Barker & Barker

Social Media Marketing:

A Strategic Approach, 2e

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted
in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for
classroom use.
 The Role of
Social Media Marketing
Chapter 1

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Chapter Outline
⚫ What is SMM?
⚫ The Seven Myths of SMM
⚫ The History of SMM
⚫ Why SMM is Different
⚫ Careers in SMM
⚫ What Are the Characteristics of a Successful
Social Media Marketer?
⚫ Best Practice for SMM

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 What is SMM?
⚫ Social Media Marketing (SMM) refers to the
process of gaining website traffic or attention
through social media sites:
1. Creating buzz, videos, tweets or blog entries that
may become viral.
2. Building ways that enable fans of a brand to
promote a message themselves.
3. Based around online conversations.
4. Part of a larger media ecosystem of owned, paid
and earned media used in marketing.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 1. Creating Buzz
⚫ Buzz is what makes SMM work. It replicates a message
through user to user contact, rather than the traditional
method of purchasing an ad or promoting a press
release.
⚫ It emulates word of mouth (WOM) in the physical
world and consequently can have a great deal of impact.
⚫ No one can control, or even do a good job predicting,
when a social media post will go viral. But marketers
understand that they need to pay attention, perhaps
even to improve their customer service.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Figure 1.1

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 United Breaks Guitars
⚫ Musician Dave Carroll’s guitar was damaged on a United
Airlines flight. He spent the next 9 months trying to recover the
$1,200 it cost to have the guitar repaired, without success.
⚫ He created a video at the cost of $150 which he posted on
YouTube. Within 24 hours the video had over 150,000 views;
24 days later it had over a million views and major news
organizations as well as social media users had picked it up.
⚫ United contacted him agreeing to pay the repair costs and
offered $1,200 in flight vouchers, which he declined. Two years
later he estimated that his message had reached as many as 100
million people, courtesy of all the media mentions. All this
created a storm of negative publicity for United.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 2. Fans Promote Brands
⚫ Enable fans of a brand or company to promote a
message themselves in multiple online social media
venues.
⚫ Corporations or brands can create pages on major
social platforms where they can offer followers
information and promotions.
⚫ They can reach huge audiences on these platforms as
will be shown in the next section of this chapter.
⚫ These huge audiences can be segmented using profile
data and behavioral data from the platform to reach
targeted audiences or to attract paid advertising

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 3. Online Conversations
⚫ It is based around online conversations. SMM is not
controlled by the organization. Instead it encourages
user participation and dialog.
⚫ A badly designed SMM campaign can potentially backfire
on the organization that created it. To be successful
SMM campaigns must fully engage and respect the users.
⚫ Each type of platform, as discussed in Chapter 5, has its
own way of engaging followers. How to conduct SMM
in ways that bring positive response instead of public
backlash is the subject of Chapter 4.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 4.a Paid & Owned Media
⚫ Social media is part of a larger media ecosystem of
owned, paid, and earned media, which represents a way
for marketers to leverage their own brand efforts.
⚫ Paid media describes the traditional print and broadcast
media, which are now joined by paid advertising on
social media platforms and blogs.
⚫ The Internet gives brands the opportunity to own their
own media outlets ranging from their websites to their
Facebook and LinkedIn pages. It has made each brand
its own publisher.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 4.b Earned Media
⚫ The most valuable media of all in this ecosystem is
earned media.
⚫ When people begin talking about a brand and its
content, they spread the word with no additional effort
on the part of the marketer.
⚫ Even more important, this digital WOM confers much
credibility on the brand, especially if recognized experts
or influentials are talking on Twitter, Facebook, their
blogs, and other channels.
⚫ The brand cannot control the nature of this
conversation but positive WOM in earned media can
give the brand a significant boost
© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Figure 1.2

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 The Seven Myths of SMM
#2-Social Media
#1-Social Media #3-There is no
is Just for the
is Just a Fad Return on SMM
Young

#4-SMM Isn’t #6-Social Media

Right for This #5-SMM is New is Too
Business Time-Consuming

#7-Social Media
is Free

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 #1-Social Media is Just a Fad
⚫ Social media is a not a flash in the pan because of the
human desire to socialize.
⚫ The media of the Internet continue to evolve at a rapid
rate, providing new and attractive means for people to
interact.
⚫ Specific social media platforms rise and fall in popularity.
The social media marketer must be alert to ongoing
changes in the social media environment.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Figure 1.3

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Figure 1.4

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 #2-Social Media is for the Young
⚫ The reality is that older users are among the fastest
growing demographics on most social media sites.
⚫ The growth in social media usage rates among older
adults carries over into the mobile sphere.
⚫ Social networks are increasingly being adopted by older
populations and are becoming incredibly diverse, with
users spanning all age and income brackets.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Figure 1.5

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 #3-There is no Return on SMM
⚫ Measuring the return on SMM is not easy. It requires
careful planning, careful execution, consistent
monitoring, and the discipline to analyze and gain
business insights from monitoring data.
⚫ Social media return is measured in a variety of different
ways and is not always as clear-cut as financial ROI.
⚫ While there are many ways to measure marketing
achievement, in the end sales represent the definitive
accomplishment for marketers

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Figure 1.6

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 #4-SMM Isn’t Right for This Business

⚫ Businesses both large and small use social media. Since

most social media platforms are free, SMM has a special
attraction for small businesses, including local retailers
and services businesses.
⚫ For all marketers the top benefits of SMM are
increasing exposure, increasing traffic, creating loyal
fans, and generating business intelligence. Each of those
benefits applies equally to B2C and B2B (Figure 1.4).

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Figure 1.7

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 #5-SMM is New
⚫ New technology and media are changing the role of
traditional marketing concepts in modern marketing
efforts.
⚫ Talking about brands and businesses isn’t new and is
more generally called WOM marketing. The difference
is that these conversations are now public and online.
⚫ Some companies don’t want to use social media
because they are afraid of what consumers might say
about them. The reality is that consumers are already
on social sites, talking about businesses, whether a
business acknowledges this or not.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 #6-Social Media is Too Time-Consuming

⚫ One of the biggest business concerns about using SMM

is the amount of time and resources it will take.
⚫ The time and the human and technology resources
required to manage SMM depends on the size of the
business.
⚫ Most of the concern about time and resources comes
from small- and medium-sized businesses. After the
initial setup and strategy, these businesses should be
able to manage their social media programs effectively
with only a few hours per week. Social media doesn’t
have to be time consuming when done right.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 #7-Social Media is Free
⚫ While most sites do not have a fee for usage, social
media isn’t really free.
◦ First, there is the cost in terms of personnel time and
technology resources.
◦ Second, similar to other media and advertising, there are
also costs to producing and creating content.
◦ Third, many businesses invest in a social media guide or
consultant to help them through the process.
⚫ Regardless of whether or not there are actual
out-of-pocket expenses associated with social media,
the resource and time costs should not be forgotten.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Why SMM is Different
⚫ Several aspects distinguish SMM from traditional
marketing:
⚫ Control (traditional) vs. contributions (SMM)
⚫ Trust building; be earnest, down-to-earth.
⚫ SMM is a unique combination of marketing creativity
and technology.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Control vs Contributions
⚫ Traditional marketing seeks to control the content seen
by the audience. On the Internet, and in social media
especially, control over content consumed is in the
hands of consumers and marketers cannot ignore that.
⚫ SMM emphasizes audience contribution and relinquishes
control over large parts of the content.
⚫ Effective social media marketers can sometimes
influence what participants say and think about their
brand, but rarely can they control the conversation
entirely.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Trust Building (1 of 2)
⚫ Firms cannot fully control the content that users will
create, so to build their image, companies must develop
trusting relationships with their audience.
⚫ Unlike traditional advertisements in which consumers
expect some exaggeration or spin to be applied to the
product’s image, on social media it is important to be
earnest and down- to-earth. All communication must
be authentic, in tone and in context.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Trust Building (2 of 2)
⚫ The importance of trust emerges from how social
media messages are consumed. In traditional marketing,
the signal is one-way: from the firm to potential
customers. However, social media involves
many-to-many communication with brands being only
one participant.
⚫ The audience’s attention cannot be taken for granted;
deliver boring, inaccurate, or irrelevant information and
they will look elsewhere.
⚫ Companies that bend the truth will be eventually held
accountable and have to explain their actions.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Combining marketing creativity
and technology
⚫ We see examples of creative use of marketing
technology on an almost-daily basis.
⚫ This Domino’s TV commercial is only one example.
(https://youtu.be/D1SrOjuBSEU). It shows celebrities
ordering pizza using a variety of technologies: Tweets,
TV remote, pizza emoji to text an order, and ordering
with a smartwatch.
⚫ SMM does not exist in a vacuum; it is part of digital
marketing, which, in turn, is part of the overall
marketing effort.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Careers in SMM (1 of 2)
⚫ From virtually nothing in 2003, social media
now measures in billions.
⚫ That growth has fueled the number of jobs in
the field.
⚫ But numbers hard to come by, as many SM marketers
have transitioned from other jobs in their firms, and
because many work part time.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Careers in SMM (2 of 2)
⚫ Many positions available, including these:
⚫ Blogger
⚫ Community manager
⚫ Digital media manager
⚫ Director, social media marketing
⚫ Engagement manager
⚫ Interactive media associate
⚫ Social media account executive
⚫ And many more

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 What are the Characteristics of a
Successful Social Media Marketer? (1 of 2)
⚫ Good communication skills
⚫ Able to engage with a diverse group
⚫ Being a good listener
⚫ Good writing skills
⚫ Working knowledge of computers and the Internet
⚫ Programming not required
⚫ Knowledge of search marketing desirable
⚫ Proficiency on at least 3 leading social platforms:
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 What are the Characteristics of a
Successful Social Media Marketer? (2 of 2)
⚫ Tips for jobseekers:
⚫ Stay on top of social media trends
⚫ Be prepared to think and act quickly.
⚫ Be comfortable with analytics.
⚫ Learn to write for social media.
⚫ Establish and maintain your social media presence.
⚫ In all you do, show yourself to be an effective user
of social media.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
 Best Practices for SMM
1. Begin with a strategy backed by a SMM plan.
2. Be honest and transparent in all your social media
efforts.
3. Identify your target audience and understand its media
behavior before you begin.
4. Welcome participation and feedback from your
audience.
5. Remember that what you know today may not be
valid tomorrow. SMM changes with the speed of
technology.

© 2017 Cengage Learning® May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a
certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.