A Comparative Assessment of Classical and Social Media Networks
Introduction
Our communication and media habits are progressively advancing towards social media and digital domains (Wolfsfeld, Segev, & Sheafer 116). In the past, a promotion on the television was enough to convince one to make a purchase. Nevertheless, times have changed, and these days, consumers consider comparative assessments before making purchase decisions. The advent of the internet has expanded the scope of media by introducing novel platforms. Social media has gained constant traction over the past two decades and offers alternative access to entertainment or promotional content. The ensuing analysis concerns personal experiences interacting with both the classical and digital broadcasting platforms. Previous engagement with the TV and Facebook form the center of the reflections.
Classical Media Experience
Anderson and Nielsen (122) describe traditional media as “old media’ and one comprising the television, radio, newspapers, and magazine ads when related to marketing. The duo adds that the media refers to types of mass broadcasting that concentrate on delivering news to a targeted group or population. My experience engaging with these media for entertainment and information access has been since my childhood. They were the only ways individuals and marketing firms could get their messages out to the public. For the sake of this assessment, the focus is more on television content, which has been most prevalent.
Whenever I needed access to specialized content for various reasons, traditional media platforms became instrumental. For example, television programs, such as CNN, BBC, and Aljazeera, have been supportive in accessing breaking news in the USA, London, the Arab World, or across other parts of the world. Global news channels have a significant degree of credibility since groups of content experts, editors, and verifiers often review and approve the content (EBU (European Broadcasting Union 3). Besides, as I often found out, CNN and BBC have dedicated reporters with rapid access to different parts of the world, making their access to breaking news content faster, timely, and much livelier than the other channels. During the September 11 terrorist attacks by the group named Al-Qaeda, most of the world could access information via news channels. The coverage was extensive and highly informative.
Moreover, in seeking entertainment in times when relaxation is a priority, a variety of entertainment channels have been exceptional. An assortment of entertainment-based media is available, ranging from cartoons to films, songs, comedy, short programs, and so on. The varied content on television channels is broad and tailored to the tastes and preferences of different audiences (Anderson and Nielsen 125). For example, cartoon programs, such as Nickelodeon, target children and are indispensable if one has children aged between 1 and 8 years. Music, on the other hand, suits teenagers more than it does for adults. Consequently, depending on the visitors I had, I would select appropriate channels for entertainment consumption.
Similarly, I have sought the support of informative and educative channels at times. A variety of science-led television programs have been insightful, especially in schooling times. Sanderson (74), asserts that in a highly dynamic and competitive world, seeking information can set one apart from others in accessing limited opportunities. For example, I first understood the complicated Iron Ore Smelting Process from a demonstration on the Discovery channel. These media have tailor-made content that inspires learners or audiences seeking to expand their knowledge on matters regarding the natural world and complex mechanisms.
I have often resorted to the National Geographic channel in seeking clarifications of significant crises. After an introduction to topics on operations and risk management in my high school learning, I developed an interest in disaster management. The channel’s coverage of the 1977 Tenerife Airport Disaster, termed by Moonman (2011) as the worst in aviation history, helped me appreciate the complex process of managing flights.
Finally, on many occasions, I have relied on the television for spiritual nourishment. On Sundays, and in those times when I felt disillusioned, I have found refuge in virtual sermons. Television-based sermon services are relatively new and have picked pace across the world, as ministers of the gospel seek larger masses. In the past, delivering sermons would be through physically present audiences, or via magazines, and flyers, mostly on Sundays. These days, however, ministers prefer the TV or digital media, which have unlimited potential, and in which delivering sermons has no geographic or time limitations.
Social Media Interaction
According to Roy (1) of PRSA, active social media users are more than 3.8 billion, or more than half of the world’s population. Moreover, the number keeps increasing by 321,000,000 users annually. Social media popularity has proliferated since the inception of computers and the internet that happened three decades ago. My engagement on the platform began with Facebook but has since grown to encompass several other networking sites.
Unlike traditional media, social networking sites establish social connections (Peter 578). The social media companies have built reliable platforms with supportive directives that mimic physical association. For example, Facebook has the “Add Friend,” “Comment,” “Like,” “Share,” and many other features that make interaction livelier than ever. I can build social relationships with people of similar career or personal interests, backgrounds, activities, or real-life associations without first resorting to bridging the physical and geographical barriers. The range of friends I possess today is broad. I have virtual friends in parts of the world I have never visited, and yet we frequently engage like we have known each other for long. The potential of social media to an individual is significant.
Besides social bonding, Roy (1) adds that users have spontaneous access to all sorts of content, including breaking news, educative or academic content, scientific information, entertainment, amongst many others. Taking the example of Facebook, perusing across the “home” button leads one to a variety of news content posted by friends and family. Also, subscribing to a “group” exposes one to critical pieces of information suitable.
The sites also have a strong influence on purchasing behavior. Tejavibulya and Eiamkanchanalai (14) find that, on average, consumers are five times more influenced by family and friends than celebrities in determining what to buy. The emotional desire to keep pace with fashion trends, as promoted by trending friends, has driven some of my purchasing decisions. For example, my previous Apple iPhone 8 purchase decision on January 20, 2020, followed an emotional appeal from a friend who kept bragging how powerful the camera was. Indeed, the pictures taken on the smartphone were terrific and desirable.
Analysis of the Benefits
Both classical broadcasting and social media have their sets of benefits and drawbacks. To some extent, they complement each other. The following assessment concerns the benefits I derived from employing the service of each media.
- a) Advantages of the Television
Tailoring media content is possible. Anderson and Nielsen (124) concur that the channels often target specialized audiences with distinct tastes and preferences, which helps reinforce the message. I often find traditional media preferable when seeking an in-depth and analytical perspective of information content. For instance, the coverage offered by news channels is often intensive and extensive, meeting the audiences’ thirst for information.
I also agree with Saglik and Ozturk (76) perspective finding a television’s competitive advantage as being an ability to combine sight and sound. This ability supports promoters and markets in their quest to win the undivided attention of viewers. Marketers can push a product in personalized ways into millions of homes all over a region, illustrating how its faster, better, more reliable, longer-lasting, or higher. They can offer demonstrations right in front of the audience using exciting approaches, such as celebrities or animations.
The mechanism also offers empathy and emotion, which are influential in positively affecting purchase behavior. Innovative TV ads are more than talking, walking information content. Marketers can tailor content to appeal to an audiences’ emotions and empathy by creating urges to react, laugh, smile, or cry. The combination of motion pictures and audio content makes attaining this objective much easier.
- b) Benefits of Social Media (Facebook)
I have learnt that the inclination to social aspects makes the approach highly engaging. Van der Bank (5) the importance of this function in tourism. The researcher asserts that the user-generated content, comprising the capability for photo, video, and comment sharing is a leading influence of tourists’ destination choices. Personally, visuals of friends commenting or taking pictures and videos on attractive venues make me want to visit these places.
Content is also timely and hence relevant in making emergency decisions. Unlike the highly moderated television content limited by content, time, and portability, social media content is accessible in real-time and almost anywhere.
Compared to television-led broadcasting, Facebook marketing is far less expensive. A promoter pays a fraction of the regular media price to reach the same size of the audience, or even more. According to Van der Bank (4), a Cost-Per-Thousand Impression (CPM) analysis conducted in 2018 by the Digital Media Metrics gave the following results. Social media cost the least at less than $3, the radio came in second at $10, and TV came in last at $28. The cost of television was mainly 7 times more expensive.
Lastly, cultivating trust is easier on social media when there is continued engagement. Unlike the command-driven impersonal promotions on television broadcasts, the approach is two-way and fosters an understanding between interacting parties. Buyers can pose queries to customer care agents and receive immediate clarifications, which builds confidence.
Analysis of the Disadvantages
- a) Drawbacks of Television
Unlike social media, this approach is top-down and forces opinions on buyers in the hope that repetition will result in desirable behavioral change. The absence of effective consultative platforms in which clients raise concerns and have questions addressed lessens the effectiveness of the mechanism as a medium of communication and promotion. Consequently, complementing this approach with direct telecommunications or social media access is essential.
Also, the process of preparing an advert consumes significant resources. At times, users need to enlist the services of celebrities and famous personalities to tap into an expanded market share. Moreover, users need to engage the services of a television company, competing with many other marketing agencies for limited spots, which makes them expensive.
Furthermore, the nature of TV ads is such that repetition is essential to impart the messages to viewers. The expensive nature of this requirement limits the usefulness of TV ads to many users who cannot afford the services. Unlike television broadcasts, social media platforms deal with the need to make an influence by creating an engaging atmosphere instead of being repetitive, which is cost-effective.
Besides, adjusting TV ads is a costly endeavor making the platform inflexible. The consequence is that the user misses out tailoring ads to suit emerging opportunities. In rapidly changing competitive markets, this inability can cost the company missed fortunes. Regarding this matter, it would be critical to pay the utmost attention to the ad preparation phases.
Finally, Users of the traditional media platforms also face limitations because of a lack of portability. Often the only time when can access television content is when a TV is within the vicinity, which is mostly at home. This inconvenience degrades the relevance of the television-led promotion campaign. Making television content available on dedicated smartphone apps, making it transportable in the process, helps address this issue.
- b) The Negatives of Social Media (Facebook)
Some of the content might be unprofessional because of limited moderation. Often Facebook and Twitter try to control harmful content through various means. Unfortunately, the efforts are never as effective as desired because of the enormous scope of the networks. Consequently, harmful or unprofessional content quickly gets their way onto the public scene. For example, on Facebook, someone can tag a friend or a company on undesirable platforms, attracting rebuke from fans and followers in the process.
Also, social media platforms are time-consuming. An individual might have to commit much of his or her time managing a profile. This resource might be at the expense of investing time in something different and more valuable. For companies, expanding the customer care section and retraining individuals might be essential before engaging the medium. Users must find a balance between posting content, responding to comments, monitoring content, and conducting analytics to understand the market impact.
Moreover, it takes time for users to feel an impact when employing social media-based promotions. This consequence is unlike what most companies desire. Many firms want to see immediate results when committing marketing funds. They want to know that the strategies are practical and that what they have invested is bearing positive results. Such users need patience and to believe that the process starts by winning relations and trust first before yielding positive feedback in increased earnings and market share.
Conclusion
Overall, there is a tradeoff between traditional and modern media platforms. Social media platforms enjoy increasing significance and acceptance amongst the masses, which is gradually making some aspects of classical marketing irrelevant. Nevertheless, some areas of conventional media exist that still make it matter. The fact that it combines voice, video, and pictures and targets a highly attentive audience creates a compelling platform for convincing viewers. Similarly, the fact that social media creates a two-way interaction resulting in confidence-building makes it equally compelling. Consequently, users might optimize the impact they have on the audience by employing both approaches appropriately. The companies that will benefit in the future will be the ones that can strike the right balance between the two.
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