How has social media affected the writing of promotional messages and the AIDA plan

1 Question: Discuss ways to better define and improve search results.

Answer: Search engines, web directories, and databases work in different ways, so make sure you understand how to optimize your search and interpret the results for each tool you’re using. With a keyword search, the engine or database attempts to find items that include all the words you enter. A Boolean search lets you define a query with greater precision, using such operators as AND (the search must include two terms linked by AND), OR (it can include either or both words), or NOT (the search ignores items with whatever word comes after NOT). Natural language searches let you ask questions in everyday English. Forms-based searches help you create powerful queries by simply filling out an online form.
To make the best use of any search tool, keep the following points in mind: Think before you search. The neatly organized results you get from a search engine can create the illusion that the Internet is an orderly warehouse of all the information in the universe, but the reality is far different. The Internet is an incomplete, unorganized hodge-podge of millions of independent websites with information that ranges in value from priceless to utter rubbish. After you have identified what you need to know, spend a few moments thinking about where that information might be found, how it might be structured, and what terms various websites might use to describe it. Read the instructions and pay attention to the details. A few minutes of learning can save hours of inefficient search time. Review the search and display options carefully so you don’t misinterpret the results; some of these settings can make a huge difference in the results you see. Try variations of your terms, such as adolescent and teenager or management and managerial. Use fewer search terms to find more results; use more search terms to find fewer results. Look beyond the first page of results. Don’t assume that the highest-ranking results are the best sources for you. For example, materials that haven’t been optimized for search engines won’t rank as highly (meaning they won’t show up in the first few pages of results), but they may be far better for your purposes.

2 Question: How has social media affected the writing of promotional messages and the AIDA plan?

Answer: The AIDA model and similar approaches have been successful with marketing and sales messages for decades, but in the social media landscape, consumers are more apt to look for product information from other consumers, not the companies marketing those products. Consequently, your emphasis should shift to encouraging and participating in online conversations. Facilitate community building by giving customers and other audiences an opportunity to connect with you and one another, such as on your Facebook page or through members-only online forums. Listen at least as much as you talk. Listening is just as essential for online conversations as it is for in-person conversations. Initiate and respond to conversations within the community. Through content on your website, blog postings, social network profiles and messages, newsletters, and other tools, make sure you provide the information customers need in order to evaluate your products and services. Use an objective, conversational style; people in social networks want useful information, not “advertising speak.” Provide information people want. Identify and support your champions. In marketing, champions are enthusiastic fans of your company and its products. Champions are so enthusiastic they help spread your message (through their blogs, for instance), defend you against detractors, and help other customers use your products. Be real. Trying to tack social media onto a consumer-hostile business is likely to fail as soon as stakeholders see through the superficial attempt to “be social.” In contrast, social media audiences respond positively to companies that are open and conversational about themselves, their products, and subjects of shared interest. Integrate conventional marketing and sales strategies at the right time and in the right places. AIDA and similar approaches are still valid for specific communication tasks, such as conventional advertising and the product promotion pages on your website.

3 Question: Describe how mobile devices have changed marketing communications.

Answer: Mobile advertising and mobile commerce (sometimes referred to as m-commerce) are two of the hottest developments in marketing communications. Mobile advertising is already a multibillion-dollar business, with nearly 70 percent of that spent on Google ads and Facebook ads. The types of marketing and sales messages created for mobile audiences range from short, simple text ads that search engine results to mobile-optimized video–the most common form of content marketing in the mobile arena. Companies are putting so much emphasis on mobile marketing because mobile devices now play such a big role in consumer buying behavior. Smartphone owners tend to use their devices for many shopping-related tasks, from searching for product reviews, finding stores and service businesses, looking for coupons and other promotions, and doing in-store price comparisons. In fact, some 80 percent of smartphone-equipped consumers use their devices to get shopping-related information. If you are involved with creating mobile marketing or sales messages, keep two essential points in mind. First, like all mobile messages, promotional messages need to be kept short and simple. Second, the mobile experience needs to be fast and straightforward. Mobile users are often time-constrained, and they will quickly abandon websites that don’t load quickly or are confusing to navigate.