Digital Marketing Assignment on Social & Digital Media

Question

Task: Prepare a well-researched digital marketing assignmentanswering the following questions:
1. Explain what is critical thinking and why it is important in Social Media.
2.Explain what is meant by VIRTUAL COMMUNITY and PARTICIPATORY CULTURE in Social Media?
3. Why is communication important in social media?
4. List and explain any THREE Social Theory in social media
5. Describe any THREE social media platform. Explain the main purpose of using the said platform.
6. Explain 5 reasons why social media is important in business?
7. List and explain 5 issues created by Social Media.
8. Discuss the following issue: “Are there any privacy in social media”.
9. List and explain at least 3 examples of Digital Media
10. Explain what is meant by “Virtual Communication”and “Virtual Literacy”.
11. Explain what is meant by Anonymization in Digital Media?
12. Why are there “lots of Advertisement" in free applications?
13. Explain the following?

Digital Media•
Digital Marketing•
Electronic Marketing

14. List and describe any five current/new trends in social media.

Answer

1. The concept of critical thinking illustrated in the digital marketing assignment refers to analysing the impact of words and actions in any given context. Since words are the main communication medium over social media platforms, it is crucial to think about the potential impact before putting up any opinion or interpretation of facts on the social media platforms. In the case of business and marketing objectives, critical thinking needs to consider the target demographics of the users and the potential factors of influence of a social media post on them. Social media connects people across borders (Kozlov&Noga, 2019). This global connectivity increases the responsibility of the online communities to act and express themselves more sensibly. Critical thinking is thus indispensable from responsible social media citizenship. A person able to think critically may easily find out the flaws or reliability of posts on social media, therefore, keeping himself and the known community safe from misinformation and misinterpretation.

2. Virtual community refers to the people who connect over social media platforms irrespective of their nationality, race, ethnicity, or other dividing factors. As stated in the objectives of many social media platforms, global connectivity is achieved through virtual communities. These people in the virtually connected social media platforms may never meet each other physically, yet be known and supported by people worldwide for myriad causes. Participatory culture is the practice of engaging in a civil exchange of opinions through social media groups, pages, comments on various issues that might interest-specific groups of people (Kozlov&Noga, 2019). It helps lend voice to people who may not have the necessary scope to voice their opinions on a physical environment. The culture helps business entities by providing them a clear picture of people's choices on various products and issues related to their marketing and product promotional strategies.

3. Social media has changed the way business and administration performed earlier. Accessibility and availability of social media platforms helped people engage in communications related to the common interest. Besides any specific interest, communication over social media helps people feel valued among the desired groups of communities through various activities of appreciation for the same (Kozlov&Noga, 2019). Hence, not only in the socio-economic and political affairs but the social life of common people is also inseparably connected with social media. People may find groups, pages, and content-based platforms made in favor of their interests, be it politics, social order, climate, personal lifestyle improvement, or hobbies. Constant keeping in touch with people helps them recover from loneliness in this fast-paced world order.

4. Like the physical society, the virtual society or the social media also reflects the learning theories essential for the larger growth of society.

Social Learning Theory: Social media interactions, posts, and communication often help people learn about different areas of their interests. It ensures the eradication of internalized prejudices and the development of better reasoning ability and cognition among a certain section of participants willing to learn (Hussain& Roy, 2016). However, social learning often misfires to undesired and harmful directions through posting social media and spreading hatred for ulterior motives. Social Exchange Theories: Social media platforms help businesses and individuals find people fit for their commercial or personal interests. Putting up posts seeking aspirants for particular job posts, for example, helps organizations find the necessary workforces. Social media also helps find like-minded people, which has an indirect but strong impact on social harmony and the global condition of the general mental health of the netizens.

Social Comparison Theory: Comparison through social media may have both positive and negative impacts. Some comparisons help people make a wiser decision regarding their interests, investments, business, etc. On the other hand, some comparisons like lifestyle, wealth, access to luxury and commodity, socially perceived success in life, and career harm the mental health of the netizens and result in undesired social reflections (Hussain& Roy, 2016).

5. The following deserve mention among several social media platforms.
Facebook: It is the largest social media platform regarding users' count and popularity. People can share their thoughts and creativity, and small details of their personal or professional life over this platform. This platform supports posts in multiple possible media forms like images, videos, short videos, links to documents, etc., which are supported in this platform (Hussain& Roy, 2016). Users can participate in online communities through groups, pages, and other community platforms over the messenger applications for connectivity. The platform now supports paid reach to more viewers for business content.
Instagram: This is another popular social media platform mainly developed for sharing photos or pictures with followers. Unlike Facebook, this social media platform is designed for 'follower' and 'following' connectivity(Pearlson, Saunders &Galletta, 2020). There is no scope for making 'friends' over Instagram, unlike Facebook. People may post pictures and videos of their interests and things that interest their followers.
Twitter: Twitter is a popular microblogging platform. Though not strictly a social media platform, Twitter exercises immense impact on the socio-political and economic orders of the present world. The connectivity system in Twitter is like that of Instagram.
6. Social media is important in business because of the following reasons
Market Survey: Social media responses help understand the potential markets for a product.
Pricing: Based on the demographics of people who respond to particular product offers, companies can determine the price brackets(Pearlson, Saunders &Galletta, 2020).

Promotion: Social media helps organizations market and promote products in the least costly, most effective, and time-saving ways.
Communication: Brand pages on social media directly interact with the customers about their opinions and feedback. It helps in customer service, improvement of products, and better market prediction.

7. Issues created by social media
Hate speech: Anonymity in social media helped increase hate speech against anything anyone finds in conflict with their opinion. Bullying: Online bullying for any reason has become a major concern after social media. Misinformation: Information shared on social media is hardly reliable(Pearlson, Saunders &Galletta, 2020). People trust without fact-checking, leading to widespread propaganda and misinformation reflecting in the users' personal beliefs and social behaviors. Manipulation: Social media opened up new ways of manipulating mass behavior, and society's political and other stakeholders are taking unfair advantage of it.

Data privacy: Social media increased threats to users’ information privacy as reflected in incidents like the data breach by Cambridge Analytica and Facebook.
8. There is practically no privacy in social media. The platforms offer customized privacy options, but once a person puts up his personal details like name, address, date of birth, workplace, anyone can use these for various purposes (Kuhn, 2018). The posts and opinions of a person active on social media can easily be accessed by the organization itself or by anyone aware of the use of e-discovery. A platform like Facebook also collects data regarding e-commerce activities, news consumption by the users, and all offline activities through smartphones or computers relating to applications and search engines.

9Three Digital media
Software: The software applications are digital media that connect the consumers with the intended world of networking (Kuhn, 2018). For example, social media applications, e-commerce applications, messaging applications, etc.

Digital Images: Images captured in digital formats like photos of people, places, products, or anything. Digital Video Contents: Videos created using digital tools are also digital media. However, all digital media do not necessarily have any connection to social media unless the users post it on the platforms.

10. Virtual communication is a general term referring to the common communication people makeover social media platforms. A general conversation among people from different areas over social media may count as virtual communication. Virtual literacy is more technical and refers to the skills and abilities of understanding patterns, sources, and inherent meanings in the virtual contents through visuals and cognitive analysis abilities (Kuhn, 2018). Virtual literacy helps in gaming and real-time interactive applications for various purposes. The digital divide decreases with virtual literacy.
11. Anonymity in digital media refers to using the digital platforms without disclosing the users' original name and other identifiable details. Users may open accounts in any social media platform under whatever names they like without disclosing their real name. Opinions regarding anonymity on social media are varied. Some experts argue in favor of anonymity as it helps voice an opinion without the fear of being attacked by fellow citizens and governments (Li, 2017). Some people are against anonymity, considering the absence of responsibility regarding posts and comments made by the users on any issue. However, despite anonymity, the law and order force can track down the people contributing objectionable content on social media despite anonymity by searching the unique address of the devices.

12The lots o advertisement users often come across in free applications are the sponsors of the application they are using. The integrated digital marketing strategy of modern companies utilizes application platforms to promote and market their products. The advertisements usually come from the big data analytics process. This data analytics and artificial intelligence make the advertisements relevant to the consumers' interest. In free applications, one cannot prevent the appearance of these advertisements (Li, 2017). In paid applications, the settings can be customized to prevent the appearance of those. 13Digital Media: Digital media includes all media forms on digital platforms like applications, digital images, digital video content, etc. Availability of digital media on the internet platforms makes them e-media or electronic media. Digital Marketing: Digital marketing is the process of marketing overall digital platforms with or without the connection to internet platforms. It may include simple messaging marketing, marketing over calls, and other offline connection modes through digital systems and devices.

E-marketing: Electronic marketing or e-marketing is a segment of digital marketing. It is different from the broader term of digital marketing due to the inevitable presence of networking medium in those (Li, 2017). A large part of integrated digital marketing involves e-marketing through e-mail, social media, search engines, application marketing, etc.

14Five trends in social media
Creator Economy: Social media has offered a huge profitable platform for content creators. People find new ways to build up careers and taste popularity through social media content designing and presentation. Social media influencers are developing a parallel celebrity culture across borders.
Streamlined Social Commerce: Social media platforms are helping many small businesses and entrepreneurs utilize the platforms for successful e-business with collaboration.
Humour and Fun: Games like Wordle keep people more engaged with social media. Memes on various subjects of serious and light social concerns are ruling the internet.

Motivation: Social media platforms are spreading positivity for better mental health management. Reels and Videos: Reels and short videos rule social media feeds.

References
Hussain, A., & Roy, A. (2016).The emerging era of Big Data Analytics. Big Data Analytics, 1(1). DOI: 10.1186/s41044-016-0004-2 Kozlov, A., Noga, N. (2019). The Method of Assessing the Level of Compliance of Divisions of the Complex Network for the Corporate Information Security Policy Indicators. Twelfth International Conference “Management of Large Scale System Development” (MLSD), p. 1-5. DOI 10.1109/MLSD.2019.8911052

Kuhn, M.L. (2018). 147 Million Social Security Numbers for Sale: Developing Data protection Legislation After Mass Cybersecurity Breaches.Digital marketing assignment Iowa Law Reviews. v. 104, n. 1, p. 417-445 Li, J. (2017). Educational Policy Development in China for the 21st Century: Rationality and Challenges in a Globalizing Age. Chinese Education & Society, 50(3), 133–141. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=eric&AN=EJ1159585&site=eds-live

Medina, C. (2016), Federal Cybersecurity: Strategy and Implementation for Research and Development. New York: Nova Science Publishers
Modh, K. (2015). Controlling Hate Speech on the Internet: The Indian Perspective. SSRN Electronic Journal. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2783447 Pearlson, K., Saunders, C., &Galletta, D. (2020). Managing and using information systems (7th ed.). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Rubinstein, I., & Good, N. (2018). Privacy by Design: A Counterfactual Analysis of Google and Facebook Privacy Incidents. SSRN Electronic Journal. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2128146

Yen, C., Liaw, H., & Lo, N. (2017).Digital rights management system with user privacy, usage transparency, and superdistribution support. International Journal Of Communication Systems, 27(10), 1714-1730. DOI: 10.1002/DAC.2431 Zheng, Z., Xie, S., Dai, H., Chen, X., & Wang, H. (2017). An Overview of Blockchain Technology: Architecture, Consensus, and Future Trends. 2017 IEEE International Congress On Big Data (Bigdata Congress). DOI: 10.1109/bigdatacongress.2017.85 Z?le, K., &Strazdi?a, R. (2018).Blockchain Use Cases and Their Feasibility.Applied Computer Systems, 23(1), 12-20. DOI: 10.2478/acss-2018-0002