Marketing Research + Facebook

Convergence has proven to be a controversial topic in the field of digital media.  More users are able to produce content, igniting a questionable overflow of information at our fingertips.

Companies are learning how to increase the flow of information across all delivery channels in order to boost revenue opportunities and reinforce consumer commitments. As social media networks have taken off, consumers have become experts in learning how to use these sites to their advantage by achieving control and interacting with others.

Let’s discuss how social media marketing can help increase activity for businesses. 

Social media expansion provides a foundation for businesses, while fostering a format for their core objective.  In light of this idea, targeting clients is just as crucial.  This past week, I interviewed Chris, Senior Project Manager of at Schlesinger Associates.  His responsibilities involves: running operations on projects; project budget & cost; and overseeing of online survey samples.  He described his responsibilities, regarding Facebook, as a form of recruitment for clients to acquire attention from consumers. Promotion is a crucial element of Schlesinger’s strategic plan, which is inclusive of: Advertising to their target audience (in their case, a wide range of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds); internet marketing, and database marketing (specifically for medical recruiting, they utilize DMD database of doctors).  A prime example of when his marketing responsibilities arise would involve a pharmaceutical company looking to brand one of their products differently.  The marketing research company would run a Facebook advertisement to get consumers to click on the link.  Banner advertisements are a known to be an effective marketing tactic but not for this particular company- their objective and mission is vastly different from other businesses.  In most cases, the advertisements pop up on a person’s Facebook page, because the search ads are relevant to what they are interested, also known as “likes”. He also discussed their choices, as a company to use search ads (per-click fee) where the amount paid is determined by the amount of clicks anytime the ad pops up.  

On the other hand, their Facebook page is strictly used to run advertisements.  As a marketing research company, there are two advantages of utilizing a Facebook page: Website traffic and exposure.  In terms of website traffic, the more people “like” the Schlesinger Facebook page, the more likely they may inquire about the company and go directly to the website. As a marketing research company, they are constantly looking for new people to add to the database. Secondly, exposure of the company and different research studies conducted within the area may spark an interest for people interested in participating in market research studies but hesitant or unaware of companies in their location.  Overall, Facebook has been a positive, dependable channel in which Schlesinger’s can promote their brand to a wide range of demographics.  Building a connection with a host of clients and consumers is a challenging task but with the help of Facebook, the company has established a sense of credibility that is evident through their marketing techniques.