Ch.18 Social Media and Marketing

The Importance of Social Media - Social media can be simply defined as "any tool or service that uses the Internet to facilitate conversations" (Lamb/Hair/McDaniel,306). Today, social media has become an important part of everyday life for billions of people worldwide, making it just as important for companies whose target markets engage in social media. Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google+,  all have millions of users daily sharing anything from their thoughts to pictures and videos. Why is this so important to companies like Maybelline New York? One of the biggest purposes that social media serves for companies is the ability to receive feedback on their products, from billions through one-to-many interaction with consumers and the comments they post on various sites. This is referred to as the "Listening System" which involves companies closely monitoring social media. By monitoring what consumers are saying about Maybelline and its products on social networks, blogs, media sharing sites, and review sites, Maybelline can improve their products, and also gain insight as to what their customers want and need. The internet has changed the way consumers shop by greatly facilitating their ability to make informed decisions on their purchases. Today, the majority of people do some research online on a variety of shopping products before making a purchase, making it crucial for marketers to monitor social media. It is also crucial for companies to take active participation in social media.

Maybelline on Social Networks - Social networks are the most popular form of social media among Maybelline's target market, women ages 16-25. The most popular sites right now are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Maybelline has about 4.1 million likes on its Facebook page, 40,000 followers on twitter, and 140,000 followers on Instagram. Pinterest is an online pinboard to which users can "pin" photos they like based on a common interest, theme, product, brand, category, and/or idea. Maybelline has twenty-two boards and nearly 3,000 pins; these pins are a great source of advertising for Maybelline's products. Maybelline controls all of their social network pages, and uses them actively in order to build relationships with customers. Through all of these social network pages, Maybelline is able to find out firsthand what their customers like about certain products and what they don't. 

 

The photo featuring FIT Me Foundation, was posted on Maybelline's Instagram page. These are just a few of the many comments left by users; some comments were positive, expressing how amazing the product is, while others expressed the need for a pump on the foundation and other ways in which the product can be improved. 

Maybelline on Blogs - Review sites and blogs that discuss Maybelline products are just as important as the the activity on Maybelline's social networks, because they contribute directly to sales. Today's consumer usually does some research on the internet, whether extensive or not, before making a purchase. There are many beauty blogs that review many different products from different brands; some of these beauty blogs are very trusted and frequently visited by many. One of these blogs is Miss Natty's Beauty Diary which has received about 14 million views (http://www.missnattysbeautydiary.com/search/label/Maybelline). Temptalia, a top rated beauty blog has also posted about Maybelline products, with its most current Maybelline post discussing the top five Maybelline Must-Have Products (http://www.temptalia.com/category/brands/maybelline). 

Maybelline on Review Sites - Reviews for Maybelline products can be found anywhere that they can be purchased. However, there are many review sites whose purpose is to provide reviews for many beauty products. Paula's Choice is a review site known worldwide, where customers can find thorough reviews on a variety of products from nearly every cosmetic brand, including Maybelline (http://www.paulaschoice.com/beautypedia-skin-care-reviews/brands/). Below is part of the long list of Maybelline products reviewed on Paula's Choice. Clicking on any of these products takes you to a thorough review, with pros and cons, information on which skin-types the products work best, whether or not animal testing is used,etc.) Websites like these have a very strong influence on consumer decision making when it comes to their beauty product choices. 

Maybelline on Youtube - Youtube is categorized as a media sharing site, and is by far the most popular for videos. Maybelline has a highly active Youtube page on which they post behind the scenes videos, make-up tutorials, share beauty tips, upload TV commercials, and videos on how to "Recreate the Runway". Maybelline has nearly 43,000 subscribers. Many Youtube users also post many tutorials,  review videos on Maybelline products as well. Below is a demo/first impression of Maybelline's FIT Me Foundation and Concealer posted by a Youtube user.  

Below is another first impression review of Maybelline's FIT Me Shine-Free Foundation. This user however, wasn't very impressed, and shares her thoughts on the product. Maybelline can use this feedback to make future product adjustments.