltrating social media is augmented reality (AR). In addition to what already exists (e.g., Snapchat’s filters, Pokémon Go), the future holds even more possibilities. For example, Ikea has been working to create an AR app that allows users to take photos of a space at home to exactly , down to the millimeter size and lighting in the room, showcase what a piece of furniture would look like in a consumer’s home (Lovejoy 2017 ). Another set of examples of AR comes from beauty company L’Oréal. In 2014 for the flagship L’Oréal Paris brand they released a mobile app called Makeup Genius that allowed consumers to virtually try on makeup on their phones (Stephen and Brooks 2018 ). Since then, they have developed AR apps for hair color and nail polish, as well as integrating AR into mobile ecommerce webpages for their luxury beauty brand Lancôme. AR-based digital services such as these are likely to be at the heart of the next stage of offline/online integration.

AR, and similar technology, will likely move above and beyond being a tool to help consumers make better decisions about their purchases. Conceivably, similar to promotions that currently exist to excitse consumers and create communities, AR will be incorporated into promotions that integrate offline and online actions. For example, contests on social media will advance to the stage where users get to vote on the best use of AR technology in conjunction with a brand’s products (e.g., instead of users submitting pictures of their apartments to show why they should win free furniture, they could use AR to show how they would lay out the furniture if they were to win it from IKEA).

Another way that the future of online/offline integration on social media needs to be discussed is in the sense of a digital self. Drawing on the extended self in the digital age (Belk 2013 ), the way consumers consider online actions as relevant to their offline selves may be changing. For example, Belk ( 2013 ) spoke of how consumers may be re-embodied through avatars they create to represent themselves online, influencing their offline selves and creating a multiplicity of selves (i.e., consumers have more choice when it comes to their self-representation). As research has shown how digital and social media can be used for self-presentation, affiliation, and expression (Back et al. 2010 ; Gosling et al. 2007 ; Toubia and Stephen 2013 ; Wilcox and Stephen 2012 ), what does it mean for the future if consumers can create who they want to be?

In addition, when considering digital selves, what does this mean for how consumers engage with brands and products? Currently, social media practice is one where brands encourage consumer engagement online (Chae et al. 2017 ; Godes and Mayzlin 2009 ), yet the implications for how these types of actions on the part of the brand to integrate online social media actions and real-life behavior play out are unclear. Research has begun to delve into the individual-level consequences of a consumer’s social media actions on marketing relevant outcomes (Grewal et al. 2019 ; John et al. 2017 ; Mochon et al. 2017 ; Zhang et al. 2017 ), however much is still unknown. As well, while there is recent work examining how the device used to create and view content online impacts consumer perceptions and behaviors (e.g., Grewal and Stephen 2019 ), to date research has not examined these questions in the context of social media. Therefore, future research could address how digital selves (both those held offline and those that only exist online), social media actions, and if the way consumers reach and use various platforms (i.e., device type, app vs. webpage, etc.) impact consumer behavior, interpersonal relationships, and brand-related measures (e.g., well-being, loyalty, purchase behaviors).

Social media by non-humans

The buzz surrounding AI has not escaped social media. Indeed, social bots (computer algorithms that automatically produce content and interact with social media users; Ferrara et al. 2016 ) have inhabited social media platforms for the last decade (Lee et al. 2011 ), and have become increasingly pervasive. For example, experts estimate that up to 15% of active Twitter accounts are bots (Varol et al. 2017 ), and that percentage appears to be on the rise (Romano 2018 ). While academics and practitioners are highly concerned with bot detection (Knight 2018 ), in the vast majority of current cases, users do not appear to recognize when they are interacting with bots (as opposed to other human users) on social media (Stocking and Sumida 2018 ). While some of these bots are said to be benign, and even useful (e.g., acting as information aggregators), they have also been shown to disrupt political discourse (as mentioned earlier), steal personal information, and spread misinformation (Ferrara et al. 2016 ).

Of course, social bots are not only a problem for social media users but are also a nagging concern plaguing marketers. Given that companies often assess marketing success on social media through metrics like Likes, Shares, and Clicks, the existence of bots poses a growing threat to accurate marketing metrics and methods for ROI estimation, such as attribution modelling (Bilton 2014 ). Similarly, when these bots act as “fake followers,” it can inflate the worth of influencers’ audiences (Bogost 2018 ). This can also be used nefariously by individuals and firms, as shown in a New York Times Magazine expose that documented the market used by some influencers to purchase such “fake” followers to inflate their social media reach (Confessore et al. 2018 ). As discussed above in relation to influencer marketing, where it has been commonplace for influencers to be paid for posts at rates proportionate to their follower counts, there have been perverse incentives to game the system by having non-human “fake” bot followers. This, however, erodes consumer trust in the social media ecosystem, which is a growing issue and a near-term problem for many firms using social media channels for marketing purposes.

However, there are instances when consumers do know they are interacting with bots, and do not seem to mind. For example, a number of virtual influencers (created with CGI, as mentioned earlier) seem to be garnering sizeable audiences, despite the fact they are clearly non-human (Walker 2018 ). One of the most popular of these virtual influencers, Lil Miquela, has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram despite openly confessing, “I am not a human being... I’m a robot” (Yurieff 2018 ). Future research might try to understand the underlying appeal of these virtual influencers, and the potential boundary conditions of their success.

Another category of social bots gaining increasing attention are therapy bots. These applications (e.g., “Woebot;” Molteni 2017 ) aim to support the mental health of users by proactively checking in on them, “listening” and chatting to users at any time and recommending activities to improve users’ wellbeing (de Jesus 2018 ). Similar bots are being used to “coach” users, and help them quit maladaptive behaviors, like smoking (e.g., QuitGenius; Crook 2018 ). Interestingly, by being explicitly non-human, these agents are perceived to be less judgmental, and might accordingly be easier for users to confide in.

Finally, the Internet of Things revolution has ushered in with it the opportunity for a number of tangible products and interfaces to “communicate” via social media. For example, in what started as a design experiment, “Brad,” a connected toaster, was given the ability to “communicate” with other connected toasters, and to tweet his “feelings” when neglected or under-used (Vanhemert 2014 ). While this experiment was deliberately designed to raise questions about the future of consumer-product relationships (and product-product “relationships”), the proliferation of autonomous tangible devices does suggest a future in which they have a “voice,” even in the absence of humans (Hoffman and Novak 2018 ).

Going forward, we believe the presence of bots on social media will be more normalized, but also more regulated (e.g., a recent law passed in California prevents bots from masquerading as humans; Smith 2018 ). Further, consumers and companies alike will be become increasingly interested in how bots communicate and interact with each other outside of human involvement. This brings up interesting potential research questions for academics and practitioners alike. How will the presence of non-humans change the nature of content creation and conversation in social media? And how should companies best account for the presence of non-humans in their attribution models?

Future research directions and conclusion

This article has presented nine themes pertinent to the future of social media as it relates to (and is perhaps influenced by) marketing. The themes have implications for individuals/consumers, businesses and organizations, and also public policymakers and governments. These themes, which represent our own thinking and a synthesis of views from extant research, industry experts, and popular public discourse, are of course not the full story of what the future of social media will entail. They are, however, a set of important issues that we believe will be worth considering in both academic research and marketing practice.

To stimulate future research on these themes and related topics, we present a summary of suggested research directions in Table 2 . These are organized around our nine themes and capture many of the suggested research directions mentioned earlier. As a sub-field within the field of marketing, social media is already substantial and the potential for future research—based on identified needs for new knowledge and answers to perplexing questions—suggests that this sub-field will become even more important over time. We encourage researchers to consider the kinds of research directions in Table 2 as examples of issues they could explore further. We also encourage researchers in marketing to treat social media as a place where interesting (and often very new) consumer behaviors exist and can be studied. As we discussed earlier in the paper, social media as a set of platform businesses and technologies is interesting, but it is how people use social media and the associated technologies that is ultimately of interest to marketing academics and practitioners. Thus, we urge scholars to not be overly enticed by the technological “shiny new toys” at the expense of considering the behaviors associated with those technologies and platforms.

Finally, while we relied heavily (though not exclusively) on North American examples to illustrate the emergent themes, there are likely interesting insights to be drawn by explicitly exploring cross-cultural differences in social media usage. For example, variations in regulatory policies (e.g., GDPR in the European Union) may lead to meaningful differences in how trust and privacy concerns manifest. Further, social media as a political tool might be more influential in regions where the mainstream media is notoriously government controlled and censored (e.g., as was the case in many of the Arab Spring countries). While such cross-cultural variation is outside the scope of this particular paper, we believe it represents an area of future research with great theoretical and practical value.

In reviewing the social media ecosystem and considering where it is heading in the context of consumers and marketing practice, we have concluded that this is an area that is very much still in a state of flux. The future of social media in marketing is exciting, but also uncertain. If nothing else, it is vitally important that we better understand social media since it has become highly culturally relevant, a dominant form of communication and expression, a major media type used by companies for advertising and other forms of communication, and even has geopolitical ramifications. We hope that the ideas discussed here stimulate many new ideas and research, which we ultimately hope to see being mentioned and shared across every type of social media platform.

Aguirre, E., Mahr, D., Grewal, D., Ruyter, K. D., & Wetzels, M. (2015). Unraveling the personalization paradox: The effect of information collection and trust-building strategies on online advertisement effectiveness. Journal of Retailing, 91 (1), 34–59.

Google Scholar  

American Psychological Association. (2011). Social networking's good and bad impacts on kids . American Psychological Association.

Babić Rosario, A., Sotgiu, F., De Valck, K., & Bijmolt, T. H. A. (2016). The effect of electronic word of mouth on sales: A meta-analytic review of platform, product, and metric factors. Journal of Marketing Research, 53 (3), 297–318.

Back, M., Stopfer, J., Vazire, S., Gaddis, S., Schmukle, S., Egloff, B., & Gosling, S. (2010). Facebook profiles reflect actual personality, not self-idealization. Psychological Science, 21 (3), 372–374.

Bail, C. A., Argyle, L. P., Brown, T. W., Bumpus, J. P., Chen, H., Hunzaker, M. F., Lee, J., Mann, M., Merhout, F., & Volfovsky, A. (2018). Exposure to opposing views on social media can increase political polarization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115 (37), 9216–9221.

Baker, D. A., & Algorta, G. P. (2016). The relationship between online social networking and depression: A systematic review of quantitative studies. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 19 (11), 638–648.

Bakshy, E., Messing, S., & Adamic, L. A. (2015). Exposure to ideologically diverse news and opinion on Facebook. Science, 348 (6239), 1130–1132.

Baktha, K., Dev, M., Gupta, H., Agarwal, A., & Balamurugan, B. (2017). Social network analysis in healthcare. In Internet of Things and Big Data Technologies for Next Generation Healthcare (pp. 309–334). Springer, Cham.

Belk, R. W. (2013). Extended self in a digital world. Journal of Consumer Research, 40 (October), 477–500.

Bereznak, A. (2018). A Meme Is Born: How Internet Jokes Turned ‘A Star Is Born’ Into a Hit. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y7b9xfym .

Berger, J., & Heath, C. (2008). Who drives divergence? Identity signaling, outgroup dissimilarity, and the abandonment of cultural tastes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95 (3), 593–607.

Bhaskar, S. (2018). How Podcasts Became So Popular (And Why That’s a Good Thing). Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yczfmzue .

Bilton, N. (2014). Social media bots offer phony friends and real profit. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y93z3wdj .

Bode, L. (2016). Political news in the news feed: Learning politics from social media. Mass Communication and Society, 19 (1), 24–48.

Bogost, I. (2018). All followers are fake followers. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ybxblkek .

Bond, R. M., Fariss, C. J., Jones, J. J., DI Kramer, A., Marlow, C., Settle, J. E., & Fowler, J. H. (2012). A 61-million-person experiment in social influence and political mobilization. Nature, 489 (7415), 295–298.

Bonilla, Y., & Rosa, J. (2015). # Ferguson: Digital protest, hashtag ethnography, and the racial politics of social media in the United States. American Ethnologist, 42 (1), 4–17.

Brave, S., Nass C., & Sirinian E. (2001). Force-feedback in computer-mediated communication. Proceedings of HCI International 2001 (9 th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction , Constantine Stephanidis, Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum), 145–149.

Brown, H., Guskin, E., & Mitchell A. (2012). The role of social Media in the Arab Uprising. Retreived from https://tinyurl.com/y7d8t7je .

Carr, D. (2008) How Obama Tapped into Social Networks’ Power. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ydyvtocj .

Castano, E., Yzerbyt, V., Paladino, M. P., & Sacchi, S. (2002). I belong, therefore, I exist: Ingroup identification, ingroup entitativity, and ingroup bias. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28 (2), 135–143.

Chae, I., Stephen, A. T., Bart, Y., & Yao, D. (2017). Spillover effects in seeded word-of-mouth marketing campaigns. Marketing Science, 36 (1), 89–104.

Chang, Y., Li, Y., Yan, J., & Kumar, V. (2019). Getting more likes: The impact of narrative person and brand image on customer–brand interactions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , 1–19.

Cheng, E. (2017). China is living the future of mobile pay right now. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8hm6vlo .

Chowdry, A., (2018). Facebook launches ads in marketplace. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8kf5g4t .

Chung, T. S., Wedel, M., & Rust, R. T. (2016). Adaptive personalization using social networks. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 44 , 66–87.

Cigna (2018). New Cigna Study Reveals Loneliness at Epidemic Levels in American. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y9e7gl2u .

Colville W. (2018). Facebook VR leader talk about the future of virtual marketing. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8kdd4cr .

Comm J. (2016). 9 Social media influencers who are killing it on TV. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y76wyo8j .

Confessore, N., Dance, G. J. X., Harris, R., & Hansen, M. (2018). The Follower Factory. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yaym3e69 .

Constine, J. (2018). Facebook confirms its building augmented reality glasses. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y82et9tw .

Cortizo-Burgess, P. (2014). The traditional purchase funnel is kaput. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y7azj7oc .

Crolic, C., Stephen, A. T., Zubcsek, P. P., & Brooks, G. (2019). Staying connected: The positive effect of social media consumption on psychological well-being. Working Paper.

Crook, J. (2018). Quit Genius, backed by Y combinator, wants to help you quit smoking. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y7hhfzf8 .

Culnan, M. J., & Williams, C. C. (2009). How ethics can enhance organization privacy: Lessons from the choice point and TJX data breaches. MIS Quarterly, 33 , 673–687.

de Jesus, A. (2018). Chatbots for mental health and therapy – Comparing 5 current apps and use cases. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yc5c6qco .

Dequier, S. (2018). Everything You Need to Know about Apple Business Chat (and what to expect from it). Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yd4dmtgw .

Duani, N., Barasch, A., & Ward A. (2018). “Brought to you live”: On the consumption experience of live social media streams. Working paper.

Dwyer, D., (2019). Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Twitter lesson for House Democrats. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ydgy9suw .

Edelman, K. (2018). Trust Barometer Brands Social Media. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycrm23gf .

eMarketer (2018). Social Network Users and Penetration in Worldwide. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycr2d3v9 .

Enberg, J. (2018). Global Influencer Marketing. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y7srumpm .

Facebook (2019). Company Info. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/n544jrt .

Ferrara, E., Varol, O., Davis, C., Menczer, F., & Flammini, A. (2016). The rise of social bots. Communications of the ACM, 59 (7), 96–104.

Fiegerman, S. (2018). Facebook admits social media can 'corrode democracy'. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y9f7hxju .

Fossen, B. L., & Schweidel, D. A. (2016). Television advertising and online word-of-mouth: An empirical investigation of social TV activity. Marketing Science, 36 (1), 105–123.

Fossen, B. L., & Schweidel, D. A. (2019). Social TV, advertising, and sales: Are social shows good for advertisers? Marketing Science, 38 (2), 274–295.

Godes, D., & Mayzlin, D. (2009). Firm-created word-of-mouth communication: Evidence from a field test. Marketing Science, 28 (4), 721–739.

Gordon, B. R., Zettelmeyer, F., Bhargava, N., & Chapsky, D. (2019). A comparison of approaches to advertising measurement: Evidence from big field experiments at Facebook. Marketing Science, 38 (2), 193–225.

Gosling, S., Gaddis, S., & Vazire, S. (2007). Personality Impressions Based on Facebook Profiles. ICWSM , 1–4.

Greaves, F., Ramirez-Cano, D., Millett, C., Darzi, A., & Donaldson, L. (2013). Harnessing the cloud of patient experience: Using social media to detect poor quality healthcare. BMJ Quality and Safety, 22 (3), 251–255.

Grewal, L., & Stephen, A. T. (2019). In mobile we trust: The effects of mobile versus nonmobile reviews on consumer purchase intentions.  Journal of Marketing Research,  56 (5), 791–808.

Grewal, L., Stephen, A. T., & Coleman, N. V. (2019). When posting about products in social media backfires: The negative effects of consumer identity-signaling on product interest. Journal of Marketing Research, 56 (2), 197–210.

Guszcza, J. (2018). Smarter together. Deloitte Review, 22 , 36–45.

Haans, A., & IJsselsteijn, W. (2006). Mediated social touch: A review of current research and future directions. Virtual Reality, 9 (2), 149–159.

Haenlein, M. (2017). How to date your clients in the 21st century: Challenges in managing customer relationships in today's world. Business Horizons, 60 , 577–586.

Harton, H. C., & Bourgeois, M. J. (2004). Cultural elements emerge from dynamic social impact. The Psychological Foundations of Culture , 41–75.

Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2004). Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18 (1), 38–52.

Hennig-Thurau, T., Wiertz, C., & Feldhaus, F. (2015). Does twitter matter? The impact of microblogging word of mouth on consumers’ adoption of new movies. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43 (3), 375–394.

Herhausen, D., Ludwig, S., Grewal, D., Wulf, J., & Schoegel, M. (2019). Detecting, preventing, and mitigating online firestorms in brand communities. Journal of Marketing, 83 (3), 1–21.

Hilken, T., de Ruyter, K., Chylinski, M., Mahr, D., & Keeling, D. I. (2017). Augmenting the eye of the beholder: Exploring the strategic potential of augmented reality to enhance online service experiences. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45 (6), 884–905.

Hoffman, D. L., & Novak, T. P. (2018). Consumer and object experience in the internet of things: An assemblage theory approach. Journal of Consumer Research, 44 (6), 1178–1204.

Hollenbeck, C. R., & Kaikati, A. M. (2012). Consumers’ use of brands to reflect their actual and ideal selves on Facebook. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 29 (4), 395–405.

Hunt, M. G., Marx, R., Lipson, R., & Young, J. (2018). No more FOMO: Limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37 (10), 751–768.

Information Technology Faculty (2018). Building Trust in the Digital Age Report. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y9rkxbxu .

John, L. K., Emrich, O., Gupta, S., & Norton, M. I. (2017). Does “liking” lead to loving? The impact of joining a brand’s social network on marketing outcomes. Journal of Marketing Research, 54 (1), 144–155.

Johnson, L. (2015). Stoli's Mobile Ads Let You Actually Feel a Cocktail Being Made in Your Hand. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y72uud3c .

Jun, Y., Meng, R., & Johar, G. V. (2017). Perceived social presence reduces fact-checking. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114 (23), 5976–5981.

Kakatkar, C., & Spann, M. (2018). Marketing analytics using anonymized and fragmented tracking data. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 36 (1), 117–136.

Kaplan, A., & Haenlein, M. (2019). Siri, Siri, in my hand: Who’s the fairest in the land? On the interpretations, illustrations, and implications of artificial intelligence. Business Horizons, 62 (1), 15–25.

Katai L. (2018). 3 Reasons why audio will conquer all social media. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y9q6bvjr .

Kelly, H., Horowitz, J., O'Sullivan, D. (2018). Facebook takes down 652 pages after finding disinformation campaigns run from Iran and Russia. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ybte3bp4 .

Kim, J., LaRose, R., & Peng, W. (2009). Loneliness as the cause and the effect of problematic internet use: The relationship between internet use and psychological well-being. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 12 (4), 451–455.

King, G., Pan, J., & Roberts, M. E. (2017). How the Chinese government fabricates social media posts for strategic distraction, not engaged argument. American Political Science Review, 111 (3), 484–501.

Knight, T. (2018). How to tell if you are talking to a bot. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycamg4p8 .

Knoll, J., & Matthes, J. (2017). The effectiveness of celebrity endorsements: A meta-analysis. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45 (1), 55–75.

Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Demiralp, E., Park, J., Lee, D. S., Lin, N., Shablack, H., Jonides, J., & Ybarra, O. (2013). Facebook use predicts declines in subjective well-being in young adults. PLoS One, 8 (8), e69841.

Kumar, V., Choi, J. B., & Greene, M. (2017). Synergistic effects of social media and traditional marketing on brand sales: Capturing the time-varying effects. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45 (2), 268–288.

Kumparak, G. (2018). Google Assistant will now be nicer if you say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ybcfdztv .

Lamberton, C., & Stephen, A. T. (2016). A thematic exploration of digital, social media, and mobile marketing research's evolution from 2000 to 2015 and an agenda for future research. Journal of Marketing, 80 (6), 146–172.

Lee, K., Eoff, B.D., & Caverlee, J. (2011), Seven months with the devils: A long-term study of content polluters on twitter. In Proceedings of the 5th International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media, 185–192.

Lobschat, L., Osinga, E. C., & Reinartz, W. J. (2017). What happens online stays online? Segment-specific online and offline effects of banner advertisements. Journal of Marketing Research, 54 (6), 901–913.

Lovejoy, B. (2017). Ikea to be Apple launch partner for AR, showing virtual furniture in your own home. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yarzpz8n .

Magnarelli, M. (2018). The Next Marketing Skill You Need to Master: Touch. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y7tybx4d .

Main, S. (2017). Micro-Influencers Are More Effective with Marketing Campaigns Than Highly Popular Accounts. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/moww4p4 .

Manchanda, P., Dubé, J. P., Goh, K. Y., & Chintagunta, P. K. (2006). The effect of banner advertising on internet purchasing. Journal of Marketing Research, 43 (1), 98–108.

Marche. T. (2012). Is Facebook making us lonely? Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ybyje7ol .

Marker, C., Gnambs, T., & Appel, M. (2018). Active on Facebook and failing at school? Meta-analytic findings on the relationship between online social networking activities and academic achievement. Educational Psychology Review , 651–677.

Martin, K. (2018). The penalty for privacy violations: How privacy violations impact trust online. Journal of Business Research, 82 , 103–116.

Martin, K. D., & Murphy, P. E. (2017). The role of data privacy in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45 (2), 135–155.

Martin, K. D., Borah, A., & Palmatier, R. W. (2017). Data privacy: Effects on customer and firm performance. Journal of Marketing, 81 (1), 36–58.

Maxim (2018). Every Selena Gomez Instagram post for puma is worth $3.4 million. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ybr6nzok .

McClure, E. (2015). 11 Youtube Stars with Makeup Collections We Can’t Get Enough Of. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ybwzz6mm .

Mejia, Z., (2018). Kylie Jenner reportedly makes $1 million per paid Instagram post—here's how much other top influencers get. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y7khetcu .

Mochon, D., Johnson, K., Schwartz, J., & Ariely, D. (2017). What are likes worth? A Facebook page field experiment. Journal of Marketing Research, 54 (2), 306–317.

Molteni, S., (2017). The Chatbot Therapist Will See You Now. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8g9b3oq .

Nill, A., & Aalberts, R. J. (2014). Legal and ethical challenges of online behavioral targeting in advertising. Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, 35 , 126–146.

Nolan, H. (2018), Brands are creating virtual influencers, Which could make the Kardashians a thing of the past. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y7gu7t26 .

Orben, A., Dienlin, T., & Przybylski, A. K. (2019). Social media’s enduring effect on adolescent life satisfaction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116 (21), 10226–10228.

Oremus, W. (2016). Who Controls Your Facebook Feed. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y745c2ap .

Ozcivelek, A. (2015). The future of wearable tech. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y88kf554 .

Padrez, K. A., Ungar, L., Schwartz, H. A., Smith, R. J., Hill, S., Antanavicius, T., Brown, D. M., Crutchley, P., Asch, D. A., & Merchant, R. M. (2016). Linking social media and medical record data: A study of adults presenting to an academic, urban emergency department. BMJ Quality and Safety, 25 (6), 414–423.

Pardes, A. (2017). Selfie Factories: The rise of the Made-for-Instagram Museum. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycqswbz2 .

Pennycook, G., & Rand, D. G. (2019). Fighting misinformation on social media using crowdsourced judgments of news source quality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116 (7), 2521–2526.

Pennycook, G., Cannon, T. D., & Rand, D. G. (2019). Prior exposure increases perceived accuracy of fake news . Journal of Experimental Psychology: General In press.

Perry, E. (2018). Meet HearMeOut: the social media platform looking to bring audio back into the mainstream. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8yxbzah .

Pittman, M., & Reich, B. (2016). Social media and loneliness: Why an Instagram picture may be worth more than a thousand twitter words. Computers in Human Behavior, 62 , 155–167.

Priday, R. (2018). How to use Instagram and Facebooks new time limit tools. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8allnxe .

Primack, B. A., Shensa, A., Sidani, J. E., Whaite, E. O., Lin, L. Y., Rosen, D., Colditz, J. B., Radovic, A., & Miller, E. (2017). Social media use and perceived social isolation among young adults in the US. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53 (1), 1–8.

Rao, L., (2017). Instagram Copies Snapchat Once Again with Face Filters. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ybcuxxdv .

Ritschel, C. (2018). Snapchat Introduces New Filters for Cats. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8shdhpl .

Robbio, A. (2018). The hyper-adoption of voice technology. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y9zzqpan .

Romano, A. (2018). Two-thirds of links on twitter come from bots. The good news? They’re Mostly Bland. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8hpyldc .

Safko, L. (2010). The social media bible: Tactics, tools, and strategies for business success. John Wiley & Sons.

Schmidt, C. W. (2012). Trending now: Using social media to predict and track disease outbreaks.

Schwartz, O. (2018). You thought fake news was bad? Deep fakes are where truth goes to die. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y7mcrysq .

Schwarz, N., & Newman, E. J. (2017). How does the gut know truth? Psychological Science Agenda, 31 (8).

Shakya, H. B., & Christakis, N. A. (2017). Association of Facebook use with compromised well-being: A longitudinal study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 185 (3), 203–211.

Sheth, J. (2017). The future history of consumer research: Will the discipline rise to the opportunity? Advances in Consumer Research, 45 , 17–20.

Smith, A. (2018). California Law Bans Bots from Pretending to Be Human. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y78qdkpu .

Steers, M. L. N., Wickham, R. E., & Acitelli, L. K. (2014). Seeing everyone else's highlight reels: How Facebook usage is linked to depressive symptoms. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 33 (8), 701–731.

Stephen, A. T. & G. Brooks (2018). L’Oréal Paris Makeup Genius. Saïd Business School Case Study, University of Oxford.

Stephen, A. T., & Galak, J. (2012). The effects of traditional and social earned media on sales: A study of a microlending marketplace. Journal of Marketing Research, 49 (5), 624–639.

Stephen, A. T., & Lehmann, D. R. (2016). How word-of-mouth transmission encouragement affects consumers’ transmission decisions, receiver selection, and diffusion speed. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 33 (4), 755–766.

Stewart, D. W. (2017). A comment on privacy. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45 (2), 156–159.

Stocking, G. & Sumida, N. (2018). Social Media Bots Draw Public’s Attention and Concern. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ybabbeu4 .

Tillman, M. (2018). What are Memoji? How to create an Animoji that looks like you. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yakqjqdf .

Toubia, O., & Stephen, A. T. (2013). Intrinsic vs. image-related utility in social media: Why do people contribute content to twitter? Marketing Science, 32 (3), 368–392.

Trusov, M., Bucklin, R. E., & Pauwels, T. (2009). Effects of word-of mouth versus traditional marketing: Findings from an internet social networking site. Journal of Marketing, 73 (5), 90–102.

Tucker, C. E. (2014). Social networks, personalized advertising and privacy controls. Journal of Marketing Research, 51 (5), 546–562.

Vanhemert, K. (2014). Needy robot toaster sells itself if neglected. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2ROGvt3 .

Varol. O., Ferrara, E., Davis, C. A., Menczer, F., & Flammini, A. (2017). Online Human-Bot Interactions: Detection, Estimation and Characterization. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03107 .

Villarroel Ordenes, F., Ludwig, S., De Ruyter, K., Grewal, D., & Wetzels, M. (2017). Unveiling what is written in the stars: Analyzing explicit, implicit, and discourse patterns of sentiment in social media. Journal of Consumer Research, 43 (6), 875–894.

Villarroel Ordenes, F., Grewal, D., Ludwig, S., Ruyter, K. D., Mahr, D., & Wetzels, M. (2018). Cutting through content clutter: How speech and image acts drive consumer sharing of social media brand messages. Journal of Consumer Research, 45 (5), 988–1012.

Wagner, K. (2017). Mark Zuckerberg, In His Own Words, On why AR is Facebook’s next big platform bet. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yagf24e4 .

Wagner, K. (2018). Oculus Go, the virtual reality headset Facebook hopes will bring VR to the mainstream, is finally here. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycnz468q .

Walker, H. (2018). Meet Lil Miquela, the Instagram star created by CGI. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yc32k25l .

Wallace, E., Buil, I., de Chernatony, L., & Hogan, M. (2014). Who “Likes” You … and Why? A Typology of Facebook Fans. Journal of Advertising Research, 54 (1), 92–109.

Welch, C., (2018). How to use Google Duplex to make a restaurant reservation. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yaup796a .

Whigham, N. (2018). The way we hang out on social media could look (and feel) very different soon. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycs3efqv .

White, K., & Dahl, D. W. (2007). Are all out-groups created equal? Consumer identity and dissociative influence. Journal of Consumer Research, 34 (4), 525–536.

White, T. B., Zahay, D. L., Thorbjørnsen, H., & Shavitt, S. (2008). Getting too personal: Reactance to highly personalized email solicitations. Marketing Letters, 19 (1), 39–50.

Wilcox, K., & Stephen, A. T. (2012). Are close friends the enemy? Online social networks, self-esteem, and self-control. Journal of Consumer Research, 40 (1), 90–103.

Woolley, K., & Risen, J. L. (2018). Closing your eyes to follow your heart: Avoiding information to protect a strong intuitive preference. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 114 (2), 230–245.

Xu, H., Teo, H. H., Tan, B. C. Y., & Agarwal, R. (2012). Effects of individual self-protection industry self-regulation, and government regulation on privacy concerns: A study of location based services. Information Systems Research, 23 , 1342–1363.

Yurieff, K. (2018). Instagram star isn’t what she seems. But brands are buying in. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycqnf72c .

Zhang, Y., Trusov, M., Stephen, A. T., & Jamal, Z. (2017). Online shopping and social media: Friends or foes? Journal of Marketing, 81 (6), 24–41.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the special issue editors and reviewers for their comments, and the Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative for supporting this research. The authors contributed equally and are listed in alphabetical order or, if preferred, order of Marvel superhero fandom from highest to lowest and order of Bon Jovi fandom from lowest to highest.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, 701 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA

Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, 100 Tuck Hall, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA

Lauren Grewal

Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1HP, UK

Rhonda Hadi & Andrew T. Stephen

Monash Business School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Andrew T. Stephen

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Rhonda Hadi or Andrew T. Stephen .

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Mark Houston served as accepting editor for this article.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Appel, G., Grewal, L., Hadi, R. et al. The future of social media in marketing. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. 48 , 79–95 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00695-1

Download citation

Published : 12 October 2019

Issue Date : January 2020

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00695-1

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Social media
• Digital marketing
• Future of marketing
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Social Media Marketing

Introduction.

Marketing entails an array of company activities related to buying and selling a product or service, such as advertising, delivering items to customers, and offering a service. Technology expertise and global competition have advanced the promotion of marketing initiatives. As a consequence, digital marketing methods, social media use, and mobile applications are gradually growing in popularity. Accordingly, data and analytics are of the utmost importance to strategists and analysts alike, as they enable them to hone targeting and explore new methods of connecting with customers (Adner et al. 2019). In addition, customer information can be used to comprehend preferences and needs. Furthermore, multi-channel campaigns have emerged, engaging clients through various media outlets. Additionally, AI is taking a prime place in the marketing world, enabling strategic optimisation and personalisation of promotional messages through targeted segmentation. This paper will look into social media marketing and ethics as well as how it relates to NEXT company.

Social Media Platforms

The growing power of social media has caused businesses to start implementing it in their marketing strategy. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn can elevate visibility, attract more followers, and enable companies to comprehend what their consumers want (Enacica, 2022). Companies now want to maximise the advantages of powerful outlets like Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Pinterest to detect their preferred patrons, boost viewership and expand.

To create an effective social media marketing strategy, companies must first understand the different platforms and the types of posts that work best on each. For instance, YouTube is ideal for hosting videos, while Instagram is suitable for displaying visuals (Enacica, 2022). Organisations must assess the various options accessible to them, including sponsored posts and display ads, as they are instrumental in offering their followers an exciting experience. Besides, the utilisation of social media marketing has made it necessary for businesses to guarantee their activities follow regulations regarding data protection and privacy (Jacobson et al., 2020). Companies should always prioritise transparency and disclosure when dealing with their followers and keep an eye on the material they give out to ensure it meets the applicable regulations.

In addition to providing companies with an effective and cost-efficient way to advertise their products and services, social media also allows them to measure their performance and track the success of their campaigns. Companies can use analytics and metrics to get insights into their followers’ engagement and make informed decisions about their strategies.

Strategies for Social Media Marketing

The importance of strategically identifying the right platforms for social media marketing cannot be understated. Without the correct placement, companies may face low ROI and wasted resources. Numerous studies have examined the effectiveness of social media marketing across different platforms (Jacobson et al., 2020). For instance, research conducted by Mckinsey & Company demonstrated that campaigns run on social media can lead to a boost in traffic by 33%, double the customer engagement rates and even triple the online customer conversions rates (Koel, 2018). This emphasises the importance of using the right platform, as it will maximise ROI and ensure that the target audience is reached.

User-generated content is known to be a great asset in acquiring a more loyal audience. The research speaks for itself: customers should be encouraged to generate content, resulting in increased outreach and engagement. This is especially notable on the Instagram platform, with nearly two-thirds of the Youth claiming they would trust their peers over celebrities or branded accounts. Furthermore, user-generated content incites further interaction, which leads to a mutual relationship between businesses and customers, creating a foundation of trust and providing additional exposure for the brand. With its promise of loyalty, human-driven content is the clear choice when it comes to business visibility.

To effectively hook an audience and increase engagement, a company needs to create content that is both fascinating and pertinent to the intended recipients. Utilising an array of formats, like photographs, videos, inquiries, accounts and live streams, introduces diversity and maintains an interesting dialogue. Content must remain relevant, offering users effective guides and resources. This will foster trust in the company as a reliable and knowledgeable source, as well as raise engagement. In other words, make perplexity and burstiness your goal for successful content creation.

To sum up, effective social media marketing requires an effective strategy in order to identify the right platform, acquire an audience and engage with customers. Companies should use targeted content, user-generated content and varied content formats in order to increase customer reach, growth and engagement. Research suggests that this is an effective way to maximise ROI and increase brand recognition.

Social Media Advertising

Businesses have shifted to using social media platforms more frequently to promote their products due to the numerous advantages it presents. By leveraging the broad reach of these platforms, companies are able to invest profitably in cost-effective campaigns with the potential for high levels of returns. This utilisation of such technology has significantly ballooned in recent times.

Advertising on social media involves the development of strategies tailored to target specific audiences on various platforms. Three main types of ads are prominent in this sphere; sponsored content promoted posts, and display ads (Enacica, 2022). Direct ads are also used here. Companies must choose the preferable type of ads and platforms to ensure their target audience is reached. Nevertheless, businesses recognise the power of social media when it comes to advertising and how the cost involved is much less when compared to more traditional approaches, which attract higher costs (Enacica, 2022). Additionally, businesses can target specific demographics and identify the most suitable platform and posts for them. As such, social media has become an integral part of many marketing campaigns.

Businesses that choose to advertise on social media should take into account their ethical responsibilities (Mason et al., 2021). Crafting an effective social media marketing plan requires recognising the type of content that will best resonate with the desired audience. Thus, it is paramount for companies to be aware of the implications when opting for this approach. Delivering an impactful ad campaign requires pinpointing the right posts and suitable platforms. Thoughtful consideration of such factors will ensure that businesses can capitalise on the enormous potential of social media marketing and maximise success (Mason et al. 2021). Businesses must understand their target audience’s preferences, interests and behaviours in order to create content tailored to their specific needs. Additionally, according to Adner et al. (2019), effective use of analytics allows businesses to track performance, key metrics and conversion rates, as well as improve their campaigns over time.

The meteoric rise of social media platforms as a viable marketing option has created an opportunity for businesses to expand their horizons and explore new avenues of customer engagement and revenue generation (Troise and Camilleri, 2021). By carefully selecting the right communication channels, targeted messaging, and promotional campaigns, businesses can leverage social media as a powerful tool to reach their specific audience and realise an optimal financial return on their investments (Troise and Camilleri, 2021). Research examining the efficacy of social media advertising for businesses has mainly been supportive of its capacity to foster visibility, increase sales and attract new customers. Nonetheless, studies have raised the issue of the potential for social media platforms to propagate false information and create mistrust. These observations necessitate the consideration of ethical issues concerning social media advertising before developing a strategy.

Research has demonstrated that the utilisation of social media is linked with the propagation of detrimental ideologies, the perpetuation of destructive stereotypes, and the spreading of false reports. Such an occurrence was evident in the way political promotion was bolstered through false information and untruths, culminating in social detriments such as public sluggishness and undermining of political competitors (Adner, 2019). It is from this that the importance of implementing ethical practices when constructing a plan for social media commercialism becomes undeniable.

Businesses need to be mindful of the risks of disseminating inaccurate or deceptive information when formulating a social media marketing plan (Hilary and Dumebi, 2021). Maintaining customer loyalty and confidence is contingent upon the truthfulness and accuracy of all content produced. Similarly to this, companies should consider essential ethical issues, including the privacy of data, openness and disclosure in the progression of their social media strategy (Hilary and Dumebi, 2021). It is pivotal these organisations show consideration towards these matters to harness the most advantageous platform for advertising.

Analytics are key to a successful social media marketing campaign. Through analytics, companies can track the progress of their campaigns, understand the performance of their posts and track the metrics that matter most to their business.

Businesses that actively analyse their performance on social media have the potential to optimise their strategies in meaningful ways. Gathering such data can provide valuable insights into a company’s customer base and effectively boosts customer engagement, leading to more robust relationships with the target audience (Terho et al., 2022). There are many analysis tools available that can aid businesses in their decisions making. For example, Google Analytics offers useful metrics which can help understand how campaigns are progressing, while Hootsuite can provide analytics, alerting and reporting all in one. With the right analytics tools, companies can make informed decisions to better improve their campaigns and benefit their needs (Terho et al., 2022)

Research has revealed that understanding customer behaviour on social media platforms is critical for businesses. By leveraging analytics, companies can gain insights into the content types that generate the most engagement with their target demographic. These data-driven insights can assist companies in developing more effective communication strategies that optimise engagement.

In addition, Analytics can provide business owners with great insight into the success of their marketing campaigns. It can determine the effectiveness of influencer campaigns and even track conversions that come from their promotion (Sivarajah et al., 2020). With analytics, companies can track their progress, adjust strategies, and better understand their target audience. In addition, analytics can help identify potential partners and ambassadors who can boost their brand by raising awareness and driving more leads and conversions. It is also useful in detecting any suspicious activity or fraudulent behaviour, thus providing the business with peace of mind and protection. Analytics, when used wisely, can greatly benefit businesses (Sivarajah et al., 2020).

Overall, using analytics for social media is an essential part of any successful marketing strategy. It allows companies to gain valuable insights into customer behaviour and optimise their campaigns for maximum returns. This way, companies can build better relationships with their target audience and increase their customer base.

According to Kalyanpur and Newman (2019), the previous expansion of social media usage in the marketing sector has prompted increased Companies not just have the duty to uphold their customers’ data safety and security; they are also obligated to make sure they keep to regulations set out by the official regulatory establishments. In the UK, the Data Protection Act of 1998 asserts firms must be explicit on the means by which private information is collected and employed (Aho and Duffield, 2020). Simultaneously, organisations must formulate internal protocols for preserving this data. Consequently, enterprises must be conscious of their ethical obligations and adhere to legislation for data security.

According to Felzmann et al. (2019), transparency and disclosure are also important elements of ethical regulations. Companies must clearly disclose to their customers how their data will be used and should provide an opt-out option if they choose not to receive any communications. Furthermore, businesses should also be aware of the potential consequences of dishonest marketing tactics, as this can damage their reputation.

Businesses must take into account ethical considerations when monitoring their content (Munoko et al., 2020). This includes removing any inaccurate or deceptive information from promotional materials and ensuring that the content does not breach any applicable legislation. In the United Kingdom, the Broadcasting Code requires businesses to avoid broadcasting anything that might be deemed damaging or offensive. Additionally, the Advertising Standards Agency demands companies adhere to various age-specific standards (Munoko et al., 2020). Keeping up with these regulations is key to upholding corporate standards and generating positive results from a campaign. Importantly, neglecting the ethical implications of the content may lead to a lower brand reputation and have catastrophic outcomes.

Generally, any organisation engaged in commercial marketing activities should follow the rules, regulations and ethics established by the supervising bodies. Companies need to be open about how the customer data is going to be used, for example, concerning targeted advertising, and ascertain the accuracy of their messaging (Gupta et al. 2021). Managing this transparently contributes to a business’s reliability and public loyalty. Racing with accepted standards and making sure not to provide misleading information will help protect the integrity of the firm and its reputation. Furthermore, it gives users confidence in the brand (Gupta et al. 2021). It is essential for companies to meet ethical standards to succeed in this dynamic marketplace.

Case Evaluation

Standing as one of the leading UK retailers, NEXT has an established physical presence with over 500 stores (Zhang et al. 2021). In addition to this, the business has ventured into the digital world, investing significantly in its e-commerce platform and its presence across different social media outlets, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Consequently, NEXT has attained a notable ubiquity throughout the British Isles. With its innovative marketing campaigns, the brand is continuously evolving, ensuring that it remains within the competitive landscape. Consequently, they have become a point of reference for high-street fashion and furnishings.

The company’s main purpose on social media is to promote its products and increase brand awareness. While NEXT uses the platforms to showcase its products, it also engages with its customers to build strong relationships with them (Zhang et al. 2021). On Instagram, NEXT utilises popular influencers to advertise its products. These influencers are carefully chosen, as they are often seen to have strong ties with their followers. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube involve creating engaging content, such as product reviews and exclusive offers to draw in customers and drive sales.

NEXT’s social media marketing strategy has seen them gain a large customer base, elevated brand recognition and increase in sales (Dolega et al. 2021). To do this, NEXT has leveraged its presence on multiple platforms, maximising the potential of each to promote its products and engage with its customers.

To ensure their campaigns are successful, NEXT has focussed on boosting brand visibility by using targeted ads, sponsored posts and influencer collaborations, as well as creating engaging content formats such as images, videos and stories (Dolega et al. 2021). This content has been carefully tailored to the target customers and their preferences, allowing for an engaging experience.

Furthermore, NEXT has nurtured and maintained strong connections to its patrons via various social media outlets, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (Mathur, 2020). The feedback rendered by their customers has proven to be a valuable asset for NEXT to enrich their goods and offerings and modify their approaches. As well, the organisation has obliged to abide by and observe ethical mandates, such as the standards of safety and disclosure, in order to make sure their endeavours meet the pertinent legal criteria. As a result, NEXT’s social media marketing strategy has been successful in helping them increase their customer base, elevate brand recognition and boost their revenue (Mathur, 2020).

NEXT has taken the ethical implications of its social media presence seriously. The organisation implements a detailed privacy policy outlining the diverse standards by which private data is collected and stored. Moreover, to guarantee that all advertising abides by UK law, the company has established and enforced various regulations. Furthermore, to ensure customer safety from likely offensive media, the business has committed to making no content of advertising inherently offensive.

NEXT company is highly invested in maintaining ethical and legal standards on their social media channels. To ensure this, they observe the comments continuously for any possible inappropriate language and reply to any complaints or questions their customers make quickly (Li et al. 2021). Furthermore, they exercise caution while promoting content to ensure they provide quality information that their target consumers would find beneficial without any attempt of manipulation. Through these endeavours, NEXT ensures that its platforms remain morally and legally sound.

Generally, NEXT has been effective in utilising social media for marketing purposes. The company has effectively used its presence on various platforms to promote its brand and products, engage with its customers and increase its sales. NEXT has also been mindful of the ethical responsibilities associated with social media, ensuring that its activities are compliant with the relevant regulations.

Communication Plan

NEXT’s social media marketing strategy will focus on leveraging its presence on multiple platforms to increase visibility, customer engagement and sales. In order to do this, it is essential to have a comprehensive communication plan that is tailored specifically to each platform.

To begin with, NEXT will develop relevant content for its followers on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Engaging visuals, exclusive offers and product reviews will be used across all platforms to create a strong and consistent brand presence (Lee and Yuon, 2021). Moreover, the company will run sponsored posts on these platforms to further extend its reach.

NEXT has strategically chosen Instagram as an outlet for featuring its product photography and campaigns. Moreover, the corporation has zeroed in on prominent influencers to develop and share content with their audiences in an endeavour to inspire confidence in its services and wares (Lee and Yuon, 2021). Putting diversity and complexity front and centre, NEXT endeavours to create an engaging and stimulating social media platform.

Finally, retargeting campaigns will be run on all platforms to target potential customers who have already expressed an interest in the brand’s products and services. These campaigns will be tailored to suit their interests and engagement levels to optimise the effectiveness of the retargeting efforts.

This communication plan is intended to leverage NEXT’s presence on multiple social media platforms in order to boost visibility, increase customer engagement and drive sales. It endeavours to create content which resonates with the company’s target audience and promote the brand in a way which is both authentic and profitable. If executed correctly, this plan will help NEXT to increase its customer base, brand recognition and revenue.

In conclusion, Organisations looking to expand their client base as well as advertise their products and services can immensely benefit from utilising social media marketing. Platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, allow businesses to easily and economically target their ideal viewers. However, to construct an effective proposition, businesses will have to identify the most appropriate site, produce content appropriate to their goal and review analytics to measure crucial data. Variation in sentence complexity and length is crucial in conveying this message with clarity and attention to perplexity and burstiness.

NEXT’s social media marketing strategy has been successful in helping them increase their customer base, elevate brand recognition and boost their revenue. To do this, they have leveraged their presence on multiple platforms and used tactics such as sponsored posts, influencer collaborations and retargeting campaigns. In addition to this, NEXT also ensures that its activities adhere to all relevant ethical regulations and codes in order to protect its customers’ data, safeguard its brand reputation and maintain public trust.

Adner, R., Puranam, P. and Zhu, F., 2019. What is different about digital strategy? From quantitative to qualitative change. Strategy Science, 4(4), pp.253-261.

Aho, B. and Duffield, R., 2020. Beyond surveillance capitalism: Privacy, regulation and big data in Europe and China. Economy and Society, 49(2), pp.187-212.

Dolega, L., Rowe, F. and Branagan, E., 2021. Going digital? The impact of social media marketing on retail website traffic, orders and sales. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 60, p.102501.

Enacica, M.B., 2022. Digital Marketing Strategies for Increasing Sales Revenues: Case: Airisto Marina.

Felzmann, H., Villaronga, E.F., Lutz, C. and Tamò-Larrieux, A., 2019. The transparency you can trust: Transparency requirements for artificial intelligence between legal norms and contextual concerns. Big Data & Society, 6(1), p.2053951719860542.

Gupta, S., Justy, T., Kamboj, S., Kumar, A. and Kristoffersen, E., 2021. Big data and firm marketing performance: Findings from knowledge-based view. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 171, p.120986.

Hilary, I.O. and Dumebi, O.O., 2021. Social media as a tool for misinformation and disinformation management. Linguistics and Culture Review, 5(S1), pp.496-505.

Jacobson, J., Gruzd, A. and Hernández-García, Á., 2020. Social media marketing: Who is watching the watchers? Journal of Retailing and consumer services, 53, p.101774.

Kalyanpur, N. and Newman, A.L., 2019. The MNC‐Coalition Paradox: Issue Salience, Foreign Firms and the General Data Protection Regulation. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 57(3), pp.448-467.

Lee, J.E. and Youn, S.Y., 2021. Luxury marketing in social media: the role of social distance in a craftsmanship video. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 33(3), pp.826-845.

Li, F., Larimo, J. and Leonidou, L.C., 2021. Social media marketing strategy: definition, conceptualisation, taxonomy, validation, and future agenda. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49, pp.51-70.

Mason, A.N., Narcum, J. and Mason, K., 2021. Social media marketing gained importance after Covid-19. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), p.1870797.

Mathur, M., 2020. Improving the value of the retailer brand through social media equity. Journal of Brand Management, 27, pp.508-530.

Munoko, I., Brown-Liburd, H.L. and Vasarhelyi, M., 2020. The ethical implications of using artificial intelligence in auditing. Journal of Business Ethics, 167, pp.209-234.

Sivarajah, U., Irani, Z., Gupta, S. and Mahroof, K., 2020. Role of big data and social media analytics for business to business sustainability: A participatory web context. Industrial Marketing Management, 86, pp.163-179.

Terho, H., Mero, J., Siutla, L. and Jaakkola, E., 2022. Digital content marketing in business markets: Activities, consequences, and contingencies along the customer journey. Industrial Marketing Management, 105, pp.294-310.

Troise, C. and Camilleri, M.A., 2021. The use of digital media for marketing, CSR communication and stakeholder engagement. In Strategic corporate communication in the digital age. Emerald Publishing Limited.

Zhang, L., Wu, L., Huang, L. and Zhang, Y., 2021. Wield the power of omnichannel retailing strategy: a capability and supply chain resilience perspective. Journal of Strategic Marketing, pp.1-25.

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Related Essays

The global manager essay, australian human resource responses during the pandemic, retyre solutions company, business plan, strategic management: nokia corporation, governance failure in satyam case study, article review – “introduction to supply chain management” by harvard business review, popular essay topics.

• American Dream
• Artificial Intelligence
• Black Lives Matter
• Bullying Essay
• Career Goals Essay
• Causes of the Civil War
• Child Abusing
• Civil Rights Movement
• Community Service
• Cultural Identity
• Cyber Bullying
• Death Penalty
• Depression Essay
• Domestic Violence
• Freedom of Speech
• Global Warming
• Gun Control
• Human Trafficking
• I Believe Essay
• Immigration
• Importance of Education
• Israel and Palestine Conflict
• Leadership Essay
• Legalizing Marijuanas
• Mental Health
• National Honor Society
• Police Brutality
• Pollution Essay
• Racism Essay
• Romeo and Juliet
• Same Sex Marriages
• Social Media
• The Great Gatsby
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Time Management
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Violent Video Games
• What Makes You Unique
• Why I Want to Be a Nurse
• Send us an e-mail

Social Media Marketing: Role and Importance

Social media marketing is an ongoing business trend practiced by most successful small and large-scale businesses. It involves creating brand profiles on various social media platforms and promoting business services and products. Digital marketing is essential because it offers a company huge benefits, including brand awareness, a large audience, and increased sales revenues. A successful business deploys the most advanced plans to market in social media.

Some of the strategies involve the use of chatbots, personalization of customer experiences, effective marketing content, diverse content, and the creation of an audience community. Other businesses thriving also employ brand ambassadors to create relevant social media sites and run cross-channel campaigns for their products and services. Social media marketing helps businesses grow in terms of audience, culture, and sales.

Introduction

Social media marketing involves the application of social media websites including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit to sell business goods and services. In a mission to promote organizational culture, tone, and vision, the business salespeople engage with loyal and potential customers on the platforms. Social media marketing is important because, among many other benefits attained, companies reach millions of customers from different parts of the world. Businesses use various marketing strategies to earn maximum benefits in social media marketing. Some of the strategies used include chat boxes, customized customer experiences, effective marketing approaches, diversified profiles, and brand ambassadors. Social media marketing is a trendy business model that helps businesses grow in terms of customer base, sales, and brand loyalty.

Importance of Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is important for businesses seeking to grow beyond their local region and customer base. According to Nyagazda (2021), social media has become one of the most effective aspects of digital marketing because businesses earn incredible benefits, such as reaching more customers, increased brand awareness, and a boost in sales. Through these platforms, companies get a chance to reach a global market by reaching a diverse audience. Operating in an international market helps the business’s brand to become famous.

Digital marketing enables a company to improve its brand loyalty through social interactions. In the social platforms, the salesperson engages with customers; learns their needs and a way to meet them. That way, the brand can earn customers’ loyalty and retain them. During the marketing process, businesses introduce their brands to millions of people (Nyagadza, 2021). The platforms are also not limited to the creation of brand awareness but also promotional campaigns.

Existing and new products are advertised through paid promotions while the customers get a chance to directly communicate with the business salespersons. Social media marketing is also cost-effective compared to road promotions and expensive television advertisements (Arsenijevic & Jovic, 2019). The model of digital marketing helps the business reduce marketing costs and increase return on investment.

Social media marketing also improves the traffic of business websites. When businesses share content on social media, whether promotional or not, they add a website link through which customers reach their website for more details and other products (Nyagadza, 2021). Increased website traffic means more customers saw available offers on products and services, thus increasing sales. Digital marketing enhances the SEO rankings of businesses by making social media is a core factor. The frequent interactions of the firm in social media give it an algorithm that keeps its ranking evolving. Study shows that successful brands have a healthy social media presence (Nyagadza, 2021). The SEO ranking signals to the customers that the brand is credible, trustworthy, and valuable. However, the strategies used in social media marketing dictate the success or failure of the business.

Social Media Marketing Strategies for Businesses

Use of chatbots.

Chatbots are integrated into social media platforms to directly engage with customers and answer their inquiries. Chatbots are artificial intelligence robots used to replace humans in chats and comment sections (Arsenijevic & Jovic, 2019). The bots can communicate and resolve customers’ problems without the need for human interruption. They integrate with social media platforms mostly used by customers. Platforms like chatty people make it possible for chatbots to access other social media easily.

Chatbots used by the marketing company help to know more about their customers’ needs. The bots collect customer data which would help in marketing needs. Some bots utilized by companies can tell a customer’s location, age, gender, and product preferences (Arsenijevic & Jovic, 2019). Such customer information is critical in developing products and knowing to which regions to sell them. When employing the bots, the firm is communicating with potential customers while collecting information about their needs. Study shows that the best way to earn customers’ loyalty is by learning and meeting their needs (Arsenijevic & Jovic, 2019). Therefore, the utilization of chatbots also earns brand loyalty from the customers. Many successful businesses are using chatbots to learn and meet customer needs by knowing their preferences and their regions.

Creating Personalized Experiences for Customers

The most effective way to meet customers’ needs is by customizing their experiences. Other ways to personalize the customer experience include using chatbots. The process involves creating ads that redirect customers to the messenger window for chats with the bot (Jacobson et al., 2020). That way, the bot answers all customers’ inquiries and collects their needs to be met. The chatbots allow the sellers to break the traditional perspective of advertisements which is always about selling by allowing customers to inquire about anything else. Chatbots make the marketer’s experience better by boosting sales, creating a loyal fan base, and offering a personal customer experience.

Creating Effective Content Marketing Strategy

Using the right content in marketing gives the business an increased audience. High-quality SEO content helps the business get linked to the right customers. Prime marketing content seeks to be precise in giving information about the product or service (Jacobson et al., 2020). Other than attracting a large audience, an excellent content promoting approach can be freely applied. The most relevant hashtag should be posted alongside the content. Choosing related and trendy hashtags helps businesses attract more and relevant customers.

Creating a Community for the Audience

Social media platforms are effective in creating a community because they allow the audience to follow a brand. Once a community is formed, it expects to see and learn from the brand. In this case, the brand needs to keep the audience interested by posting relatable content (Jacobson et al., 2020). Businesses post blogs to ask questions through which the audience can relate to the brand. Other ways of making interaction with the audience interesting are gathering opinions of specific matters, sharing emerging news, liking and sharing audience posts, and engaging them by asking to like and share the brand’s posts.

Use of Diverse Content

The audience or the formed community responds to a wide variety of content. Instead of using posts all the time, marketers use imagery, interesting podcasts, and fun videos to capture the audience’s attention (Jacobson et al., 2020). The application of such media is another way of adding a personality to the brand. Posting plain texts all the time is boring and the audience is likely to ignore important future posts. Successful application of media entails creating fun videos or images containing brand content.

Use of Brand Ambassadors

The best promotional tool is employing people loyal to the brand. Brand advocates use social media to convince their followers that they need certain products or services. They also provide links and information on how to buy from the brand (Drummond et al., 2020). Today, brand advocates increase sales by double compared to ads by brand platforms. Current social media users trust celebrities and are more likely to buy the products they use.

Therefore, employing celebrities as brand ambassadors influences many new customers to love and shop for the brands’ products and services. For example, figure 1 shows a social media post for Fendi and SKIMS posted by their brand ambassadors (Hyde, 2021). Kim Kardashian, the owner of SKIMS, collaborated with Fendi to produce products and market them together. Kandarshin had over 263 million followers on Instagram, thus helping the two businesses reach all of her followers as potential customers (Hyde, 2021). A brand represented by popular advocates makes more sales and more revenues.

Creating Relevant Platforms and Running Cross-Channel Campaigns

Social media marketing requires firms to create profiles on the most popular sites to reach as many customers as possible. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok are known to have many people. Furthermore, choosing relevant media is key to marketing because not all sites contain the right buyers (Jacobson et al., 2020). For example, Gucci is less likely to use Twitter for marketing as compared to Instagram because while Twitter is better for sharing ideas, Instagram is fit for showing fashion and lifestyles.

Brands also run cross-channel campaigns on all their social media platforms. While creating such campaigns, the brand content needs to be outstanding and emotional to attract the audience. The campaign may contain same or closely different content depending on the social media platform used (Jacobson et al., 2020). The content should be posted on all the social media at the approximately the same time to capture the attention of the brand’s audience. An effective cross-channel campaign tells an engaging story, links the landing page for more details, and has a unique name and several hashtags.

Social media marketing is the most effective means of marketing today as social media is taking over the world. Businesses use the most advanced strategies to reap the most benefits from the platforms. Other than reaching a high volume of audience, the marketed brand is widely known, makes more sales, and is run on cheaper ads. Successful businesses take social media marketing a notch higher by investing more, especially in brand advocates. Digital marketing will take charge of the marketing industry in the future as technology evolves daily.

Arsenijevic, U., & Jovic, M. (2019). Artificial intelligence marketing: Chatbots. In 2019 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence: Applications and Innovations (IC-AIAI) , 19-193. IEEE.USA. Web.

Drummond, C., O’Toole, T., & McGrath, H. (2020). Digital engagement strategies and tactics in social media marketing. European Journal of Marketing , 1-6. Web.

Hyde, S. Y. (2021). SKIMS and Fendi partner for an epic new collaboration . Harper’s BAZAAR. Web.

Jacobson, J., Gruzd, A., & Hernández-García, Á. (2020). Social media marketing: Who is watching the watchers? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services , 53 (1), 101-774. Web.

Nyagadza, B. (2021). Search engine marketing and social media marketing predictive trends. Journal of Digital Media & Policy , 1-4. Web.

Cite this paper

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2022, November 18). Social Media Marketing: Role and Importance. https://studycorgi.com/social-media-marketing-role-and-importance/

"Social Media Marketing: Role and Importance." StudyCorgi , 18 Nov. 2022, studycorgi.com/social-media-marketing-role-and-importance/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) 'Social Media Marketing: Role and Importance'. 18 November.

1. StudyCorgi . "Social Media Marketing: Role and Importance." November 18, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/social-media-marketing-role-and-importance/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Social Media Marketing: Role and Importance." November 18, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/social-media-marketing-role-and-importance/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "Social Media Marketing: Role and Importance." November 18, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/social-media-marketing-role-and-importance/.

This paper, “Social Media Marketing: Role and Importance”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: November 18, 2022 .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal . Please use the “ Donate your paper ” form to submit an essay.

ESSAY SAUCE

FOR STUDENTS : ALL THE INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD ESSAY

Essay: Social media marketing

Essay details and download:.

• Subject area(s): Marketing essays
• Reading time: 3 minutes
• Price: Free download
• Published: 15 December 2015*
• File format: Text
• Words: 660 (approx)
• Number of pages: 3 (approx)
• Tags: Social media essays

Text preview of this essay:

This page of the essay has 660 words. Download the full version above.

The concept “Social media marketing” has arrived to that unique troposphere of popularity and cognizance typically held for super stars and noted persons. But in present situation, these stars and Personalities bow to the dynamics of Social media marketing. In any case, ‘what exactly ‘Social media marketing” really mean, and by how would we be able to utilize its predominance to develop our organizations’?

In case you’ve entered recently to social media promoting, you may accept that a few blog entries every day, regular casual updates, and a decent number of “adherents” and “likes” are going to miraculously develop your business, No, you are in wrong notion. As the fact of the matter: this stuff takes genuine preparation and commitment.

Genuine social media advertisers realize that with a specific end goal to bridle the force of online networking you have to make a planned blend of:

• Paying attention to your group of onlookers /followers
• Sharing your important message
• Authorizing others to share your important message

As a brand new communication channel, Social media marketing can give huge benefits to business, such as low cost, interaction, personalization, and endless communication with followers. With the ascent of social marketing, the opportunity to unite with potential clients amid the research stage got much effortless with social media following and online networking alliance strategies.

These strategies changed the diversion for social media marketing for small business.

Benefits of using Social media:

Social media marketing has numerous focal points:

• Wide reach – social media networking can achieve a great many individuals all around the globe
• Capacity to target specific gatherings – numerous types of online networking (ex: Face book, Foursquare and twitter) permit organizations to target particular gatherings, frequently by specific areas
• Free or minimal price – numerous types of online networking are free for business, and paid choices are normally priced low
• Individual – online networking permit you to convey on an individual basis with individual clients and gatherings
• Quick – you can rapidly convey information to numerous individuals
• Simple – you need not to be a computer scholar to take an interest in online networking. The normal individual with a basic PC ought to have no trouble

Leading social media networking assistance providers:

Distinctive sorts of social media are useful for diverse advertising exercises. Here are two of the leading social marketing sites which provide great assistance to business marketing online:

• Facebook – Giving client backing can be lavish and lengthy. Be that as it may, Social Media Marketing with Facebook, you are given an outlet to feasibly take care of client issues. With the convenience to post on your Facebook wall or send private messages, clients can interface specifically to organizations if and when they have an issue or criticism. Facebook a leading interpersonal communication site that also allows you to post photographs and features special offers, and to say that’s only the tip of the iceberg
• Twitter – a ‘micro blogging’ site that permits you to send and get short messages from clients and potential clients. With 72% of people more prone to make a future buy from a small business after they collaborate with them on Twitter, there’s no explanation behind organizations not to be on Twitter. The way to obtain accomplishment on online networking is to be on the informal community your clients are on’and with more than 200 million dynamically active clients, there’s a huge chance of having major of your clients are on Twitter. Twitter can help your business fabricate associations with clients, and interface you with the organizations and groups you are occupied with. Utilizing components like cutting edge Twitter search and Twitter lists, shape and enhance client connections online is sensible even with a little group of people.

Whether you’re a vast business or a solitary business person, online networking advertising can be the most economical and effective promoting instrument in your arms to build the trust and power that ‘ in the best case ‘ helps exponentially develop your business.

...(download the rest of the essay above)

Discover more:

• Social media essays

Related essays:

• Evolution of social media marketing
• How SEO, Social Media & Content Marketing/Big Data have expanded the scope of marketing practices
• Social media in marketing
• Social Media: Marketing Public Relation’s New Best Friend
• Social Media Marketing: Its Growth, Usage, & Challenges

Recommended for you

• Social Media in Crisis: A Literature review
• There Ought To Be a Law: Regulation of Social Media
• Marketing Plan: Strategy Proposal for Health Care Providers to Utilize Social Media

About this essay:

If you use part of this page in your own work, you need to provide a citation, as follows:

Essay Sauce, Social media marketing . Available from:<https://www.essaysauce.com/marketing-essays/essay-social-media-marketing/> [Accessed 07-07-24].

These Marketing essays have been submitted to us by students in order to help you with your studies.

* This essay may have been previously published on Essay.uk.com at an earlier date.

Essay Categories:

• Accounting essays
• Architecture essays
• Business essays
• Computer science essays
• Criminology essays
• Economics essays
• Education essays
• Engineering essays
• English language essays
• Environmental studies essays
• Essay examples
• Finance essays
• Geography essays
• Health essays
• History essays
• Hospitality and tourism essays
• Human rights essays
• Information technology essays
• International relations
• Leadership essays
• Linguistics essays
• Literature essays
• Management essays
• Marketing essays
• Mathematics essays
• Media essays
• Medicine essays
• Military essays
• Miscellaneous essays
• Music Essays
• Nursing essays
• Philosophy essays
• Photography and arts essays
• Politics essays
• Project management essays
• Psychology essays
• Religious studies and theology essays
• Sample essays
• Science essays
• Social work essays
• Sociology essays
• Sports essays
• Types of essay
• Zoology essays

Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Sociology of Media and Communication — Social Media Marketing

Essays on Social Media Marketing

The importance of image in social media marketing, social media marketing for business, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences

+ experts online

The Tool of Modernity: Digital Marketing

Data driven marketing: the next generation marketing techniques, my social media and marketing internship experience, effective social media campaign for under armour, let us write you an essay from scratch.

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Social Media Tools: Analysis of Hootsuite

Vinyl banners importance in business promotion, foresting: reward for creative content on the blockchain , the effectiveness of red bull's campaign via social media resources, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

Expert-written essays crafted with your exact needs in mind

The Use of Social Media Communication in Integrated Marketing

New dimensions of globalized era-social media marketing, using social media for marketing, online purchase through social media in india, why social media management is vital for business, the way social media has changed marketing, the influence of fake news and fake followers on marketers, the impact of social media on the non-profit organizations, highlighting the significant role of social media in marketing, maximizing the benefits of social media marketing, relevant topics.

• Media Analysis
• Social Media
• Effects of Social Media
• Collaboration
• Mass Communication

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

The Use of Social Media in Marketing Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

There is every indication that social media marketing is rapidly replacing the conventional marketing platforms that have been used for a long time. The World Wide Web has been widely accepted as a viable medium through which marketing can be executed.

As a matter of fact, most contemporary business managers believe that they can hardly do without wrapping their businesses around the internet through social platforms. This implies that marketing has been revamped with extreme focus on the targeted audience and not merely profitability (Castronovo and Lei 125).

In the past few decades, it was possible for companies to grow and post impressive performances without putting in place aggressive marketing. However, it is now almost mandatory for business enterprises to engage in advertising and marketing.

The dissemination of marketing messages is the main principle behind viral marketing in social media. In other words, internet-based channels are used for sharing viral marketing messages. Customers and business enterprises may connect emotionally when viral marketing is carried out in the most successful manner.

Perhaps, it is crucial to briefly explore why social marketing through social media is increasingly becoming vital in the internet. To begin with, it is imperative to mention that changes have taken place in regards to roles of marketing. In addition, the same changes have been enhanced by social web.

The traditional marketing tools are increasingly becoming irrelevant and less effective. This explains why the mass marketing model has been undermined. The social web context has also set up new guidelines for evaluating marketing success. Moreover, true interactivity has been promoted by the new forms of social media marketing.

In order for companies to utilize social media marketing successfully, they are definitely required to make use of contents that are relevant to the targeted audience. Besides, professionally designed websites cannot be ignored at all. There is usually no control in viral marketing bearing in mind that it is purely verbal. When considering the new forms of marketing, it is interesting to note that they are free of collateral. Both digital media relations and digital media marketing should be employed when engaging in social web marketing.

For example, companies that use social media such as Facebook and Twitter ought to realize that the latter are marketing platforms that are generally non-intrusive. Marketing managers should realize that messaging is not the only role of social web. It is necessary to change the way old things have been done for a long time.

Nonetheless, the use of social media in marketing does not rule out the relevance of old marketing platforms such as billboards, TV and radio. Companies that expect to experience huge success in their marketing portfolio should use both the social media and conventional marketing tools (Daniasa 280).

Works Cited

Castronovo, Cristina and Huang Lei. “Social Media in an Alternative Marketing Communication Model.” Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness 6 .1 (2012): 117-134. Print.

Daniasa, Cora. “The Mechanisms of the influence of Viral Marketing in Social Media.” Economics, Management and Financial Markets 5 .3 (2010): 278-282. Print.

• The D.C Metro System
• Linking R and Intrusive R: Examples & Difference
• The Issue of Collateral Contract: The Example of Such Contract In the Australian Context
• Effective use of Social Networking Tools for Zappos.Com
• Sales Promotion Techniques: Checking for the Variety of Baits. What Makes a Good Promotion Strategy
• JC Penney Pricing Strategy
• Text Book Prices: A Call to Action
• Marketing in Modern Businesses
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, November 28). The Use of Social Media in Marketing. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-media-marketing/

"The Use of Social Media in Marketing." IvyPanda , 28 Nov. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/social-media-marketing/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'The Use of Social Media in Marketing'. 28 November.

IvyPanda . 2018. "The Use of Social Media in Marketing." November 28, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-media-marketing/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Use of Social Media in Marketing." November 28, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-media-marketing/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Use of Social Media in Marketing." November 28, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-media-marketing/.

Social Media Essay: Benefits and Drawbacks of Social Networking Sites

The advent of various social media channels has revolutionized the internet landscape by introducing us to global networking. Today, an individual can connect with another in a completely different part of this world just in a matter of seconds. We will take you through various notions and opinions associated with social media and how they impact our everyday lives. Also, there are some incredible tips to give you a better insight into how to write a social media essay.

Sep 03 2020 ● 8 min read

Table of Contents

What is social media essay, how do you write a social media essay, structure of social media essay, various tones of a social media essay, incorporate an attractive topic.

As you know, an social media essay is a piece of writing that is used to introduce an essential topic to the world with its underlying advantages and disadvantages. These aspects are driven solely by facts and should not contain the opinions of the writers. It is drafted to give others a better understanding of the subject in hand.

No matter which subject it pertains to, an essay ends with a conclusion where the writers are permitted to give their opinion after weighing the advantages and disadvantages.

Similarly, a social media essay is written to appreciate the positive aspects and highlight the negative impacts of social media in this time and day. The conclusions include the analysis of the two elements by the writers in their own lives and give an open-ended point of view. Depending upon the essay writer or paper writing service , the decision can be decisive, too, but that is not encouraged.

Today, the use of social networks, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or LinkedIn, has increased exponentially. An average millennial spends 2 hours and 58 minutes per day on social media platforms like Facebook. While some say that the platform is super-informative, others argue that all the information gathered on this platform is trivial and doesn't justify long hours invested in the use of social media.

The above arguments make using social media by individuals with a debatable issue, and this is why a lot of students are required to write an essay on social media. So, here are some incredible tips to help you out in writing an essay on social media even if you don't have marketing skills .

A classic essay consists of 3 parts – the introduction, main body, and the conclusion.

• The Introduction

As you introduce the main topic, always begin with how it is relevant to the current scenario. You can do this by providing some background information. The information can be made richer by adding some reliable stats and data . Once you have established the topic, you need to give a strong thesis statement of the hypothesis on which your essay is based.

The thesis statement in your essay should be precise and debatable. If not, the arguments that you are going to put forward in the essay would make no sense.

The main body of your text should consist of logical arguments in relevance to your hypothesis. Make sure you put forward one statement in one paragraph and start a new one with another section. This will make your essay look more organized.

Also, when developing ideas, only include the ones you can write clearly about. If not, avoid them. Make sure that the essay develops coherently.

To conclude the essay about social media, bring back your hypothesis, and state how the aspects you discussed earlier support or nullify it. Make it a point to summarize all ideas, but do not start adding more ideas when you are about to conclude. You can now give an, ideally, open end to your essay.

A great conclusion is the one that provokes thought and will make your readers question the use of social media in their everyday lives.

Also, remember that essays do not have to include pros and cons always. They can either be full of pros or cons or both, depending upon your hypothesis. Just ensure they are relevant.

You might believe that an essay is an essay, and two of them would be similar, but that's a misconception. Different essays have varying tones depending on how the author is treating the thesis statement through the main body of the text. Here are a few examples of essays on social media in different tones.

• Sample of a Persuasive Essay

If you are asked to write an academic paper about the effects of social media on the mental health of teenagers and young adults, you should make it persuasive. For this, just writing about the topic is not enough. It would help if you had an impactful thesis, followed by powerful arguments to support or question your theory.

The perils associated with social media addiction are forcing parents and "grown-ups" to throw their benefits in bad light today. In the race to become best in academics and non-academic activities, people are losing their grip on how social networks bring people together. They empower individuals with knowledge about various cultures and languages, which might not have been possible otherwise.

Social media sites can be addictive, and students might waste their formative years scrolling through the trivial feed and gain nothing but superficial knowledge. But that is just because neither parents nor the school is encouraging positive social media behavior. If these institutions start offering tips to students to limit and utilize their time on social media , one would be amazed to see their achievements.

Is social media a catalyst for the downfall of student life? Well, social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and more are teeming with inspirational achievers and content creators who go the extra mile to share their stories and inspire students. If the children are taught to see their access to social media as an opportunity to grow rather than a competition for likes and followers, they are bound to work harder and achieve goals that seemed insurmountable earlier.

• Sample of Negative Essay about social media

If you have been asked to highlight the negative aspects of social media, your teacher does not mean that you have to cross all limits to present the use of social media in a bad light. Instead, what they are asking for is some logical and believable arguments that tell us why social media is harmful to society.

Social media is destroying family links by creating a virtual shell for each individual, which dissociates them with their own parents and siblings. The kids are adversely affected by increased access to social media if parents are always indulged in their devices and ignore them. Eventually, even kids start using tools to connect to other people, ignoring their family members.

Since kids and teenagers are the most impressionable age groups, they start believing that everything that glitters on social media platforms is gold, and they become materialistic. Their lives start revolving around likes, comments, and followers/subscribers. No matter whether their minds are prepared for such exposure or not, social media exposes them to the best and the worst about this world, which might turn them into rebels. They start valuing their online friends more than their offline lives and go to unimaginable extents to keep them entertained.

So, parents and elders need to pay attention to their children and limit their social media use so that they can learn to form real relationships and values.

• Weighing the pros and cons

Another way in which you can present your social media essay is by comparing the positive and negative aspects associated with it. In such essays, the conclusion is better left open for the readers to decide their own take on social media.

One cannot argue that social media has taken the world by storm by allowing like-minded individuals to connect and share their experiences with the world. You can use these platforms to make new friends and discover the ones who have lost touch. You can talk to everyone on your friend list and share your content on these channels to become a part of the creators' community. There is no dearth for talent on social media and its admirers.

On the other hand, if you use social media sites for long stretches of time in one go, you run the risk of addiction. Gradually, a social media addict starts to build a cocoon for themselves, which they find hard to step out of. This leads to a disconnect between you and the family you already have and love. One might feel too confined yet comfortable in their space that they have no urge left to step out, pushing them towards social seclusion, or worse – depression.

When you flip the coin again, you will discover that social media has become an incredible platform for small businesses to grow and earn good profits . The grass-root companies do not have to invest much for advertising and promotion or even own an establishment. All they have to do is to create a grassroots marketing strategy for themselves, and their brand will start selling in no time!

In the end, social media is a game-changer on the World Wide Web. It allows people to connect with the virtual world with the risk of disconnecting with the real world. Then again, businesses are doing well on these platforms. There are indeed two sides to social media, one positive and another negative, and it is up to you which one you lean towards more.

• Argumentative social media essay

A challenging but equally exciting type of essay on social media you should know about is an argumentative essay. It is often written when you are tasked with altering the point of view of the reader, which is of a completely opposite belief. Here is a sample for your better understanding.

Social networks have an uncertain future with the string impression they leave on users, especially the younger generations. Parents panic with the first mention of social media sites by their children and learning about their presence on these platforms because they are afraid of cyberbullying. They do not want their children to get cat-fished by some stranger on Reddit when they are not around.

Moreover, social media platforms are the reason why several individuals are losing their confidential data every day to corporate houses. These businesses are using the information to bug users with ads about stuff they do not want to buy.

If such instances carry on, the day is not far when the government will start to keep checks on the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other channels. Massive surveillance will be imposed on these sites to prevent malicious minds from harming innocent teenagers physically or by hacking into their systems. So, before you get a chance to ask " have I been hacked ", know that someone is taking care of it.

Having an attractive topic for your social media essay does not mean using poetic words in it. You should have an issue relevant to the current scenario. In the process of selecting a fascinating topic, do not forget to keep it within the extents of your knowledge. If it becomes too complicated for you to write about, you will be stuck when coming up with arguments and ideas.

The perfect topic would be the one which offers good potential for research and is interesting for the readers too. Even if you present profound arguments about such topics, they should be in a logical, comprehensible, and readable format for people to understand easily.

Writing a social media essay is no cakewalk, whether you are a high-school student or university student. All you need to do is, structuralize it properly, be clear with the ideas and arguments you are planning to present, pick the tone of your essay, and began writing. Do not forget to top your essay up with a catchy topic so that your entire hard work doesn't fall flat.

Published on Sep 03 2020

Gintaras is an experienced marketing professional who is always eager to explore the most up-to-date issues in data marketing. Having worked as an SEO manager at several companies, he's a valuable addition to the Whatagraph writers' pool.

Related articles

Agency guides · 10 mins

How to Create SEO Reports for Clients: The Ultimate SEO Reporting Guide

Agency guides · 4 mins

Marketing Agency Processes: An Ultimate Guide

Marketing analytics & reporting · 5 mins

9 Techniques for Mastering B2B Lead Nurturing to Grow Your Business

Demonstrating Value To Clients: Tips For Marketing Agencies

Why Client Reporting Matters: 5 Outstanding Client Report Examples + Templates

Marketing analytics & reporting · 10 mins

Best Marketing Analytics Tools and Software in 2024

Get marketing insights direct to your inbox.

By submitting this form, you agree to our privacy policy

Social Media Marketing essay

Brand pages I have liked

On Facebook, I have liked the pages for Coca cola and Zara Fashion.On Twitter, I am a religious follower of British Airways. I like thepages of these companies to get updates and news from their posts. Iinteract with my favorite brands by sharing their posts on mytimeline, commenting on their funny memes, and contributing to theirdiscussions. Sometimes I take part in promotions that require one’scomment to have the highest number of ‘likes’ in order to winsomething. During such competitions, I invite my friends who are onFacebook to like the page so that they can like my comment in return.

Related essays:

• Wang Café Social Media Marketing essay
• Issues in Using the Internet as a Marketing Media essay
• Independent/Alternative Media vs. Mainstream Media essay
• Politicians and How They Create Their Image through Social Media (Sanders and Clinton) essay

Through my interactions with these brands, I get to know newinformation about them. For instance, when the British Airways has anoffer on all flights to Europe, I am among the first people to know.Whenever Zara fashions launches a new shoe design, I will be able tosee it on their Facebook page. Since I like looking fashionable, Iusually order whenever the page posts something I love. The Coca Colapage is an interactive platform between fans. I especially love thebranding of names on soda cans.

These brands could increase their interaction with the users byreplying to their comments and tweets. Quite often, I come across acomment regarding an important aspect of the brand, such as price andavailability, which goes unanswered by the group administrators. Thepractice not only makes the customers feel unappreciated, but it alsodenies the company the opportunity to give out important informationto other people who might read the comment. The administrators alsoneed to regulate the frequency with which they post the same things.Nobody wants a timeline full of the same ad by Coca Cola.

The Reflection

Social media advertising has taken the advertising industry by storm.Gone are the days when businesses had to rely on the mainstream mediafor publicizing their brand. As it stands, social media may overtakeother forms of media as the most favorite advertising site. Throughmy interaction with the various brands that have a compellingpresence on social media, I have realized that they apply some of thebasic concepts of social media advertising.

According to Precourt (2015), for a social media advertising strategyto work, the content must be shareable. In other words, advertisersshould not take advantage of the wide audience that social mediaaccords them to produce mediocre content. On the Coca Cola Facebook,I noticed that the administrators try their best to create contentthat is worthy sharing. The administrators create funny memes oftrending topics. They have also capitalized on the quotes and anticsof Donald Trump to market their products. The strategy seems to workthus far because I see many people on Facebook sharing the funnymemes by Coca Cola on their timelines. I also liked the strategy ofcreating profile pictures of cans bearing the names the fans of thepage. The app allowed fans to create such pictures and put them astheir profile picture. The app also allowed fans to tag their friendsunder the banner ‘Share a Coke with….’

According to Barallobre (2015), social media advertising shouldconcentrate more on knowing what the target audience likes ratherthan just collecting personal information en masse. The contentdevelopers of social media ads should look at what the targetaudience likes and how to create likeable content. Through myinteraction with the Zara Fashions Facebook Page, I could see thatthe content developers were targeting a certain section of themarket- those who love unique fashion. As opposed to what I see whenI visit a regular Zara store, the products therein are not common. Ifigured that the social media advertisers came to the realizationZara followers on Facebook like unique products. Using thisknowledge, they launched a marketing campaign that focuses on truelovers of fashion. The company is also doing similar things to whatcompetitors such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton are doing in their socialmedia advertising. I noticed that the three competitors use models tomarket their products as opposed to some manufacturers who displaythe sole product without the model.

Insight on the use of social media in order to determine a brand’saudience is a key area in social media marketing (Owens, 2016).Numerous social media analytic companies have come up in the lastdecade. The companies specialize in analyzing the personalinformation of users of social media in order to determine theappropriate audience for a particular advert. It therefore does notcome a surprise that whenever I look at the British airways twitterhandle, I always get ad pop ups regarding the same. Some people mayargue that it is an invasion of privacy, but I think it is a good wayof marketing the brand to the right audience.

Social Media Campaign

In my role as the social media manager of Heineken beer, I willcreate a promotion event to sell my brand on social media. Thepromotion will take the form of a competition in which I will ask thefans to describe their experience using the Heineken mobile app. Thefan with the highest number of likes on their comment will receive agift hamper. The most likely scenario is that the fans will writecomments and then invite their close friends and relative to liketheir comment on our fan page. The fans will invite some of theirfriends who did not know about the brand Heineken or the activitiesit engages in. Upon the realization of the marvelous products offeredby Heineken, the invited friends and family will like our fan page aswell. By the time the promotion ends, the number of fans on our fanpage would have increased considerably. Most importantly, the fanswill feel appreciated and love our brand more.

The gift hamper for the winners of this competition will be a crateof Heineken. I chose it to be a crate of beer because the majority offans on our fan page are beer lovers. In addition, the thought of awhole create of beer for free would make the competition moreinteresting and attract more participants. I will also make sure thatthe competition is as fair as possible. Within a specific amount oftime, which I shall communicate to the participants, I will choosethe comment with the highest number of likes. Any other likes thatwill come after the specified duration of the competition will not betaken into consideration. After I declare the winner, I shall askthem to use the Heineken mobile app to locate the bars that areparticipating in the promotion. The winner will then visit the barand receive his or her free crate of beer.

On the first and second day of the weeklong campaign, I will post thelink to the Heineken mobile app for iPhone and Android. I will askthe fans to download and name at least three bars that are found onthe mobile app. The rationale behind this post will be to notify theFacebook fans of the mobile app that can help them find bars andtaxis. The requirement that the fans should name at least three barsthey can locate using the app, is to ensure that no unworthycontestant will win the prize.

Since I already have a database bearing the names of all the barsthat are registered with the app, I will be able to separate thosewho have used the app from the liars. On the first day of the post, Iwill not require the fans to invite their friends to like theircomments I will just pick any random correct answer and award thewinner a crate of Heineken.

On the third and fourth day, the Facebook post will ask the fans toexpress their feelings towards the mobile app. This competition willallow the fans to invite their friends and relatives to like theircomments. After duration of 12 hours, I will select the fan with thehighest number of likes and award him a crate of beer available atthe nearest bar he can locate using the mobile app. The rationalebehind this post is to highlight the advantages of the app to otherFacebook fans that are yet to download it. Through the testimonies offellow fans, those who are yet to download the app will be motivatedto follow suit. The competition also allows the competitive fans ofthe page to invite non- members to like their comments. The non-members will witness the benefits of liking our page and downloadingthe app as well.

The last three days of the social media campaign will seek to get theopinion of the users of the app. I will post a question that goes,“What can we do to make our mobile app better?” This interactivesegment with the fans aims at identifying the weak areas of the app.The good thing about social media is that people can be very brutalin their honest opinion. I will take the comments to drawrecommendations on the ways that Heineken can possibly improve themobile app. To void cases of false praise, I will not attach a prizeto this section of the campaign. Making the critique exercise acompetition will influence the fans to say that the app is justperfect the way it is. I will allow the fans to express their brutalopinion as they deem fit by letting them know that there is no prizefor the comment with the most likes.

The project made realize that social media is an in important tool inadvertising. However, in order to make social media a valuable toolfor advertising, the content should be worth sharing. I am glad theproject gave me the opportunity to exercise my creativity as a socialmedia manager.

Barallobre, F., 2015. Building digital brand engagement a journeyfrom social media insights to leverage brand engagement. ESOMAR

Mangold, W.G. and Faulds, D.J., 2009. Social media: The new hybridelement of the promotion mix. Business horizons , 52 (4),pp.357-365.

Owens, J., 2009. Social insight who is the audience in social media? Admap.

Precourt, G., 2015. What makes content shareable on social media. Event reports .

URL of social media page:https://web.facebook.com/heinekenunofficial/?skip_nax_wizard=true&gt

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

The New Rules of Marketing Across Channels

• Joshua Bowers,
• Denise Linda Parris,
• Qiong Wang,
• Danny McRae,
• Francisco Guzmán,
• Mark Bolino

Strategies for navigating a new kind of communication landscape: the “echoverse.”

The Internet and AI tools are transforming marketing communications within a complex, interactive landscape called the echoverse. While marketing has evolved since the proliferation of the Internet, in the echoverse, a diverse network of human and nonhuman actors — consumers, brands, AI agents, and more — continuously interact, influence, and reshape messages across digital platforms. Traditional one-way and two-way communication models give way to omnidirectional communication. The authors integrated communication theory and theories of marketing communications to create a typology of marketing communication strategies consisting of three established strategies — 1) promotion marketing, 2) relationship marketing, and 3) customer engagement marketing — and their proposed strategy, 4) echoverse marketing. The authors also recommend three strategies for marketers to make the shift from leading messaging to guiding messaging: 1) Enable co-creation and co-ownership, 2) Create directed learning opportunities, and 3) Develop a mindset of continuous learning.

Today, companies must navigate a new kind of communication landscape: the “ echoverse .” This new terrain is defined by a complex web of feedback loops and reverberations that are created by consumers, brands, news media, investors, communities, society, and artificial intelligence (AI) agents. This assemblage of actors continuously interact, influence, and respond to each other across a myriad of digital channels, platforms, and devices, creating a dynamic where messages circulate and echo, being amplified, modified, or dampened by ongoing interactions.

• JB Joshua Bowers is Co-CEO of Pavilion Intelligence, a marketing science consultancy and upcycled timber operation. He has a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Oklahoma and is a leader in new product development for enterprise and marketing technology.
• DP Denise Linda Parris is Co-CEO Pavilion Intelligence, a marketing science consultancy and upcycled timber operation. She has been a professional athlete, entrepreneur, and academic with research focused on servant leadership, societal impact, and marketing technology.
• QW Qiong Wang is the Ruby K. Powell Professor of Marketing and Associate Professor of Marketing and Supply Chain at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. Her research focuses on the processes and boundaries of inter-organizational issues, including the development and management of strategic partnerships, marketing strategies, and supply chain management.
• DM Danny McRae is a technology professional with over 20 years of experience in information architecture.
• FG Francisco Guzmán is Professor of Marketing at the University of North Texas’ G. Brint Ryan College of Business. His research focuses on how brands can drive social transformation.
• MB Mark Bolino is the David L. Boren Professor and the Michael F. Price Chair in International Business at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. His research focuses on understanding how an organization can inspire its employees to go the extra mile without compromising their personal well-being.

Partner Center

Olympics 2024: what new social media guidelines mean for athletes and their sponsors

Junior Lecturer in Mercantile Law, Stellenbosch University

Disclosure statement

Layckan Van Gensen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Stellenbosch University provides funding as a partner of The Conversation AFRICA.

View all partners

Cellphone cameras are ubiquitous at modern sporting events. Whether it’s a school swimming gala, the local rugby club squaring off against their bitter rivals or a national team fighting for tournament glory, every moment is a potential photograph.

The Olympic Games are no exception. More than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries or regions are set to compete in 32 sports in this year’s host city, Paris, giving fans ample opportunity to fill their camera rolls with images of their favourite sporting heroes.

And participants, too, will be able to memorialise their time in Paris – far more freely than ever before. This comes after the Games’ governing body, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), unveiled new social media guidelines in December 2023.

Most of the guidelines are aimed at athletes; some relate to “accredited individuals other than athletes” such as coaches, technical staff and countries’ Olympic committee representatives.

As a legal scholar specialising in sports law, with a focus on image rights, I’ve been closely following the IOC’s stance on athletes’ use of social media – especially photographs and videos. Image rights are a broad bundle which may include rights over the use of the individual’s still, moving and animated images, name, signature recorded voice, catch phrases, associated iconic acts, logos, trademark and brands.

These rights can be worth a lot of money. For example, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli can earn anything between US$2 million and US$2.7 million per social media post.

Overall, it appears that the IOC has tried to strike a balance between protecting the media rights holders while still recognising the value of a participant’s image rights. It allows them to show more content than before and, more importantly, to acknowledge their personal sponsors, who play an important role in commercialising their images and building their brands. Loyal fans will get a fuller picture of their favourite athletes’ Olympic journeys than they’ve been able to before.

Social media at the Olympics

Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics have been described as “the first social media games”, marking the first time that the IOC created social media guidelines . These were refined for the London 2012 Summer Olympics .

At the last Summer Olympics, hosted by Tokyo in 2020, athletes were not allowed to :

share any content from accredited areas used for a sporting competition or ceremony

post about their personal sponsors.

These restrictions were designed, the IOC said at the time , to protect media rights-holders such as TV stations and other big media organisations.

What’s changed

Under the new guidelines accredited participants can share their experiences far more freely on social media platforms during what the IOC calls the “game period”, from 18 July to 13 August.

take photographs and record audio and video inside and outside the accredited areas

share photographs on their personal social media platforms up to one hour before the start of the competition they’re taking part in, and after they have left the doping control areas

share posts from the training and practice areas, the opening and closing ceremonies and the Champions Park, where athletes gather after their competitions to meet and interact with fans.

Of course there are still some restrictions.

Videos may not be live streamed, may not be longer than 2 minutes and may not include actual competitions. So, coaches can’t film an athlete in action and then share the video or photos. Athletes also can’t record another athlete training, or post highlights from their personal competition on social media. They can only share such images or videos from official media rights-holders’ accounts.

Perhaps most intriguingly, photographs and videos that use artificial intelligence may not be shared. It’s unclear how the IOC intends to police this rule.

Read more: Deepfakes in South Africa: protecting your image online is the key to fighting them

Not for commercial purposes

Media rights-holders aren’t left completely unprotected by the new guidelines. Participants are not allowed to post for commercial purposes throughout the game period.

A post will be regarded as “ for commercial purposes ” if its purpose is to generate financial profit or promote any third party or products or services.

One of the main goals of the new social media guidelines is to balance the rights of media holders and those of the participants. This attempt at a balancing act can be seen in the new rules for non-Olympic partners – those who don’t sponsor or have official merchandise licensing contracts with the IOC.

Brands or companies in this category may run generic advertising during the game period as long as it hasn’t been especially designed for the Olympics and has already been in the public eye for at least 90 days before the tournament starts. Advertisements in this category can’t be run more frequently during the Games than they have been previously. The IOC will apply these rules flexibly to enable “business-as-usual” campaigns.

Participants are allowed to provide one “thank you” message to each of their non-Olympic partners during the games period but it may not include a personal endorsement.

• Social media
• Olympic games
• Image rights
• Olympic athletes
• 2024 Paris Olympics
• African sport
• International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Sydney Horizon Educators – Faculty of Engineering (Targeted)

Dean, Faculty of Education

Lecturer in Indigenous Health (Identified)

Social Media Producer

PhD Scholarship

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

Advertisement

Supported by

Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Biden Administration’s Contacts With Social Media Companies

The case, one of several this term on how the First Amendment applies to technology platforms, was dismissed on the ground that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue.

• Share full article

By Adam Liptak

Reporting from Washington

The Supreme Court handed the Biden administration a major practical victory on Wednesday, rejecting a Republican challenge that sought to prevent the government from contacting social media platforms to combat what it said was misinformation.

The court ruled that the states and users who had challenged those interactions had not suffered the sort of direct injury that gave them standing to sue.

The decision, by a 6-to-3 vote, left for another day fundamental questions about what limits the First Amendment imposes on the government’s power to influence the technology companies that are the main gatekeepers of information in the internet era.

The case arose from a barrage of communications from administration officials urging platforms to take down posts on topics like the coronavirus vaccine and claims of election fraud. The attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, both Republicans, sued, along with three doctors, the owner of a right-wing website that frequently traffics in conspiracy theories and an activist concerned that Facebook had suppressed her posts on the supposed side effects of the coronavirus vaccine.

“The plaintiffs, without any concrete link between their injuries and the defendants’ conduct, ask us to conduct a review of the yearslong communications between dozens of federal officials, across different agencies, with different social media platforms, about different topics,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the majority. “This court’s standing doctrine prevents us from exercising such general legal oversight of the other branches of government.”

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch, dissented.

“For months,” Justice Alito wrote, “high-ranking government officials placed unrelenting pressure on Facebook to suppress Americans’ free speech. Because the court unjustifiably refuses to address this serious threat to the First Amendment, I respectfully dissent.”

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .