Social Media Use

Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, LinkedIn, MySpace, Yelp, Twitter, Instagram

SOCIAL MEDIA. UGH. What a love-hate relationship we share. The weird thing is when I first started thinking about my usage I figured I wasn’t really an avid user. I don’t have a twitter handle and I don’t regularly post “status updates” on my FBook page (except for the occasional late night slip when I inadvertently post a jumble of words that at the time I find hilarious, but the next day find it hard to comprehend why…just why…). Although, when starting to really delve into all the applications I have on my phone and sites that I frequent on a day-to-day basis I realized this sneaky beast has really snuck its way in!  Still, I would not consider myself a social media fanatic (you all know who you are) but there are definitely certain forms of social media that I routinely use-both as a resource, and source of entertainment. Currently, I utilize Facebook, Yelp, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The most recent addition to my social media usage is Instagram. What draws me to this application is the way in which I can manipulate my own pictures to store for personal use, and also share them with friends so they know what I’m up to. Unlike uploaded FBook pictures, most of the ones posted on Instagram are distorted, unique, or have something interesting and different to offer. Obviously we are all “sharing” our photos and experiences, but in a way you’re showcasing your artistic talent, or the “cool” things you did that day or that you think your friends and followers might be interested to see (sometimes even enough to “like” it or leave a comment!). One of the main reasons why I enjoy this application and social media tool is that I’m able to see what my friends are up to in my picture feed, and upload awesome photos of my own.

Yelp is another social media tool I am truly obsessed with. I am a Yelp ambassador; I promote this site like nobody’s business because I honestly think it’s amazing. I use it for practically everything…restaurant reviews, finding local nail salons, directions, phone numbers, recommendations on what to order at certain places, etc. I can safely say that I won’t step foot in a restaurant that has a yelp review of less than 3.5 stars. I love this application so much I even give back by posting reviews of my own.

Lastly, “the book.” There is just something about Facebook that is so addicting, and so wrong, but I can’t stop. The crazy thing is that it is so entertaining, yet can be so detrimental to your mental health if used in the wrong way (i.e. “Facebook stalking”). I’ve seen it time and time again. Friends of mine will call me frantically crying that they saw something on Facebook that upset them. Facebook is bizarre in the sense that there are really no limitations. Users are able to post whatever they want, tons of pictures are floating around (some of which really shouldn’t be), and some people choose to expose their entire personal lives on the thing! When will the madness stop!? Do people really need to know that a relationship ended with an image of a broken heart, and then have a billion people “like it” and comment on it?? Nonetheless, there are so many things about Facebook that are truly entertaining. I primarily use it to stay connected with friends, share pictures, and see what my friends are up to (in a healthy way). It’s especially useful in terms of staying connected to friends that you aren’t able to see on a regular basis. Additionally, the groups that I’m involved with are a great source of awareness as far as events going on and exchanging important information.

In order for companies to really be able to utilize these social media platforms to their benefit they need to hone in on how their target market uses these sites. Everyone uses social media in different ways but unique similarities a company can find about a certain segment of people can really be indicative of their similar social media usage as well. An individual that follows a number of companies through Facebook, is a member of many different groups, and actively uses it to stay connected to their favorite companies and brands will be a much better resource for a company than an individual who only checks in once a day to their newsfeed or to check their messages. The only way in which I truly engage with companies on Facebook is if I’m already a fan of the place and they ask for my involvement. For instance, I use to frequent a beauty salon in Santa Monica and they asked me to “like” them on Facebook and that I’d receive a discount. Now, they show up on my newsfeed and I’m able to see if they’re doing anything new, or if there are any special offers or discounts for the month. I think this sort of outreach to clients is important because it offers the consumer an incentive to get involved with the company in the first place, and then reels them in for life. I believe Facebook profiles to be an important way in which companies can seek targeted individuals with particular interests and activities. Additionally, a company can use information such as the various schools, cities, and changes in personal information an individual has posted to their advantage. Companies also need to find out what is important to their target consumers by following their activities. By following ideal users of their products they can track what these individuals tend to do on social media platforms such as Facebook: what do they post about? What things do they “like”? What are their day-to-day interests? What things don’t they like and express through their Facebook usage? How private or public are they with their information? These things will in turn allow a company to assess how useful it will be to reach their consumer through such a tool or if it’s not the right way to reach their target consumer. I think it’s also important for a company to create buzz around a new product or promotion first and then draw people to social media platforms in order to gain more information. Otherwise what is the incentive for a consumer to follow a certain company and engage with them? Alternatively, there are individuals who really are brand ambassadors for products and actively follow companies of their choice on such social media platforms, and promote for these companies. These are the individuals that I believe should be carefully followed and utilized by companies to help their business. Keyword searches are a way in which a company can seek who is talking about them, how often, and what exactly they’re saying.

Additionally, I believe Yelp to be the most effective way a company can promote itself in the social media space right now. Ensuring that their ratings are high, that they’re listening to their consumers’ comments, tracking them, and FIXING them is KEY for a company’s success. Also, the numerous promotions offered on Yelp is a great way to draw consumers in and get them talking about the product.