Annotations
ANNOTATION ONE
MLA Citation:
"How Social Media Can Impact Business." Business Questions to Ask RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
5 Quotes:
“Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Pinterest represent a huge opportunity for businesses to grab the attention of customers while simultaneously building a brand image.”
“Something as simple as “Liking” a brand on Facebook can spread virally very quickly throughout the various social media channels. It is worth noting that individuals trust the opinions of their peers far more than a glossy magazine advert.”
“By utilizing social media effectively, companies can reach out to dissatisfied customers directly, within their own social media environment, to find innovative ways of improving the product or service they have on offer.”
“Forrester Analyst Augie Ray broke the various types of social media influencers into three distinct categories:
Social Broadcasters (at the top)
Mass Influencers (middle)
Potential Influencers (bottom of the pyramid)
More than 80 per cent of that population is made up of “potential influencers”. It is worth making the effort to identify who these people are in your network and connect with them to attract shares and likes which ultimately help to spread your brand name. One website which is excellent for identifying these people is Klout. Klout gives social networkers a score out of 100 which indicates how influential an individual is over their network while also identifying who the broadcasters and influencers are within that network.”
“The use of social media to share and engage with others continues to grow at an astounding rate, so it would be wise for any business to develop and implement a sustainable social media strategy in order to successfully take advantage of this rapidly changing environment.”
My Response:
The information provided on this website is extremely informative and supportive of businesses utilizing social media websites to prosper. The website breaks down the benefits of social media and business into five different categories; tactics, word of mouth, communicating with customers, influence and considerations, then continues to elaborate on the meaning of those categories. Some benefits are branding, increasing popularity, improving business quality and strategy, as well as keeping up to date with the market.
ANNOTATION 2
MLA Citation:
Progress, Work In. "The Hidden Benefits of Social Media Marketing: Why Your Strategy May Be Working Better Than You Think." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
5 Quotes:
“With consistent effort and great content, you can build a reputation for your brand around your company’s values, benefits, and advantages.”
“A clear benefit of social media is repeat exposure with your network. You have the opportunity to remind them over and over again about what you have to offer, which can shorten your sales cycles dramatically.”
“Having a substantial social media audience creates a snowball effect that can attract new customers, media interviews, joint venture partnerships, and all kinds of other opportunities.”
“The reality is that most of your competitors aren’t likely doing a very good job with social media (most companies aren’t), which gives you the chance to stand out. Also consider the flip side. If you avoid social media, you leave a big opening that allows your competitors to capture your audience.”
“But that one contract you landed could cover your social media marketing costs for years. And that major media interview could lead to subsequent interviews and a line item on your resume that impresses a corporate sponsor three years from now.”
My Response:
This online article, written by, Stephanie Chandler (author of: Own Your Niche: Hype-Free Internet Marketing Tactics to Establish Authority in Your Field and Promote Your Service-Based Business) discusses the benefits of social media on businesses. The article is easy to follow and their are multiple great points. What I took most from reading this is that social media is not a fad and it is not going to go away. With it’s rising popularity among the youth, businesses that do not have a social media strategy are missing out on multiple opportunities for growth, as well as risking their stability in the future. The benefits vastly outweigh the negative side, such as consistent updating efforts.
ANNOTATION 3
MLA Citation:
"26 Promising Social Media Stats for Small Businesses." Social Media Examiner RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.
5 Quotes:
“There are now more than 800 million active Facebook users, with over 200 million added in 2011. Notice the growth trend traced by Ben Foster. Over 80% of all Americans use a social network.”
“Nearly 23% of online time is spent on social networks. Social media users are more active and influential offline. The average user has 130 friends and is connected to 80 pages, events and groups.”
“The 3 most important reasons small businesses leverage social media are: connecting with customers, visibility, self-promotion.”
“50% of small business owners reported gaining new customers through social media – most notably through Facebook and LinkedIn.”
“Small businesses don’t have to spend much to get results: Zoomerangfound that nearly 60% of all small business decision-makers spend less than $100 on social media and 74% of businesses don’t employ anyone to manage their social media marketing.”
My Response:
After reading this article, my opinions about the necessity and benefits of social media networking within businesses (especially small businesses) is extremely important, if not necessary. With the amount of people who use social media sites, they are the perfect place to spread the word about your business/product. It allows a business to connect with customers, have visibility and self-promote. Statistics show that 50% of small business owners reported the gain of customers through social media sites. There are certain sites that are more popular than others so it is important to register on the appropriate sites (Facebook, LinkedIn). Also, it is extremely important to realize that each follower you gain on an account, has on average, 130 friends. This means that every time you expose yourself to one follower, you are actually exposing yourself to hundreds, if not thousands of possible new customers.
ANNOTATION 4
MLA CITATION:
"10 Myths About Social Networking For Business." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
QUOTATIONS:
"If consultants showed you how you could do much of this work yourself, why would you hire them?"
"Experts will show you pretty statistics on how more than 80% of people heard of a product through social media. This is a scare tactic to get you to hire them. The truth is social media is not on every one's radar--not yet, anyway."
"At first blush, social media feels like a cheap and powerful bullhorn. It is, but don't be surprised when blasting messages in one direction--from you to them--only generates a trickle of traffic. The trick is to get people involved, and keep them involved."
"Social media is the new shiny red apple. It's not going anywhere, but neither are web sites."
"Three basic steps: track where your users are coming from; identify the actions they took on your site (making purchases, viewing a 10-page slide show, whatever); calculate the value of that activity."
MY RESPONSE:
After viewing this website article, I have a better understanding of the loopholes involved in Social Media advertising within small businesses. There are many misconceptions about the effect of creating social media. A key part of turning traffic into cash flow is getting viewers involved and KEEPING them involved. It is very possible for a person to come across a link or posting and be interested momentarily. But in order to really sell them and gain their business, you must have multiple interactive links and sites to keep them browsing and learning about your business. As popular as social media is right now, it is important for businesses to also keep their websites modern and informative. While social media seems to be taking over, websites are still important and will continue to be, even as social media use grows.
ANNOTATION 5
MLA Citation:
"USA TODAY." USATODAY.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
5 Quotations:
"Social networking's real economic impact might be ahead as companies learn how to harness "social business" tools."
"Beyond advertising on Facebook or Twitter, companies are using social networks to build teams that solve problems faster, share information better among their employees and partners, bring customer ideas for new product designs to market earlier, and redesign all kinds of corporate software in Facebook's easy-to-learn style."
"Nearly 90% said they have reaped at least one measurable business benefit, though most say the improvements have been modest."
"Heavy use of social tools has a statistically significant correlation to profitability, said Michael Chui, senior fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute. But it's early: Only about 3% of respondents used social business tools for all three major uses — reaching customers, connecting employees and coordinating with suppliers, McKinsey said."
"Using social networks to foster connections lets companies match the skills of people working all over the world who wouldn't easily find each other, said Eric Lesser, a research director at IBM's Institute for Business Value."
My Response:
This website provided by USAToday provides information on why social media is "reinventing how business is done." It discusses various social media sites and their uses in making businesses more popular. It provides multiple statistics on the effects that social media has had on other businesses. They show that ninety percent of businesses that have began utilizing social media sites have "reaped at least one measurable benefit." Social media sites not only allow the businesses to get new customers, but they also allow businesses to interact with one another. Especially businesses that are separated internationally. It is wise for businesses to begin or further their use of social media in order to compete with the market, and increase their chances of profitability.
MLA Citation:
"How Social Media Can Impact Business." Business Questions to Ask RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
5 Quotes:
“Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Pinterest represent a huge opportunity for businesses to grab the attention of customers while simultaneously building a brand image.”
“Something as simple as “Liking” a brand on Facebook can spread virally very quickly throughout the various social media channels. It is worth noting that individuals trust the opinions of their peers far more than a glossy magazine advert.”
“By utilizing social media effectively, companies can reach out to dissatisfied customers directly, within their own social media environment, to find innovative ways of improving the product or service they have on offer.”
“Forrester Analyst Augie Ray broke the various types of social media influencers into three distinct categories:
Social Broadcasters (at the top)
Mass Influencers (middle)
Potential Influencers (bottom of the pyramid)
More than 80 per cent of that population is made up of “potential influencers”. It is worth making the effort to identify who these people are in your network and connect with them to attract shares and likes which ultimately help to spread your brand name. One website which is excellent for identifying these people is Klout. Klout gives social networkers a score out of 100 which indicates how influential an individual is over their network while also identifying who the broadcasters and influencers are within that network.”
“The use of social media to share and engage with others continues to grow at an astounding rate, so it would be wise for any business to develop and implement a sustainable social media strategy in order to successfully take advantage of this rapidly changing environment.”
My Response:
The information provided on this website is extremely informative and supportive of businesses utilizing social media websites to prosper. The website breaks down the benefits of social media and business into five different categories; tactics, word of mouth, communicating with customers, influence and considerations, then continues to elaborate on the meaning of those categories. Some benefits are branding, increasing popularity, improving business quality and strategy, as well as keeping up to date with the market.
ANNOTATION 2
MLA Citation:
Progress, Work In. "The Hidden Benefits of Social Media Marketing: Why Your Strategy May Be Working Better Than You Think." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
5 Quotes:
“With consistent effort and great content, you can build a reputation for your brand around your company’s values, benefits, and advantages.”
“A clear benefit of social media is repeat exposure with your network. You have the opportunity to remind them over and over again about what you have to offer, which can shorten your sales cycles dramatically.”
“Having a substantial social media audience creates a snowball effect that can attract new customers, media interviews, joint venture partnerships, and all kinds of other opportunities.”
“The reality is that most of your competitors aren’t likely doing a very good job with social media (most companies aren’t), which gives you the chance to stand out. Also consider the flip side. If you avoid social media, you leave a big opening that allows your competitors to capture your audience.”
“But that one contract you landed could cover your social media marketing costs for years. And that major media interview could lead to subsequent interviews and a line item on your resume that impresses a corporate sponsor three years from now.”
My Response:
This online article, written by, Stephanie Chandler (author of: Own Your Niche: Hype-Free Internet Marketing Tactics to Establish Authority in Your Field and Promote Your Service-Based Business) discusses the benefits of social media on businesses. The article is easy to follow and their are multiple great points. What I took most from reading this is that social media is not a fad and it is not going to go away. With it’s rising popularity among the youth, businesses that do not have a social media strategy are missing out on multiple opportunities for growth, as well as risking their stability in the future. The benefits vastly outweigh the negative side, such as consistent updating efforts.
ANNOTATION 3
MLA Citation:
"26 Promising Social Media Stats for Small Businesses." Social Media Examiner RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.
5 Quotes:
“There are now more than 800 million active Facebook users, with over 200 million added in 2011. Notice the growth trend traced by Ben Foster. Over 80% of all Americans use a social network.”
“Nearly 23% of online time is spent on social networks. Social media users are more active and influential offline. The average user has 130 friends and is connected to 80 pages, events and groups.”
“The 3 most important reasons small businesses leverage social media are: connecting with customers, visibility, self-promotion.”
“50% of small business owners reported gaining new customers through social media – most notably through Facebook and LinkedIn.”
“Small businesses don’t have to spend much to get results: Zoomerangfound that nearly 60% of all small business decision-makers spend less than $100 on social media and 74% of businesses don’t employ anyone to manage their social media marketing.”
My Response:
After reading this article, my opinions about the necessity and benefits of social media networking within businesses (especially small businesses) is extremely important, if not necessary. With the amount of people who use social media sites, they are the perfect place to spread the word about your business/product. It allows a business to connect with customers, have visibility and self-promote. Statistics show that 50% of small business owners reported the gain of customers through social media sites. There are certain sites that are more popular than others so it is important to register on the appropriate sites (Facebook, LinkedIn). Also, it is extremely important to realize that each follower you gain on an account, has on average, 130 friends. This means that every time you expose yourself to one follower, you are actually exposing yourself to hundreds, if not thousands of possible new customers.
ANNOTATION 4
MLA CITATION:
"10 Myths About Social Networking For Business." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
QUOTATIONS:
"If consultants showed you how you could do much of this work yourself, why would you hire them?"
"Experts will show you pretty statistics on how more than 80% of people heard of a product through social media. This is a scare tactic to get you to hire them. The truth is social media is not on every one's radar--not yet, anyway."
"At first blush, social media feels like a cheap and powerful bullhorn. It is, but don't be surprised when blasting messages in one direction--from you to them--only generates a trickle of traffic. The trick is to get people involved, and keep them involved."
"Social media is the new shiny red apple. It's not going anywhere, but neither are web sites."
"Three basic steps: track where your users are coming from; identify the actions they took on your site (making purchases, viewing a 10-page slide show, whatever); calculate the value of that activity."
MY RESPONSE:
After viewing this website article, I have a better understanding of the loopholes involved in Social Media advertising within small businesses. There are many misconceptions about the effect of creating social media. A key part of turning traffic into cash flow is getting viewers involved and KEEPING them involved. It is very possible for a person to come across a link or posting and be interested momentarily. But in order to really sell them and gain their business, you must have multiple interactive links and sites to keep them browsing and learning about your business. As popular as social media is right now, it is important for businesses to also keep their websites modern and informative. While social media seems to be taking over, websites are still important and will continue to be, even as social media use grows.
ANNOTATION 5
MLA Citation:
"USA TODAY." USATODAY.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
5 Quotations:
"Social networking's real economic impact might be ahead as companies learn how to harness "social business" tools."
"Beyond advertising on Facebook or Twitter, companies are using social networks to build teams that solve problems faster, share information better among their employees and partners, bring customer ideas for new product designs to market earlier, and redesign all kinds of corporate software in Facebook's easy-to-learn style."
"Nearly 90% said they have reaped at least one measurable business benefit, though most say the improvements have been modest."
"Heavy use of social tools has a statistically significant correlation to profitability, said Michael Chui, senior fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute. But it's early: Only about 3% of respondents used social business tools for all three major uses — reaching customers, connecting employees and coordinating with suppliers, McKinsey said."
"Using social networks to foster connections lets companies match the skills of people working all over the world who wouldn't easily find each other, said Eric Lesser, a research director at IBM's Institute for Business Value."
My Response:
This website provided by USAToday provides information on why social media is "reinventing how business is done." It discusses various social media sites and their uses in making businesses more popular. It provides multiple statistics on the effects that social media has had on other businesses. They show that ninety percent of businesses that have began utilizing social media sites have "reaped at least one measurable benefit." Social media sites not only allow the businesses to get new customers, but they also allow businesses to interact with one another. Especially businesses that are separated internationally. It is wise for businesses to begin or further their use of social media in order to compete with the market, and increase their chances of profitability.