Social Media Strategy for Online Service Brands---Rong Du

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.

Find article online:

https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2015.1043277

doi:10.1080/02642069.2015.1043277.

Contents 1 Context 2 Overview 3 Strengths and Weaknesses 4 Assessment

[edit] Context

Nowadays, the rapid development of social media has attracted more users to use it. This is a new strategy for major companies to changes their marketing format. The brand participation online activities focus on Internet transactions and functional interactions between companies and customers. Also, the brand can foster the development of relationships and trust with consumers.

[edit] Overview

Mills, A. J., & Plangger, K. (2015) discusses how social media can select as a customer, and it is a way to build independent and online brands. Their research focuses on the unique potential contribution of social media to online service brand marketing. This article cites the financial services industry, and they propose a nine-step process. They analyzed that social media must handle in the same strategic way as a customer relationship management strategy. They recommended “high engagement” online services and “low participation” online services. As a result, social media offers a unique and complementary set of online channels that are used to build and maintain customer relationships. These channels influence customers' perceptions of their relation to service brands, brand trust, risk and service quality, and are not affected by their offline marketing support capabilities.

[edit] Strengths and Weaknesses

The advantages of online marketing are: first, social media has a strong influence. "Social Media" is a wide-ranging label that works for many different types and styles of media channels, each with its uniqueness. Second, social media is inherently participatory and dynamic because the press is considered to be interactive online communication. This is two-way communication between users and companies in the center. Third, social media marketing can collect customer information, direct online communication and customer sales service. Because social media has no time limit, 24-hour online services can provide customers with better consumer experience. Fourth, social media is not geographically restricted, and a more extensive space can be used to identify potential consumers. In addition, social media offers different opportunities for marketers and brand managers of online services.

Disadvantages of online marketing: First, when using social media, marketers don't talk to customers face to face. It is difficult for marketers to clearly and deeply explain the brand directly. The customer will unilaterally understand the brand through another route — for example, comments, opinions of others. Second, the online banking services customers and the risk perceptions associated with information security are often the most interesting issues. Third, cost investment. Video sharing and social networking sites are the most resources intensive because it is expensive to produce high quality branded videos and social networking pages.

[edit] Assessment

In conclusion, social media is a collection of potentially powerful channels for marketers to connect with customers. The communication between brands and customers is mutual, and the social media presence of brands create together. As a result, social media offers new and unique opportunities for brand and customer relationships that are unique. Social media builds trust between brands and customers. In addition, they suggest that social media marketing can be used as a possible means to reduce consumer perceptions of high-participation online service risks. At the same time, social media marketing and offline marketing synchronize that can't give up offline media marketing because of social media marketing.

Rd12yv 22:18, 17 February 2019 (EST)