Table of ContentsSocial Media and YouthAccessibility and Consumer ResearchChanging the Way Businesses WorkSocial Media and FordGoogle Plus: Failure or Growth Potential? Government Regulation and ConclusionsSocial media is a rather new concept in the academic world but also for the business world. For the common individual, social media includes the various Internet applications, such as Facebook and Twitter, that allow users to connect with others. Solis offers a broader definition in that “social media is the democratization of content and the change in the role that people play in the process of reading and disseminating information” (2009). This interpretation of social media is accurate because it allows us to broadcast our opinions and influence others with the click of a button. Social media has begun to change not only our business practices, but also the way we connect and communicate with other human beings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Social media allows us to connect with others on an unprecedented level. This allows us to connect and form relationships with individuals old and new. She played a key role in the Arab Spring and sparked revolutions in the Middle East. Social media was also used by President Barack Obama's campaign for grassroots organizing, which helped him win the United States presidency. Businesses have also begun to understand how social media can be used to their advantage, as individuals can influence each other through these websites. Social Media and Youth Social media has become increasingly popular among businesses. As a new technology that affects many young people, who are the main consumers of products, companies are looking to use social media more often in their advertising and marketing practices. Businesses have also turned to social media because it is the new form of technology that will take precedence over other older forms of technology. Audiences fast forward through commercials on their DVR players, listen to satellite radio without commercial breaks, and no longer read paper newspapers. Companies can no longer advertise their products with the old method of advertising. Businesses are largely turning to social media because they are forced to do so by the advent of new technologies. “Businesses have lost 100% of their communications for a long time. People currently discuss their brands, products and services on multiple forms of social media, with or without them” (Solis, 2009). Businesses don't necessarily want to engage in the social media revolution, but they are being forced into it as if they didn't, they would be left behind. In order to remain competitive in the modern technological age, these businesses must use social media or they will be at a disadvantage compared to others. Advertising isn't the only area where businesses have started using social media. Every facet of a business has been affected by the advent of social media. “Social media is living and breathing, and it touches every aspect of an organization, from customer service and front-line sales to human resources and information technology” (Qualman, 2010). Companies havestarted using social media to hire employees. Social media sites, such as Facebook, have also been used as screening tools to determine whether a candidate is suitable for a position. Businesses have also started using social media sites for customer service tools as customers can contact customer service representatives through instant messages. Customers can also benefit from website support to resolve issues they are having with their technology. Customers can connect with other consumers to find out whether they should buy a product or not. Businesses need to do more than experiment or imitate other entrepreneurs in the use of social media. To be successful, businesses must find new ways to use social media. Accessibility and Consumer Research One of the biggest benefits for businesses of using social media is that they can access more people than they could with television. or newspapers. “The statistic that 'an angry customer will tell up to 20 other people about a bad experience' is a face to face. With the use of social media like blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, those 20 people can quickly become 20,000 or even 200,000” (Safko, 2010). Businesses can also access these people by spending less money than they would have with older forms of technology. With social media being a relatively new force, advertising can be purchased at cheaper rates. All a new business needs to do is create a free Facebook page and ask people to “Like” it. Once a group of people like a page, their friends will like it and word will spread like wildfire. Social media also allows businesses to conduct more effective research on their consumers at a cheaper rate. “Social media puts customers back at the center of the organization and gives marketers a new set of tools to listen to them and encourage them to engage with the brand” (Smith, 2011). Rather than paying researchers a lot of money to study consumer trends, a company can look to websites like Twitter or Facebook to monitor trends. Businesses can use these trends to tailor their advertising to the specific needs of their consumers. This allows businesses to be more resourceful with their advertising. Rather than marketing a product to thousands of people of whom only a handful may buy it, companies can market it specifically to a handful of people who would be willing to buy the product. Businesses increase the chances of their advertising being effective with social media. Although these tools allow companies to tailor advertising and products to consumers' preferences, these tools have been accused of invading consumers' privacy. As Qualman explains, the positives of the social media age come at a cost. “However, this comes at a price; Most of what we consider privacy could be a thing of the past” (Qualman, 2010). Consumers may feel outraged by the invasion of privacy, leading them to refuse to participate in the website or purchase the product the company advertises. The invasion of privacy can have negative consequences for society as a whole, as people are no longer seen as individuals but as mere robots who will buy anything they see posted on their Facebook page . Businesses will need to learnto balance the privacy of their consumers while enjoying the benefits offered by the social media era. Changing the Way Business Works Another downside of the social media era is that businesses must change the traditional way they do business. business. “It is imperative that social media be an integral part of a company's overall strategy” (Qualman, 2010). With the advent of social media, businesses must adopt new positions within their organization, upgrade technology and adapt new marketing strategies. This would require a significant investment from the company to modernize its business. It is also risky to invest money in a new technology that may not be successful. Many new websites jumping on the social media bandwagon won't be the next Facebook. As websites such as Myspace and Friendster demonstrate, not all social media projects are successful. Investing money in a social media website that fails could be disastrous for businesses trying to enter a new market. A company like Pepsi, which has been around for decades, has also had to evolve with the age of social media. Social media helps Pepsi know its consumers better. Previously, they could not stick to the practices they had tried before. “Pepsi bypassed a Super Bowl ad for the first time in 20 years to shift those millions of dollars to social media” (Qualman, 2010). Pepsi's level of engagement with social media demonstrates the extent to which companies are moving toward this new mode of media. In years past, companies spent millions of dollars on coveted Super Bowl commercials, knowing that millions of people would watch the game. Pepsi recognized that they would be able to reach this number of people through social media. Pepsi has also begun to engage the consumer in the types of social media they use. Rather than using other social media websites to promote its product, Pepsi converted its own website into a social media site. By allowing users to generate their own content on their site, Pepsi allows its customers to be involved in the marketing of their product. Pepsi recognizes the influences people can have on other individuals. Although it is a common conception among marketing experts, social media demonstrates how our friends and family can have an influence on our purchasing habits and preferences. This new understanding of the influence social media can have on other people is being replicated by other companies changing their business models to adjust and adapt for success. Social Media and FordAnother company that has changed its business practices to adapt to social realities. The media age is the Ford corporation. Qualman describes how the company used social media to promote its new car. “The fiesta movement, where we gave away fiestas worth 100 euros to digital influencers for six months, showed amazing results. We let them do what they usually do: tweet, blog, post videos and photos, and tell everyone they know about their experience” (2010). User-generated promotion on social media helped propel the company out of some tough economic times. The website has generated thousands of views on several other social media sites such as Youtube and Flickr. ThereThe campaign also helped sell more Fiestas than expected because it exposed the vehicle to more consumers who might have purchased other vehicles if they had not been exposed to the vehicle during the campaign. The user-generated social media campaign helped the Fiesta sell as many, if not more models than other, more popular vehicle brands that had already been on the market for two to three years. Fiesta used a similar model to Pepsi's social media campaign. Rather than advertising on Facebook like other companies had done, Ford created its own website that allowed its consumers to participate in building a vehicle. This concept embodies the social media principle of connecting consumers to businesses. Ford was also able to use user feedback to generate new designs and ideas based on what the consumer desires. After the success of this campaign, Ford continued to change its business model to incorporate more social media into its marketing. “At Ford, we have adjusted our marketing activities so that 25% is dedicated to digital and social media” (Qualman, 2010). Ford recognized the direction the company needed to continue in, as the social media campaign was a resounding success. Ford has made the necessary changes that the company needs for all of its future ventures. As Google is a company already established in the technological age, it does not seem necessary to change to meet the advent of the social media revolution. However, Google has tried to adapt and must continue to do so. As social media became more privatized and profit-driven, Google was able to place search engine listings on pages like Facebook. Google has also collaborated with Facebook to promote its own products such as Google Chrome. (Kangas, 2007). The collaboration led to more users using the browser as they saw their friends using the website. Google Plus: failure or growth potential? Google has not had the same success with other social media companies such as Google Plus, which serves as a browser with a social media component in which you can add friends and share similar features or searches. Although Google Plus has been the fastest growing site in recent months, users who registered on the website did not use the features provided by the website. Although the promotion of the website got many people to sign up immediately, the functionality of the site dissuaded them from using it. Google must be able to learn and adapt from the failure of Google Plus. According to Kangas, Google also needs to be able to expand its social media sites beyond just advertising, because they won't continue to grow if they don't innovate as new, better social media sites come out. emerging. While these examples of forward-thinking businesses provide evidence as to how social media works for these businesses, not all businesses have taken the social media route. As Solis described, many businesses are hesitant to use social media. “However, only a few industries are adopting it and moving things forward. Even though social media drives business participation and engagement, not all businesses think it’s the right step.” (2009). As these businesses are left behind by those adopting social media, we will see its use by businesses expand and grow. These companies will generate.