A Leg-up or a Let Down?

As I have discussed in previous posts, social media gives the entertainment industry a “run for their money”- both metaphorically and literally.  And it is no wonder why. Social media offers its users so many outlets and things to do, it is hard to find a reason not to use it for everything. If nothing else, social media is engaging… what more do you want? Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. offer an overall interactive nature that the entertainment industry just can’t compete with. When you watch a movie, you are simply sitting idly watching- your opinions and comments don’t matter and aren’t heard. When you listen to music, you are for the most part, only audibly engaged. But with social media, the user can watch, view, listen, communicate, approve or disapprove and practice freedom of speech. They also have the ability to find media that meets their need or matches their mood instantly. For example, if they are feeling sad, the user can log onto Facebook and watch some tearjerker videos that their friends have shared. If the user is in need of motivation, they can log onto Instagram and view photos and captions to help inspire them. This can be done all at the touch of a finger and can be done simultaneously together or can be specifically chosen.

In an article published on EmeraldInsight, list of reasons why people use social media is given. The lists states that seven main themes as to why people choose to engage in social media are as follows: social interaction, information seeking, to pass time, entertainment, relaxation, communicatory utility, and convenience utility. Although “entertainment” is listed as an independent point on this list, it is hard not to view each of the other 6 points as forms or substitutions people use for entertainment as well. The interactivity of social media is the “leg-up”, so to speak, that social media platforms have on the entertainment industry. Users have the ability to give their input and use social media wherever they are instantly with ease; whereas traditional entertainment platforms are much more restrictive.

Despite this alluring plural nature to social media, is there a down side that comes along with it? Perhaps social media’s vastness and public nature is both its blessing and curse. It’s true, the fact that the uses has so much access to so much material is one of social media’s best qualities, but it can also be problematic. The U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report drawing attention to the fact that because of the almost unregulated access that computers and social media platforms allow, privacy and private information on the web are at risk. So, despite the fact that social media platforms offer perhaps a better alternative to traditional entertainment, is the security risk to private information that inevitably comes with vast access provided by social media worth it?

Works Cited

United States. GAO. Office of Public Affairs. Federal Agencies Need Policies and Procedures for Managing and Protecting Information They Access and Disseminate. N.p.: n.p., 2011.GAO. Web. <http://www.gao.gov/assets/330/320244.pdf&gt;.

Whiting, Anita, and David Williams. Emeraldinsight. Emeraldinsight. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2013. Web. <http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/QMR-06-2013-0041&gt;.

Millennials, Marketing and Social Media

In this day and age, it is hard to find any young adult without a smartphone in their hand or pocket… well, it is hard to find anyone without a smartphone. This means, that we have a constant and readily available connection with the rest of the world. Whether it be via email, text message, or social media. Based upon millennial’s dependence on social media and their steady use of social media, marketing companies representing things like clothing lines, films, tv shows and music have taken note of this heavy media usage and have devised the brilliant plan to use these social media platforms to target large groups of people.
An article published by Forbes truly couldn’t have put it any clearer in stating that “millennials are the hottest ticket in marketing”. Our standard for both our entertainment and advertising has been set so high that it takes a lot to catch our attention. Thus, the entertainment industry has upped their budget for digital advertisement and marketing. Advertisement agencies formulate meticulous “media plans”, as referred to on page 295 of John Vivian’s, The Media of Mass Communication, to help arrange the ads correctly in order to target set audience. Many, if not most, of the ads we see on social media a geared towards a millennial audience; due to the fact that this group of people account for the largest portion of users. On social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram, advertisements on the apps can often be geared toward interests, frequently visited and viewed pages/posts, and/or what the user “likes”.

It has been proven that videos, especially to the generation today who has grown accustomed to and expectant of visual stimulation, are far more effective in catching our attention. Thus, we now not only have the ability to post a video on Instagram but there are also video ads. Similarly, Facebook allows companies to create a profile and release videos of trailers, people raving about their product and even live feeds.
Companies are taking advantage of platforms’, such as Facebook, marketing potential. As one Washington Post article put it, social media platforms are “hugely valuable advertising and distribution engines for Hollywood content”. Not only do outlets like Facebook make it easier (and cheaper in many cases) for marketing agencies to advertise their product/production, it also allows them to reach a vast audience. Not only can a large audience initially view the content, but they can share it too; creating an even larger audience pool. In addition, this method of advertising fosters a direct relationship with the potential customer. And perhaps even better than a direct relationship with the consumer is a connect between a consumer and their favorite celebrity. Companies, now more than ever, due to millennials and their heavy social media use, are using celebrity endorsements and advertisements for whatever they are trying to advertisement. This not only creates buzz and conversation surrounding the movie, TV show or product, but also somewhat immediately creates credibility.

Social media marketing is truly a genius concept. As Forbes put it, “Social media marketing, when done right, can lead to more customers, more traffic, and more conversions, and it’s here to stay”.

Works Cited

DeMars, Jayson. “The Top 10 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing.” Forbes. N.p., 11 Aug. 2014.     Web. <https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/11/the-top-10-benefits-of-social-media-marketing/2/#2e942973743f&gt;.

Rampton, John. “What the Entertainment Industry Can Teach Marketers About Millennials.” Frobes. N.p., 24 Mar. 2017. Web. <https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2017/03/24/what-the-entertainment-industry-can-teach-marketers-about-millennials/2/#383a0cff333d&gt;.

Vogelstein, Fred. “How Facebook Could Remake the Entertainment Industry.” The Washington Post. N.p., 3 Feb. 2012. Web. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-facebook-could-remake-the-entertainment-industry/2012/02/02/gIQA2z7YnQ_story.html?utm_term=.11d0d8be503a&gt;.

Vivian, John. “Chapter 11.” The Media of Mass Communication. Eleventh ed. N.p.: Pearson Education, n.d. Print.

Is Social Media the New Entertainment Platform?

Social Media platforms allow their users to access media that is both broad and specific all at once. Because of the various types of entertainment and areas of interest available to the user, more and more people are using social media. In fact, according to Pew Research Center, 79% of “online users” use Facebook, 32% use Instagram, 24% use twitter, and 31% use Pinterest. So is it so uncalled for that many question whether these media outlets are becoming or have already become our preferred sources of entertainment? We now have access to social media really anywhere and everywhere. We can access it on our smart phones, via apps, on our laptops or home computers via the internet, on tablets and iPad or even on smart T.V.’s that can access the internet. Since we have such readily available access to these platforms, we are encouraged, without even realizing it, to use social media more and more. At the onset, social media was mainly used to connect with others; now, however, we use it to connect, communicate, share and entertain ourselves. As noted by Vanity Fair, thanks to social media like Instagram and Twitter, for example, we have direct access to celebrity’s lives and can look here to see any official statements made by the celebrity, instead of tuning into entertainment outlets like E! News or TMZ. Following these celebrities on their social media accounts allows us to connect with them and keep up to date on the happenings of their lives. We no longer have to rely on news coverage or tabloid articles to keep ‘in the loop’.  Another advantage social media has over traditional forms of entertainment (such as: movies, news, T.V., and radio) is its ability for the user to find specific niches and/or engage in broad topics and media. As The Media of Mass Communication by John Vivian harps on ideas like narrowcasting- or seeking niche audiences- that are prevalent in a large portion of our media today; including social media. For example, Instagram allows its users to follow specific people and groups, thus allowing the user to hand-pick what he/she wants to see; however, at the same time, Instagram users can also scroll through the popular page or search for accounts and hashtags, allowing them to view a very wide variety of content. This is also the case with Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Thus, the concept of demassification, which was so important to movies, television and radio is also used within the parameters of social media. However, it can also simultaneously be very broad in terms of content. So, with these two prominent advantages to social media and its instant access, it is safe to say that social media could be on its way to replacing our traditional entertainment platforms… or has already done so.

Got your interest now? If you want to read more on how social media is quickly becoming…or has become the new form of entertainment, give this interesting article from the New York Times a read!

Works Cited:

Greenwood, S., Perrin, A., & Duggan, M. (2016, November 11). Social Media Update 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/

Herrman, John. “Social Media Finds New Role as News and Entertainment Curator.” The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., 15 May 2016. Web. <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/16/technology/social-media-finds-new-roles-as-news-and-entertainment-curators.html?_r=0&gt;.

 

Weber, L., & Finger, B. (2016, December 22). 2016: The Year Social Media Replaced Celebrity PR. Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/12/celebrity-social-media-replacing-pr-publicists

Vivian, John. “Chapter 1.” The Media of Mass Communication. Eleventh ed. N.p.: Pearson Education, n.d. 20. Print.