From Digital Culture & Society

Article Title: Mills, A. J., & Plangger, K. (2015). Social media strategy for online service brands. Service Industries Journal, 35(10), 521–536. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2015.1043277

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doi: 10.1080/02642069.2015.1043277

Contents 1 Context 2 Overview 3 Strengths and Weaknesses 4 Assessment

[edit] Context

This article focuses on social media strategies for online service brands. The article discusses the transition of traditional services to online services through the Internet, however, poses unique challenges and opportunities for marketers. The digital era has provided social media with the ability to influence online shopping trends. Having shoppers active online means that brand building needs to be transitioned into a digital platform as well as maintain some form of brand, customer loyalty, and accessibility through using social media. Companies have created a new communication channel that helps nurture the brand, the consumer and other relationship between allowing companies to expand to a global market based on information they can obtain throughout their online presence.

It is important for every brand to realize that social media is the new way of advertising and one of the best ways to interact with potential customers, or people who already use your merchandise. A lot of in person services are changing their ways to become more online. “Some services, like banking and accounting, have generally seen efficient industry-wide movement to the online environment via branded websites, whereas other services like healthcare and law are in a slower process of industry transition” (p.521). Companies have the opportunity to reach an increasing amount of customers if they move their services to an online platform. “More than a third of 18– 44-year-old social media users consciously follow brands and brand pages on social media networks, and this percentage increases to almost three-quarters for users between the ages of 24 and 34 (Edison Research, 2012)” (p. 528). This percentage of the population and age bracket is what companies need to be marketing to and the opportunities with social media are endless.

[edit] Overview

One of the main aspects of social media that the article focuses on is “two- way communication between brands and customers” (p.522). This communication allows not only for brand-to-customer-to-brand, but also customer-to-customer communication. For example if a company posts a photo onto Instagram a customer is able to comment and have another comment respond or even the company has the ability to reply to their comment. This concept is great because when the inter web was only web 1.0 users were only able to post and have interactions with other users. Also like never before, marketers of service brands are able to speak directly to customers, online and immediately. Social media offers new and unique opportunities brand to customer relationships online. Social media offers challenging and potentially valuable opportunities that were previously unavailable to marketers through offline channels. The article outlines the strengths and benefits of marketing on social media. A few benefits consist of customer data collection, marketing communications and a better customer service. Another aspect the article brought forth is that social media is always active. It is best for companies to post during certain days at certain times, but when businesses have a huge following they most likely have followers viewing there post every part of every day. This paper has attempted to illustrate the role social media can play for online service brands not only as a promotional or communicative channel, but also as part of an integrated marketing and customer relationship management strategy that can simultaneously engage and build relationships with customers. The article expresses that with the data companies collect from social media sites they can adjust their tactics to better their statistics. “Unique to social media, versus traditional media, is the ability to adapt and adjust media communications during the process of executing strategy; the ability to respond and to accommodate needs and desires is present in both content and context.” (p.533)

Many industries have been transitioning from traditional services to online services based solely on internet interactions. With this transition, many challenges arise that many companies struggle with such as how to treat internet-based channels such as mobile and desktop media platform, and how to properly brand. Social media strategy for online service brands by Adam J. Millsa and Kirk Plangger introduces how companies should separate website/application branding and social media branding but have them be complementary to each other to maximize their consumer interactions and online influence fully. It is noted that "social media support offline marketing activities such as customer services, data collection, marketing communication to help create a two-way communication channel for the brand and customer to interact and build a relationship while offline marketing is strictly advertisement made to create new customers.

[edit] Strengths and Weaknesses

The article outlines the strengths and benefits of marketing on social media. A few benefits consist of customer data collection, marketing communications and a better customer service. Another aspect the article brought forth is that social media is always active. It is best for companies to post during certain days at certain times, but when businesses have a huge following they most likely have followers viewing there post every part of every day. This paper has attempted to illustrate the role social media can play for online service brands not only as a promotional or communicative channel, but also as part of an integrated marketing and customer relationship management strategy that can simultaneously engage and build relationships with customers. The article expresses that with the data companies collect from social media sites they can adjust their tactics to better their statistics. “Unique to social media, versus traditional media, is the ability to adapt and adjust media communications during the process of executing strategy; the ability to respond and to accommodate needs and desires is present in both content and context.” (p.533)

This was a very well written article with not have many weaknesses. I believe it goes over all of the main points that have to do with the benefits of companies marketing on social media and moving their services to be accessible online. The article though does not go over any of the content that companies should be posting, but rather the pros of using social media and all of the different platforms. It does not touch on what is a good way for services to move to being online.

[edit] Assessment

The article effectively discusses strategic processes by referencing diagrams and step by step processes that can help companies use social media to their best advantage. Along with the great connections social media allows businesses to make with customers it also offers a lot of marketing advantages. Overall the main focus of this article is on why companies should be marketing on social media and not how. The article does not have many weaknesses. I believe it goes over all of the main points that have to do with the benefits companies will obtain through marketing on social media, including making their services accessible online.

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--Jc13vi 15:12, 8 February 2019 (EST)