Response Post Week 1

Prior to reading Groundswell, I thought of social media as primarily being utilized by individuals, not companies or businesses. I was very interested to learn about what a vital role groundswell plays in a company’s marketing strategies and how much of a business’s identity is shaped by its online presence. Although the increasing number of online outlets makes it more difficult for a company to have control over its image, they can also use this visibility to their advantage. Customer reviews and opinions can often dictate to a company what improvements are necessary and as discussed in chapter 5, listening to the groundswell and what customers are saying can be extremely important for a company.

The first chapter presents an example of GM’s Bob Lutz who began blogging about his company and “revolutionized the way GM communicates.” It didn’t necessarily transform the company as a whole, but gave them a competitive edge by enabling them to directly communicate with their customers. Aside from blogging, however, there are many other ways in which businesses can utilize social media that is not traditionally used professionally. Because so many people visit websites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, companies see such websites as an opportunity for advertising and create pages on these sites. And while it may not seem very significant to me when I become a fan of The New York Times on Facebook and write a comment on their page, my comment may incite a discussion which can dictate to the business where improvements can be made.

Because most of the content on the internet is not monitored, I would assume that it would be risky for a company to participate in groundswell but the reading really showed how the saying “all publicity is good publicity” is true in this case. And although companies usually cannot control what is being said about them or their products, they certainly have ways to maximize their benefits from social media. As discussed in chapter 3, by creating a social technographics profile for their target consumers, companies can more effectively market to them. Basically, it pays to know your audience. This section also got me thinking about the side ads on Facebook that advertise to people based on their interests.

The first half of the book that we’ve read so far I have found very insightful. It allows me to look marketing from the supplier/producer point of view instead of consumer and shows me just how much thought goes into finding an appropriate ad to place on my Facebook page. And whereas before this reading I didn’t quite see how companies used social media, now I can’t understand how they marketed without it.

Original Post Week 1

I work part-time at the Admissions office here at Clark. We give campus tours and organize information sessions for prospective students as well as having one-on-one conversations with them. The other day, one of our admissions counselors proposed the implementation of conversations between prospective students and Clark students currently studying abroad via Skype. He argued that such a system would allow prospective students to see the many opportunities Clark provides.

This made me wonder how the increasing usage of social media in college marketing will affect the experience of prospective students and what impact it will ultimately have on their decision. Clark is currently in the process of building a new Admissions office that will include several flat screen televisions, interactive computer screens, and other equipment that will provide families with information and reduce the need for a large staff. There are also plans to set up live-feeds of information sessions on the screens if groups get too large to all attend.

I’m quite unhappy with many of the new proposed plans. Although these proposed changes are simply reflective of the advantages social media technology offers, it is becoming more apparent to me that our interactions with others are becoming seriously limited as a result. There is plenty of existing research that shows how our virtual interactions are becoming much more significant than time actually spent with others. Participants of Second Life certainly demonstrate a desire to live in cyber reality.

It would be naïve to assume that technological advances would not change the college search process. It was only a few decades ago when the only marketing tool colleges had were pamphlets and alumni. Now colleges have Twitter accounts that inform prospective students of application deadlines. They have Facebook pages that current students can become fans of and answer any questions. Clark has a live webcam of Red Square available on their website. Many of these advancements benefit prospective students who are able to learn so much about colleges without even visiting campus.

But I would argue that being able to speak with current students instead of “Skype-ing” with a counselor and walking around campus as opposed to taking a virtual tour create a much different and more significant experience for prospective students. It is always important to do everything in moderation and it appears as though the advancement of social media makes us underestimate the importance of personal connections. I fear that marketing sometimes goes too far in utilizing social media strategies and such heavy reliance of technology could have negative effects. Especially concerning something as important as picking a college, one’s feeling about the campus, its students, and general tone of the college are integral in making the right decision. Therefore elimination of such opportunities would result in many unhappy students.