Social Community in Social Media Marketing

Chapter 6: Social Community

Learning Objectives

  • Understand how social networking communities promote user participation and sharing.

  • Explore ways brands can utilize social networking communities for branding and promotional purposes.

  • Identify methods for brands to engage consumers organically through social networking sites.

  • Examine the characteristics exhibited by brand fans.

  • Discuss various forms of paid media applicable within social communities.

  • Assess the importance of paid media for social media marketers.

Social Community Zone (Figure 6.1)

  • The Social Community Zone encompasses various interactions such as:

    • Sharing: Users share content, information, and experiences.

    • Socializing: Engaging with friends and followers.

    • Conversing: Dialogue with brands and other users.

  • Includes categories like:

    • Social Publishing: Platforms where users generate and share content.

    • CRM/Service: Customer Relationship Management tools and service interactions.

    • Retailing/Sales: Sales interactions through social media.

    • Human Resources: Community building for recruitment and employee engagement.

  • Other elements present in this zone:

    • Social Commerce and Entertainment, including:

    • Games

    • Music

    • Art

Network Popularity Variability

  • Popularity of networks can vary significantly by region.

Dimensions of Social Networking Sites

  • Audience and Degree of Specialization: Different niches cater to specific user bases.

  • Social Objects and Environments: These mediate relationships among members and define interaction contexts.

  • Ownership or Openness: The degree of accessibility to data and structures within the platform.

The Metaverse: A New Social Media Environment

  • Metaverse Defined: The next generation of the internet blending digital and physical realities seamlessly.

  • Characteristics of the Metaverse (Page 8):

    • Sense of Immersion: Users feel physically present in a virtual environment.

    • Real-time, Synchronous Interactivity: Users can interact in real-time with others and the environment.

    • User Agency: Users have control over their actions and the virtual environment.

Marketing Applications in the Social Community Zone (Page 9)

  • Social Presence: Brands acting as social nodes within community networks.

  • Brand Engagement: Establishing connections and interactions with followers.

  • Paid Media: Utilization of advertisements to promote visibility and engagement.

Social Presence (Page 10)

  • Brands create profiles within social networks, becoming nodes in social graphs:

    • Fan base, consisting of friends/followers, indicates the brand's success in building a community presence.

Determining the Brand’s Social Media Character (Page 11)

  • Key inquiries to define brand characteristics:

    • Core Values: What are the foundational beliefs?

    • Social Objects: What content represents these values?

    • Promises: What commitments has the brand made?

    • Aspirational Attributes: Desired qualities for the brand image.

    • Associated Traits: Characteristics linked to brand identity.

    • Opportunities for Growth: Areas where the brand can expand its influence.

    • Brand Stories: Narratives that enhance brand identity and resonate with users.

Reasons Brands are Followed on Social Media (Page 12)

  • New Products or Services: 34% of users follow to learn about company offerings.

  • Company News: Keeping up with updates.

  • Promotions/Discounts: Interest in financial offers.

  • Entertainment: Engaging content keeps users interested.

  • Education: Users want insights and information from brands.

  • Connection: 32% want to connect with like-minded individuals.

  • Inspiration/Communication: 21% want to build a rapport with the brand and discover inspiration.

  • Diversity in Connections: 18% wish to engage with different viewpoints.

Reasons for Unfollowing Brands on Social Media (Page 13)

  • Poor Quality of Product/Service: 49% find this a primary reason.

  • Poor Customer Service: 49% correlates with brand dissatisfaction.

  • Irrelevant Content: 45% of users disengage due to non-interesting content.

  • Excessive Advertisements: 45% will unfollow if ads become too frequent.

  • Privacy Concerns: 39% indicates this is a growing issue.

  • Negative Press: Corporate scandals lead to a 26% unfollowing rate.

  • Over-Posting: 24% unfollow due to brands posting too frequently.

Characteristics of Social Fans (Page 14)

  1. Emotional Engagement: Connection to the brand emotionally.

  2. Self-Identification: Seeing personal identity reflected in the brand.

  3. Cultural Competence: Understanding and participating in cultural narratives.

  4. Auxiliary Consumption: Consumers engage in additional brand-related activities.

  5. Production: Fans create content based around the brand.

Friendvertising and the 3M Model for FGC (Page 15)

  • 3M Model:

    • Megaphone: Brands amplify messages to larger audiences.

    • Magnet: Attracting and keeping audiences engaged.

    • Monitor: Observing user interactions and sentiments, adapting strategy accordingly.

Content Preferences of Consumers on Social Media (Page 16)

  • Consumers enjoy:

    • Product/Service Highlights: 51% prefer seeing posts about products.

    • Customer Testimonials/Demos: 39% value authentic experiences.

    • Brand Personality Posts: 34% seek personality-driven content.

    • Authentic Content: 34% favor real rather than staged submissions.

    • Contests/Promotions: 27% enjoy opportunities for engagement.

    • High-Quality Content: 26% appreciate well-produced videos.

    • Collaborations: 23% follow brands for influencer partnerships.

    • Behind-the-Scenes Content: 14% likes to see inner workings of brands or production processes.

Real-Time Marketing (Page 17)

  • Strategy to capitalize on current events and trends for immediate consumer engagement.

User-Generated Content (UGC) and Contests (Page 18)

  • Example: Visit Philly prompts user interaction through photo submissions showcasing tourism in Philadelphia.

Characteristics of Brand Community Engagement (Page 19)

  • Cohesive Social Strategy: Unified messages across platforms.

  • Active Community Management: Ensuring consistent interaction and engagement.

  • Quality Content: Prioritizing high-quality storytelling.

  • Engagement Buildings: Focus on relationship growth with the audience.

  • Influencer Collaboration: Partnering with relevant voices enhances reach.

  • Amplification Efforts: Boosting organic reach through strategic methods.

Reasons for Fan Engagement in Brand Communities (Page 20)

  • Community Spirit: Building feelings of belonging.

  • Brand Enthusiasm: Passion for brand products/services.

  • Entertainment: Enjoyment derived from brand interactions.

  • Prizes and Perks: Tactics that stimulate interaction through rewards.

Importance of Paid Media (Page 21)

  • Paid media helps brands target specific audiences and increase engagement levels.

  • FB's EdgeRank: Algorithm determining post visibility based on three factors:

    • Time: Recency of posts.

    • Type: Format of content shared.

    • Tie: Relationship strength between users and brands.

Forms of Paid Media in Social Communities (Page 22)

  • Social Engagement Ads: Include visuals with calls to engage (e.g., like buttons).

  • Social Context Ads: Content that connects user engagement with personal referrals.

  • Organic Social Ads: Content shared within personal activity streams post-interaction with brands.

Elements of Facebook Ad Design (Page 23)

  1. Headline: Captivating title under 250 characters.

  2. Description: Brief info about the product/service.

  3. Caption: Brand website URL link.

  4. Call to Action (CTA): Button prompting user engagement.

  5. Image: Visually appealing content related to the product.

Native Advertising (Page 24)

  • Defined as: "Paid advertising based on a form unique to the vehicle within which it is placed."

IAB Native Advertising Evaluative Framework (Table 6.2)

  • Characteristics: Evaluative criteria for ads based on:

    • Form: Alignment with page design.

    • Function: How ads perform compared to similar content.

    • Integration: Compatibility with surrounding content.

    • Measurement: Target audience and campaign goals (branding vs. direct response).

Types of Digital Media (Page 26)

  • Paid Digital Media: Advertisements and promotions.

  • Earned Digital Media: Organic visibility achieved through engagement.

  • Owned Media: Content brands create and manage directly (websites, blogs).

    • Figures for Relationship: Shows how various media types work for brands.

Case Study: JOAH Beauty in Social Community (Page 27)

  • Evaluative questions to ponder:

    • Assessing corporate brand presence.

    • Reflection of brand personality across social profiles.

    • Strategies for growing the audience on various networks where success is lacking.

    • Enhancing community growth through consumer engagement and content production.

    • Designing a sample ad and determining impactful CTAs.

    • Evaluating the implications of not adhering to content guidelines for promotions.

Recap and Questions (Page 28)

  • Reflect on the learning objectives:

    • Explore how social networking communities facilitate user engagement and content sharing.

    • Discuss branding and promotional strategies within these communities.

    • Understand how to reach consumers organically through social networking sites.

    • Identify characteristics of brand fans and the forms of paid media utilized.

    • Consider the significance of paid media for social media marketers.