The modern business landscape demands that organizations maintain an online presence to network with their customers and investors. Therefore, understanding the link between social media and e-business is an important first step in cultivating these internet-based relationships. Organizations and Social Networking: Utilizing Social Media to Engage Consumers provides a broad investigation into the use of social technologies in business practices through theoretical research and practical applications. This book explores the opportunities and challenges brought about by the advent of various 21st century online business web tools and platforms, presenting professionals and researchers in e-business, social marketing, online collaborative communities, and social analytics with cutting-edge information and technological developments to implement in their own enterprises. This book is part of the Advances in Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, and E-Services series collection.

This book examines issues and implications of digital and social media marketing for emerging markets. These markets necessitate substantial adaptations of developed theories and approaches employed in the Western world. The book investigates problems specific to emerging markets, while identifying new theoretical constructs and practical applications of digital marketing. It addresses topics such as electronic word of mouth (eWOM), demographic differences in digital marketing, mobile marketing, search engine advertising, among others. A radical increase in both temporal and geographical reach is empowering consumers to exert influence on brands, products, and services. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital media are having a significant impact on the way people communicate and fulfil their socio-economic, emotional and material needs. These technologies are also being harnessed by businesses for various purposes including distribution and selling of goods, retailing of consumer services, customer relationship management, and influencing consumer behaviour by employing digital marketing practices. This book considers this, as it examines the practice and research related to digital and social media marketing.

With the prevalence of social media, businesses and other organizations have a growing need to utilize various online media platforms and sites to engage and interact with their potential consumer base. Virtual communities and social networking can provide an effective escape route from the limits imposed by traditional media. Using optimal strategies can lead to more successful outcomes when using these platforms. Modern Perspectives on Virtual Communications and Social Networking provides innovative insights into connection and conversation through internet media that foster trust, commitment, and transparency in business. The content within this publication represents the potential to create virtual bonds with consumers through the observation of buying behavior, social media best practices, and digital marketing strategies. It is designed for business professionals, academicians, consultants, managers, marketers, and researchers and covers topics centered on the use of online media as a method of reaching a wider population.

For years, technology has been the impetus for progress in various processes, systems, and businesses; it shows no sign of ceasing further development. The application of technology-driven processes in promotionally-oriented environments has become more and more common in today’s business world. Computer-Mediated Marketing Strategies: Social Media and Online Brand Communities brings together marketing approaches and the application of current technology, such as social networking arenas, to show how this interaction creates a successful competitive advantage. Focusing on qualitative research, various technological tools, and diverse Internet environments, this book is a necessary reference source for academics, management practitioners, students, and professionals interested in the application of technology in promotionally-oriented processes.

The definitive guide for using social media to build more effective organizations Today's networking technologies-wikis, blogs, and social networking sites-are changing how we build professional relationships and work collaboratively. In this insightful book, three organizational development experts from Oracle Corporation offer executives down-to-earth strategies for leveraging the power of social media to build more effective and agile organizations, engage employees, and sustain competitiveness. Offers practical advice for using social media (wikis, blogs, and social networking sites) to increase organizational effectiveness Presents proven recommendations for building teams, accelerating learning, and fostering innovation by adopting social networking tools Shows how to tap into the power of social networks to improve organizational performance Demonstrates how social media will help organizations thrive for years to come by drawing on case studies from companies like Intel, Cisco, Nokia, and others

This book extends current understandings of the effects of using locative social media on spatiality, the experience of time and identity. This is a pertinent and timely topic given the increase in opportunities people now have to explicitly and implicitly share their location through digital and mobile technologies. There is a growing body of research on locative media, much of this literature has concentrated on spatial issues. Research here has explored how locative media and location-based social media (LBSN) are used to communicate and coordinate social interactions in public space, affecting how people approach their surroundings, turning ordinary life “into a game”, and altering how mobile media is involved in understanding the world. This book offers a critical analysis of the effect of usage of locative social media on identity through an engagement with the current literature on spatiality, a novel critical investigation of the temporal effects of LBSN use and a view of identity as influenced by the spatio-temporal effects of interacting with place through LBSN. Drawing on phenomenology, post-phenomenology and critical theory on social and locative media, alongside established sociological frameworks for approaching spatiality and the city, it presents a comprehensive account of the effects of LBSN and locative media use.

Using a novel approach to consider the available literature and research, this book focuses on the psychology of social media based on the assumption that the experience of being in a social media has an impact on both our identity and social relationships. In order to ‘be online’, an individual has to create an online presence – they have to share information about themselves online. This online self is presented in different ways, with diverse goals and aims in order to engage in different social media activities and to achieve desired outcomes. Whilst this may not be a real physical presence, that physicality is becoming increasingly replicated through photos, video, and ever-evolving ways of defining and describing the self online. Moreover, individuals are using both PC-based and mobile-based social media as well as increasingly making use of photo and video editing tools to carefully craft and manipulate their online self. This book therefore explores current debates in Cyberpsychology, drawing on the most up-to-date theories and research to explore four main aspects of the social media experience (communication, identity, presence and relationships). In doing so, it considers the interplay of different areas of psychological research with current technological and security insight into how individuals create, manipulate and maintain their online identity and relationships. The social media are therefore at the core of every chapter, with the common thread throughout being the very unique approach to considering diverse and varied online behaviours that may not have been thus far considered from this perspective. It covers a broad range of both positive and negative behaviours that have now become integrated into the daily lives of many westernised country’s Internet users, giving it an appeal to both scholarly and industry readers alike.

Faced with constant changes in consumer behavior, marketers are seeking various tools to promote and market their brands. Among those tools, the most impactful is consumer-generated content (CGC). CGC is viewed as consumers’ vote of confidence, which is a form of social proof. CGC allows consumers to be involved with the companies’ marketing strategy. Brands and companies have enabled consumers to be producers of original content, cocreators for an existing brand, and curators for trending ideas in the marketing place. The author explains why it is even more important today that brands need consumers’ voices to advocate their brands. In this lively and practical book, she uses theories to explain consumers’ psychology and offers practical examples of which social media platforms are conducive to CGC and why. In addition, she explains how consumers use CGC in different countries, the importance of influencer marketing, and ultimately teaches the strategy of using CGC effectively.

Social Media: Culture and Identity examines the global impact of social media in the formation of various identities and cultures. New media scholars— both national and international— have posited thought-provoking analyses of sociocultural issues about human communication that are impacted by the omnipresence of social media. This collection examines issues of gender, class, and race inequities along with social media’s connections to women’s health, cyberbullying, sexting, and transgender issues both in the United States and in some developing countries.

Engaging customers has become an effective strategy of marketers for improving customer-brand relationships as customer engagement is a perfect predictor of organic growth. Aggressive sales promotions, advertising campaigns, rewards, discounts, and more may attract a customer, but customer engagement creates an emotional connection with the brands/firms/services, which drives customer loyalty and long-term profitability. This has become much more applicable and effective with the use of social media platforms and the increased access of internet. Moreover, the implementation of customer analytics to measure engagement activities has provided marketers with more insights for improving services. Insights, Innovation, and Analytics for Optimal Customer Engagement is an advanced reference book that covers the latest emerging research in customer engagement and includes underlying theories, innovative methods, a review of existing literature, engagement analytics, and insights for marketers with reference to customer engagement. The book covers various product categories, industries, and sectors that are working to engage customers in inventive and creative ways. This book is a comprehensive reference tool for marketers, brand managers, social media specialists, advertisers, managers, executives, academicians, researchers, practitioners, and students interested in gaining comprehensive knowledge about customer engagement and the latest advancements in the field.