Improvement in communication technology from terrestrial conventional television sets to use of subscriber television channels has changed the way marketers traditionally lured people into buying goods and services. Traditionally, advertisements were either through the radio, terrestrial television sets, outdoor and indoor signage; it has gradually changed to accommodate the trend of using social media sites like twitter, Facebook, YouTube LinkedIn among others. Social media platforms have gained much popularity among youths and middle class citizens of many countries. The growing popularity of these sites has made them attractants of marketing agencies.
The choice between relying on conventional media like television sets and radios has to be made in an increasing competitive era where appropriate product placement influences sales. Increased number of conventional media that only take a fraction and segment of the market niche influences the shift. Fragmentation of the potential market by media houses makes it expensive to advertise across all stations for products that cut across all market segments. An advertisement for the club for instance targets revelers who are within either the youth category or middle class people in their forties. Advertising, such a service, requires a choosing station(s) whose audience is within the target market. Often it will require placing adverts in at least two media stations. The expensive option is slowly being sidelined for cheap convenient options that offer interactive platforms. Surprisingly, conventional media have to use such social media sites for interactions with clients and listeners hence becoming an integral part of communication whether for selling a product or conveying educational information.
The rationale of using social media platforms is a relative affordable of the platform. Video, pictures and written descriptions have been integrated social media sites. The integration allows registered users on Facebook to access information about a product, view how it is used and read or listen to reviews from other users. This is more convincing than conventional media adverts that are often non-interactive.
Secondly, many youths who form a majority of the world’s population can quickly access information at anytime. Their internet-enabled phones. Smartphones and laptops can be used at any time of their convenience even when in the remotest part of the country thanks to the satellite enabled network coverage. Internet enabled phones are becoming cheap hence more people have access to them than television sets or radios. Simplicity of the device, its volatility and adaptability is an advantage that any advertiser will consider when deciding where to place adverts.
Interactions in marketing are an important tool that enable product producers understand the weakness and strengths of their products. It helps device improvement mechanisms in terms of color, usability, and taste among others. In addition, it enables marketers conduct market research by doing product comparisons, for example, in pricing, quality, and market segment. These make social media be preferred to conventional media as marketing platform.
The question as to whether one should shift from being terrestrial to having presence on the internet is considered. However, advertising of the stations will still require payment unlike in social media platforms where video of a product if uploaded free of charge like on Youtube. Indeed tough choices have to be made when two competing service providers offer similar products. It calls for analysis of the benefits, evaluation of the costs involved, evaluation of unintended consequences and understanding of the opportunity cost. That notwithstanding, social media is slowly replacing conventional media in advertisements a thing that may make many conventional media unviable in a competitive market.
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