The field of design marketing and management encompasses three spheres of knowledge. In specific, research in the field is concerned with the planning and conducting of strategic and visual marketing for particular groups (VIA University College, 2018). Further, design, marketing, and management entail analyzing brands, market trends and proper use of marketing channels to yield the most impact on the targeted audience. With the recent evolution of technology, particularly in the data sector targeted marketing has become preferable. Moreover, an increase in interconnectivity at global scale resulting from the use of social media platforms has given rise to opportunities for marketers. As a result, other spheres of knowledge such as Social media design and digital marketing have also been created to meet the informational needs of marketers and managers. The ongoing review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the literature on social media marketing. Specifically, the discussion will focus on Japanese and South Korean firms.
The next section of this paper contains the definition of essential terms in the field of social digital design and marketing. The section also includes a brief history of the area before the meaning of terms. Further, the next part will analyze the research methodologies typically used in the social media and digital marketing fields. Consequently, the next section is a collection of literature on social media and digital marketing arranged in a limited manner. Afterward, a section analyzing the research gaps identified in the review is presented followed by a summary of the whole discussion.
2. History of Social Media and Digital Marketing
Digital marketing was first conceptualized in the 1990’s when the term was first included in the marketing sphere. In 1990, the first clickable web advertisement banner was created, and it became a huge success. The introduction of web 2.0 in 1993 only served to accelerate the progress of digital media in advertising as it provided more the users with the ability to be more active participants on the internet. Search engines and social networking sites were quickly established and grew exponentially. After 2004, the second phase of the social media revolution began with the introduction of new features to the sites that allowed for users to share content in interesting and comfortable ways such as video sharing and support for a wide range of content.
The significant developments in hardware available to users fueled this growth as the introduction and success of personal computers and smartphones had a considerable impact on social media advertising. The devices provided more processing power and interfaces that allowed users to enjoy and fully utilize the resources that the internet offer. This led to a growth in the numbers of social media users that continues to the present day and along with this growth in numbers came increase in revenue for the social media companies.
3. Definition of terms and their Implementation in Social and Digital Marketing
According to Kaplan and Haenlein, social media incorporates all internet based technological applications that are in accordance with web 2.0; this differs from digital marketing as digital marketing does not necessarily have to use the internet but instead includes all advertising on digital platforms including radio and television. (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2012)
Search engines are software that is designed to help users search the world wide web for content. Search engine optimization, therefore, refers to the inclusion of material on a website to increase its visibility by the software naturally. The latter often includes featuring specific words that people who are looking for a particular product might search for on the internet. Search engine marketing, on the other hand, refers to paying companies that search engines to feature an advertisement when users search for specific keywords. Pay-per-click advertising often includes paying an affiliate for directing online traffic to an advertiser’s content. These affiliates may be social media sites offering promoted content, search engine software offering search engine marketing or other websites, blogs and internet users with appropriate material for use in an advertisement.
3.1 Social Media
According to Zarella (2010), social media can be conceptualized in the context of traditional media such as television and radio; and it occurs in the following forms:blogs; social networks such as “Facebook and Linked In”; microblogs such as “Twitter”; voting sites such as “Reddit”; media-sharing sites such as “Youtube”; virtual realities such as “Second Life” ; Review websites such as “Yelps” and forums.
3.1.1 Blogs
Blogs are increasingly becoming important tools for marketers. Their popularity has been driven by the huge number of bloggers, blog readers and the increased connectivity in the world (Zarella, 2010). Blogs allow individuals to share stories, ideas, interests and at times tutorials to readers through the internet. Currently, most blogs have interactive capabilities; thus, bloggers can collect feedback, comments, and opinions. According to Zarella(2010), marketers can benefit from leveraging “User Generated Content” UGC to gain a competitive advantage in marketing. Furthermore, (Saxena, 2011) recommended that marketers should use blogs to collect information about the clients’ opinions and comments about a firm. Marketers can also use blogs to assess competition and communicate with customers of a firm by commenting and participating in related blogs (Zarella, 2010). Moreover, Saxena(2011) proposed that marketers should inspire bloggers to write content about a specific firm to reach a wide audience. According to Colliander & Dahlén (2011), “celebrity bloggers” can be used to influence markets as they have a large number of readers.
3.1.2Microblogs
According to Zarella (2010), microblogs share similar characteristic as blogs, but the content that is usually posted on such platforms is usually limited to a specific number of words. In marketing, microblogs such as Twitter that use “hashtags" to identify content and topics can be used to follow conversations about firms. The latter can be used to market and create the best digital marketing strategies based on customer information from microblogs (Information Resources Management Association, 2015).
3.1.3 Social Networks
There are many social networks aimed at different goals; however, they share similar characteristics. Social networks allow users with an internet connection to create, maintain and manage the profiles that give them the opportunity to interact with other users. Social networks are fundamentally online communities (Information Resources Management Association, 2015). Typical capabilities of social networks include the uploading of videos, photos, audio, links, text and other media. Social networks are diverse; thus, researchers have attempted to classify them based on their operating principles, and the relationships users have with each other (Information Resources Management Association, 2015). Social networks allow interactivity; thus, marketers can run targeted campaigns through user profile and geolocation data (Information Resources Management Association, 2015).
3.1.4 Voting Sites
Voting sites play a critical role in Marketing as they allow the collection of feedback on the popularity of a product or service and help to assess competitors position in the market. (Zarella, 2010). Such sites typically have sections where the most voted for firm, service or product are listed (Zarella, 2010). Furthermore, voting sites can allow promotion of brands by giving marketers the ability to insert budgets from related sites (Zarella, 2010).
3.1.5 Media Sharing Sites
Media sharing sites such as YouTube allow users to upload most types of media, ranging from audio and video to images. According to Zarella(2010), the use of media sharing sites for advertisement and marketing is simple and straightforward; the most vital metrics for assessment include the number of views on a particular media and the activity related it such as comments.
3.1.6 Review Websites
Review sites allow listing of products or services and describing the most interesting features. They are typically associated with low costs, and they can be used by even small firms effectively (Zarella, 2010).
3.1.7 Forums
Forums are online platforms that are designed to host discussions from a community of interested members (Zarella, 2010). Forums are usually field specific; thus, marketers ought to identify forums that are related to their firms and business and collect information regarding their products. Forums are interactive; therefore, promotion of outcomes is possible through live communication with interested members who can give valuable information (Zarella, 2010).
3.1.8 Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds are a newly adopted concept based on virtual reality. According to Zarella(2010), such capabilities have been utilized for online gaming and movie watching. An example of such sites is Metaverse. Marketers can also invest in virtual worlds as possible platforms to reach audiences.
3.2 Digital Marketing
Marketing as a tool to manufacturers has always been vital to increasing sales and thus is indispensable to any brand. As such, marketing has to continuously move with technology to keep it as efficient and viable as possible. Digital marketing in the age of the technological revolution in the information age has apparent advantages to previously used forms of marketing given the edge technology gives to most sectors. Given the global reach that the internet offers, the target audience for a marketer is extended to include individuals regardless of geographical and political barriers. Digital marketing provides a platform that can reach multiple people in a way that could not be achieved before the advent of these digital platforms. The speed with which the digital advertising strategy can be employed is also faster as its content creation, and changes to this content can be affected quickly. Customer support can also be integrated into the advertisement to help the users better select the specific product that meets their needs precisely.
Using digital forms of marketing also makes the marketing process more efficient. Generators of marketing content can more accurately tailor their advertisements to suit the personal needs of individuals as the advertisements are often displayed to one individual at a time. Combining this effect with the relatively low costs makes it even more lucrative to employ digital marketing strategies. Digital marketing does not use the expensive infrastructure operated by other forms of marketing as fewer resources are used.
Marketers can also track the response of their targeted audiences such as which advertisements are more likable and compelling. Measurable results can be achieved in this manner as the marketers get a real-time response to their content. A further advantage is that it allows for the users to share the advertisement easily creating more brand awareness which ultimately improves the whole marketing goal. Social currency is also generated as brands can then use this presence in the digital real to go ahead and grow their market relevance. , and this allows marketers to latch on to this by reaching more individuals and using those who find their content useful as further dispersal agents. With digital marketing, the conversion rate of the people who are exposed to the advertisement and go ahead and use the product is significantly improved. Using complementing infrastructure to get the users from the advertisement to a digital platform that allows the users to purchase the product being advertised. (Dahl, 2015)
Digital marketing can take several forms depending on the social marketing platform that they appear on. Advertisers generally have the option to generate and promote the content of their advertisements either directly using their brand or through another party. The many advantages the digital world brings with it as its integrated with advertising do not come without its fair share of disadvantages. Obtrusive advertisements can often lead to the opposite effect of driving away potential customers or making the user experience of the online platforms unlikable.
In some industries, using digital marketing is much frowned upon as it can be used to target unsuspecting victims unfairly. The ethical issues that come with this concern are validated by the reality that some users of the digital platforms are underage or are in situations that warrant their protection form targeted forms of advertisement. Exploitation of unsuspecting individuals by digital marketing uses a strategically placed targeted advertisement that unfairly leads to the impulsive expenditure of their funds on the targeted product. Feedback can also be given instantly, and while this might seem like a positive thing, it can result in false or unfair reviews affecting the product in negative ways. These untrue reviews can also be employed to falsely portray a product in good light to unfairly give it an edge. As these reviews are often open to public criticism, any false information whether positive or negative can cause a lot of misinformation. It is even more of a problem considering that companies or their competition might use this loophole to exploit potential customers, significantly influencing their decisions. As it is easy to look at many products through an online advertisement, it may also be counterproductive because it creates product awareness, and this allows for the customer to then search for related products which may be produced by competing companies.
Proper execution of digital marketing strategies requires special skills in the usage of digital marketing platforms and what the end users might find appealing; This requires the involvement of extra personnel with expert knowledge on digital marketing. To ensure optimal results, some instances might need getting help from professionals and even other firms, and this causes additional charges. It is also worthy to note that digital platforms are susceptible to attacks and security breaches which have a significantly adverse effect on a company seeking to advertise through them. Customers might also find it hard to trust digital platforms given the disadvantages mentioned.
Advertisements on digital platforms can be through affiliate marketing using third-party content, display advertising by showcasing the product online, emailing the advertisement to the consumers or social media marketing. Advertisements can also be included in games, movies, and other recreational content through product placement and sponsorship deals. Search engine marketing can also be employed through either earned or paid advertising. (Xie, 2017)
Digital marketing can use search engines to place advertisements that will lead the customers to find the best product related to their search queries. Online content can also be automated to cater for a particular situation. Data-driven marketing uses the digital platform collects data based on the information that is available about the customer such as geographical location, preferences, and interests of the customer. Search engines can provide appropriate results, therefore, avoiding advertising that is not useful for neither the customer nor the advertiser as a result of a mismatch between what the customer wants and what the advertiser has to offer.
Finally, through digital marketing, influencer marketing can be used. As mentioned earlier, digital marketing can either be paid, owned or earned. Online communities have the advantage of being able to let users generate content for consumption by other people. Advertisers can use this content to promote their product. This avoids the need for the advertisers to create their online traffic but instead benefit from already existing systems that allow for their product to be viewed by more members of the public. Companies also have the option of paying for their advertisements to be featured in social media sites and search engine first page results by paying for these advertisement places. Search engine optimization also allows for online content to be featured and links to more detailed information can be included too.
4. Research Methodologies Commonly Used in Social Media and Digital Marketing
Systematic analysis of literature relating to the usage of digital marketing approaches over the past years is a powerful tool in acquiring data to be used for research purposes. Data published in journals and online magazines can also be incorporated to help further understand the information available in the sphere of social media and digital marketing strategies. Content analysis can be combined with the conversion rate relating to the advertising content and its conversion rate to understand the efficacy of using social media and other digital platforms in generating sales for a particular brand.
5.Literature
While consumer behavior has always existed even in the age of traditional advertising, social media has made this behavior more visible and therefore more accessible to study and benefit from; this has made the technology extremely useful to advertisers, and this has contributed a lot to the success of social media under the Technology Acceptance Model. (Lai, 2017). Changes in consumption and consumer behavior over the past decade can be correctly attributed to social media and its effects as shared consumption has moved to replace previous metrics of correlations in social behavior such as culture and geographical regions; this is because people can now transcend restriction in interaction through the use of social media. Messages on social media significantly improve consumer attitudes towards the brand and also increase marketing of the brand through word of mouth and online sharing. (Alves, et al., 2016)
Brands provide a linking value which is the social aspect that comes with using the brand. The linking value a product has is not dependent on the product's intrinsic value but rather the social relation the users associated with the product. Social media has provided a means for the formation of new social structures based on consumption, has a significant role to play in the marketing of a product by using its linking value. These consumer values can lead to brand loyalty among social groups which in turns increases the efficiency of digital marketing through social media platforms. However, as Lopez pointed out, brand loyalty may face opposition where consumers seek uniqueness by using products that are not common in their social groups. (Cuneo, et al., 2012)
Social media advertising is particularly notorious for forming an emotional connection between the brand and the customer. Customers are drawn in by brand personality which is created by the brand itself and directed to the consumer. Brand originating communication establishes a personalized and emotional connection with the consumers. The latter is in line with studies that conclude that sites managed by the firms themselves have better results. (Fortin & Chen, 2017)The use of brand personality is a powerful tool in advertisement, but it is not put to proper use in traditional advertisement platforms. Social media and digital marketing allow for appropriate use of brand personality as a marketing tool.
Brands are said to be anthropomorphic when the consumers have a perception that the brand has human-like qualities. In the past, this has been achieved through the use of mascots and brand ambassadors, and this has been with great success. Social media and digital market techniques further extend brand anthropomorphism through increasing the human-like qualities that consumers relate to the brand. Generally, anthropomorphic brands enjoy positive marketing as consumers associate better with the product. Consumer involvement as a marketing tool has been improved through digital marketing strategies. Brands can easily involve their consumer in the design and production of their product through social media platforms. In this way, brands enjoy consumer satisfaction in levels that could not be achieved through traditional marketing techniques. The consumers greatly appreciate being involved in the creation of the products, eventually contribution to brand loyalty and further marketing through word of mouth. (Nianzi & Shah, 2012 )
Location-based application of social media marketing is the broadcasting of a device’s location coordinates to local businesses. The businesses can then invite consumers with offers on the products they provide conveniently given that the companies have already established that the consumer is nearby; This direct marketing strategy works well especially when the consumers have already opted into the service that gives them the marketing prompt.
Social media and digital marketing are reliant on the content, context, and duration of the advertisement. The material is essential as it gives the keywords that the users can use to categorize the information provided as useful for them. As earlier mentioned, the content should also contain the keywords that consumers search to ensure search engine optimization. The context is also essential as it ensures the advertisement is provided in an appropriate format for the consumers. Visual context is vital as the advertisements need to be visible yet not obtrusive in any manner. The advertisement should also have curation properties that allow the advertisement to be easily memorable with the targeted group of consumers. With curation, the advertisement is spread well beyond where a consumer first saw it as it increases the chances of the consumer sharing it through word of mouth and other avenues.
Privacy, ethical and legal regulations in social media and digital marketing are necessary to protect consumers and firms from unfair practices. A trademark is defined as ‘a word, phrase, symbol, design or a combination of words, phrases and symbols that distinguish the source of goods of one party from the others.’ Copyright is similar to a trademark while covering content created. Trademark and copyright infringement in social media and digital advertising is illegal and can lead to legal action against the offender. Posting content online without the owner’s permission should be avoided to ensure copyright laws are followed. Marketing teams should also be careful to avoid defamation in social media marketing as this is a crime. (Dahl, 2015)
The recently instituted General Data Protection Regulations are stringent on the usage of personal data of the clients; This restricts companies from sharing or using clients' data without express permission from the client. As such, opt-in and opt-out confirmations should be respected, and users should not be exposed to unwanted social media and digital advertisements. Targeting children is illegal under the law and advertisers should avoid such scenarios at all costs. (Calder, 2018)
6.Research Gaps
Research has mainly focused on social media sites that offer visual content. The latter is because the majority of social media sites provide visual and audiovisual material. The effectiveness of digital marketing using only audio content in social networking sites that provide this service is restricted partially because the platforms that offer the service are fewer compared to other social media platforms.
Also, the effect that the new General Data Protection Regulations might have on social media and digital marketing is yet to be fully documented as further restrictions on user data usage might prevent the usage of a consumer’s data to provide the consumer with appropriate data.
7. Summary
Social Media and digital marketing have apparent advantages as compared to traditional forms of advertising. The latter can be attributed to the success of social media technology that is provided by its usefulness. Social media advertising allows for fast, efficient, personalized and cheap advertising to be delivered to consumers without having to worry about geographical restrictions. Social media has also enabled marketers to properly study consumer behavior that is now more visible since the internet allowed more users to interact through the formation of new social groups.
Content analysis, data-driven marketing, and content automation can all be appropriately used to study and further improve the quality of social media and digital marketing strategies. Digital marketing also enjoys better feedback and conversion rates and can, therefore, greatly enhance the consumer experience. Analysis of the consumer behavior and the success of these marketing techniques is thereby easy to measure, and changes made to ensure a robust strategy is applied. Brand loyalty and anthropomorphism can be appropriately exploited for the benefit of marketing teams as social media provide the means with which to interact with consumers. Social media allows for full exploitation of the opportunity to involve consumers in the creation of a product that suits their need, and this leads to more consumer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
Social media and digital marketing strategies should, however, be employed with caution to avoid ethical and legal problems such as trademark and copyright infringement, defamation, targeting children or misuse of clients' data. Also, the advertisements should be tailored to suit the consumers by placing them in the right context and with appropriate content to ensure they are optimally useful as a marketing tool.
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