In our rapidly evolving society, social media has emerged as one of the most used sources for entertainment, communication, and now advertising. From the beginning of business everywhere, advertising has taken several forms. From places on newspapers to tear-away posters on call boards to big electronic billboards plastered around Times Square, businesses have tried to expand their reach through multiple avenues. Now, with the creation of algorithms to allow specially curated advertisements to appear on one's feed, social media has allowed businesses to have a deeper engagement with customers and reach a wider audience at a rapid pace.
Social media has served as an immense benefit to the advertising industry, allowing businesses of any size to reach out to potential customers. This has helped small businesses compete with Fortune 500 companies by utilizing the algorithm to connect with both niche and grand audiences. You may be asking, “What is the algorithm?” According to the Digital Marketing Institute, the social media “algorithm is a mathematical set of rules” and data used to determine what the user would like best. If the user interacts positively with these posts, such as liking and commenting, the algorithm will place similar advertisements into their feed across several media platforms. In turn, this allows the user to get advertisements that they enjoy. Furthermore, it allows them to be shown products and/or services that will truly benefit them. As previously stated, social media allows consumers to directly interact with a company through likes, comments, and private messages. In particular, private messaging allows consumers to receive an immediate response to all of their dying questions which would usually take hours with the traditional “1-800” customer service number. Finally, this medium challenges advertising executives to design authentic and engaging content that would truly resonate with their target audience because this is who will want to receive it. As opposed to a synopsis of what the brand, product, or service stands for, as shown in traditional media.
Nevertheless, while social media marketing is on the rise to be the most sought-after way to advertise for most companies, traditional media and word of mouth still have a place in the advertising world. From longevity to community building to trust and credibility, traditional media offers something special you cannot get from simply scrolling. Traditional media excels in longevity as their creations can stay in a physical location for a prolonged period. Having a funny or aesthetically pleasing billboard near Exit 7 for consumers to look at makes their monotonous journey to work more joyful and exciting. In addition to this, traditional media, such as television commercials, creates a sense of community that one cannot receive from lying in bed alone swiping on TikTok. We see this every year as companies across the globe invest millions in producing the perfect commercial for families and friends to watch during their Super Bowl intermission. According to Statista, in 2023 a new record was set with advertisers “paying an average of seven million U.S. dollars to air a 30-second long commercial”. As a result, these commercials leave consumers with a sense of camaraderie and unity that transcends their viewing party. Finally, word of mouth remains prevalent because of our trust in our information outlets. Consumers are going to trust their friends and family over the word of big brands whom they have never done business with. This allows companies to reach an audience they would otherwise not have access to.
All in all, in our ever-evolving world, social media has transformed advertising. Businesses can now receive unprecedented engagement and reach that would only be possible to create with the use of the valuable social media algorithm.
References
Majidi, M. (2023, September 27). Super Bowl 30-second ad costs 2023. Statista. Retrieved October 11, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/217134/total-advertisement-revenue-of-super-bowls/
O'Brien, C. (2023, April 28). How Do Social Media Algorithms Work? Digital Marketing Institute. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-do-social-media-algorithms-work