Social media has taken the marketing world by storm. This new concept of humanizing brands by building online communities and relationships is changing the way companies market products.
In many ways, social media marketing and sociology are loosely based off of one another. Sociology is centered on identifying communities and their social preferences and actions. Sociologists work to understand the society and community, much like businesses do with online communities. For example, businesses participating in Twitter create pages and write tweets based on what their community desires to hear.
Social media focuses on social behavior and lifestyle instead of relying on more impersonal resources, such as demographics. This way interaction can occur at a deeper level.
The use of social influence – the sociological term for the impact others have on our everyday life – is the major component in social media marketing. Social media marketers study how users and brands function and interact on social media forums such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other platforms to better understand and participate within the community where their target market interacts. This interaction enables each side to both spread and gain knowledge in a mutually beneficial way.
Following sociology methodology, here are five tips to consider when participating in social media:
1. Make sure your social media “properties” fit the audience. Find out what their style is and match it. For example, when trying to reach a younger audience, consider bright fun colors and hip designs, something they would pick out themselves. If they feel comfortable within your community, they will listen to what you have to say and provide feedback.
2. Post meaningful and relatable topics. Choose topics that are newsworthy and write with personality. Do not try to sell, but rather relate to them.
3. When a follower messages you, message back! Use personal messages instead of auto-replies to make them feel valued. Don’t let technology get in the way of real human interaction.
4. Create a constant flow of information. Do not overload your followers with information, but at the same time post enough to keep them interested.
5. Understand unique community attributes. Just like societies, unwritten rules of conduct and behavior spring organically from distinct online communities. Leaders and influencers within these circles typically help set the tone and it’s important to pay attention and learn appropriate conduct in order to successfully engage.
Today’s marketers would do well to apply ideas from sociology when considering social media. The old model of marketing which forced consumers to fit into defined categories to be reached by limited marketing tools left many consumers’ needs unmet. Using the sociological idea of forming and understanding different communities in concert with the latest social media channels gives marketers the opportunity to reach audiences on a much more personal, and effective, level.
Anna Reilly is entering her sophomore year at the University of Oregon and is majoring in sociology. She served as an intern this summer in the earned media department at CMD Agency.