We spend about 24 hours online every week. Social media is mostly made up for consumers, but there are a few producers every now and then. Consumers want goods and services to be accessible to them and through joining social media, that is exactly what producers are attempting to do.
Companies can pay Instagram to slip and advertisement in our feed, from someone we do not even follow. Or maybe they create a Snapchat filter or subscription. Another popular method of advertisement is through influencers, a method that is present regardless of the platform.
Influencers are celebrities that brands know have the ability to persuade others. This can be because of their authority, knowledge, high follower count, and relationship with their fans. Their fans look up to their influencers, so when they promote a product the fans believe the high praise that the influencer is giving it. The influencer's job is to make a few posts positively raving about a good or service.
I understand that companies and influencers are trying to use social media to generate money and customers, but what happens when customers get annoyed from these constant advertisements? When I see an advertisement on any platform, I immediately get annoyed - I turn a blind eye to whatever is in front of me and skip through it.
Additionally, I have seen many influencers claim they love products that either look cheap or end up having a bad review. For example, on Youtube there were many creators sponsored by "DevaCurl," a curly hair cream brand. For years they sponsored it, but many customers claimed it made their hair fall out and it made their curls loose.
All and all, I think there are some issues with social media advertisements. I feel like producers are getting ignored when they post, but also they can make influencers lose credibility. I have seen these issues to be reoccurring. I know they are little, but companies spending millions on advertisements need to find a way to do so and get the most bang for their buck, while also keeping social media users happy.
Sources:
https://www.mdgadvertising.com/marketing-insights/infographics/how-social-media-changed-the-ad-game-infographic/
https://www.mdgadvertising.com/marketing-insights/infographics/how-social-media-changed-the-ad-game-infographic/
I think that this is an important issue to talk about since we spend so much time online. In this generation, we grow up with social media and we face the negative and positive side effects of it. I like that you talked about the example of DevaCurl, where customers had negative comments, but many social influencers still kept promoting it. It shows that we can't allow ourselves to believe these scams.
ReplyDeleteWhen promoting a brand means building the consumer's trust in a brand, these companies recognize that these "micro-influencers" are just as, if not, more effective than big celebrities. That is because we, as consumers and followers see them as peers rather than someone that is way up in the sky, so we tend to trust their motives more and are more susceptible to being convinced to buy a product they promote.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very true and addresses issues I think about often. Many times we scroll through our Instagram feed and see advertisements that are interesting, but because they are easily separable from the rest of the feed with their "Sponsored" tag, I tend to continue scrolling. However, influencers seem to be more effective with advertising because many consumers strive to be like them and thus many purchase the products they advertise. Marketers must learn how to be "cool" to this generation and I think the inherent problem again becomes what Mr. Stewart discussed in class: as soon as the companies try to be "cool", like Slim Jim commenting on every meme account page with some edgy-ish comment, it becomes a lot less cool.
ReplyDeleteThis article was interesting to read because advertisements are everywhere on social media. I find that I also immediately ignore advertisements and skip through them on social media. It's easy to tell when influencers are paid to promote products, causing me to skip through those posts too. Producers need to find a better way to market their products through social media because right now it seems they have the opposite effect on many people.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to address how the constant advertisement may make consumers annoyed and reduce their chances of buying the product. Also, many people who go to awards shows often tag the brand of their clothing and while it may not seem as such blatant advertising, it still increases activity of the brand. However, I've recently noticed that especially on instagram, sponsored posts and advertisements for clothing and other things often have very similar (if not identical) templates to other posts.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the examples you included in this article, really emphasized the points you made. I wonder to what point consumers become overwhelmed and done with certain advertisments, and how that impacts the demand of the products. I also feel it would help your point to speak more about the personalization of these ads, and how they are focused on individual viewers and their interests.
ReplyDeleteI really related to this article. I frequently use social media and feel like I am constantly bombarded with ads of products that may or may not be harmful, like Sugar Bear Hair gummies that contain 100% of your daily lead intake. It makes me think of how celebrities and the internet have transformed the way we consume ads and content.
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