Social Media is Now an Important Distribution Channel for Press Releases, Advertising, and Consumer Engagement

Graduating this Fall from The University of Maryland, I finally realized what I want to do in my future.  I reached this conclusion from the experiences I have had in the work world along with my internships and professional experiences. I wanted to gain further insight to the field of marketing, not just about it, but how it has changed in this technologically changing world. Social media has become a powerful outlet for companies that I wanted an experts opinion about the field.

Today a Press Release is Done Through Social Media

TNW explains that in today’s society press releases are arguably dead and it is more about empowering customers by spreading the word. By using social media networks like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube company’s can create hype or make announcements about exciting things they’re doing. Rose Stark, the Vice President of Marketing for TLC says, they augment what goes out to their viewers. Press releases are released digitally, but then they follow up on social platforms by disseminating promotions about TV shows on their social media pages. “Likes,” “shares,” and “re-tweets” are becoming increasingly popular in getting the word out. Businesses are focusing on engaging the customer today because it creates more loyalty. Customers enjoy receiving replies from social media outlets from companies because it creates a genuine personal relationship. So is it a good idea to release a press release through social media? Forbes Magazine, says yes! It is a great way to reach a variety of audiences, but it is important to make sure not to spam your viewers with too much information. Forbes says, the most popular social media sites to post on are company blogs, Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook. 

Social Media has Re-Shaped Marketing Through Changes in Advertising

Advertising began decreasing until cost effective channels became available to companies. Social Media Advertising recently emerged and has changed what’s happening in marketing these days. Rose Stark, the Vice President of Marketing for TLC says, users have been responsive to their social media pages. This is because she belies they have the most socially engaged audience. She expanded by discussing the show “Cake Boss” and how viewers are quick to upload stories, pictures, and posts to the social media site. She concluded by saying she believes TLC viewers are more involved on their social media pages because the talent is more accessible. Knowing this information, I logged on to the Facebook page for “Cake Boss,” a popular show that airs on TLC about a bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. The page is visually appealing consisting of a profile picture of Buddy, the Cake Boss, and a background image of the “Next Great Baker,” a new show on TLC. The background image is allowing TLC to advertise for their new and upcoming show. Every time viewers log onto the “Cake Boss” page they will be aware of a new show Buddy is appearing in. The page has 5 million likes and 42,500 are people talking about “Cake Boss.” Social Media has allowed companies, like TLC, to market to those who follow their shows. They are able to generate advertisements tailored toward their consumers to make them aware of new and upcoming products.


Rose Stark, the Vice President of Marketing for TLC, discusses how consumers are responsive to social media sites.

Social Media is a Distribution Channel for Companies to Engage with Consumers

Users of social media sites tend to use social media to follow companies to see what is new and occurring. As I am currently a Social Media Marketing Intern, I have been able to see how important it is to engage users with social media sites. When talking with Rose Stark, the Vice President of Marketing for TLC, she said they use their social media sites to launch contests, sweepstakes, and promotions regarding their shows. An interesting thing Rose shared with me was that they use social media sites to get title ideas from their consumers. She said they would place a potential title idea on their Facebook or Twitter page in order to gain feedback from users. Sounds interesting to put a huge decision in the hands of consumers, right? Not really, according to The Wall Street Journal they say companies are listening to their consumers more in order to better their products. A study was conducted with DrPepper and measured how consumers engaged with their social media sites. By measuring the conversation of their consumers they were able to make the steps toward a better brand. With 8.5 million fans on Facebook alone, DrPepper learned that their fans enjoy “edgy one-liners” and dislike messages that focus on price. By DrPepper using social media they are capable of using FREE word of mouth marketing. Whether a company is marketing their popular television shows or a soft drink they are capable of using social media to engage with their consumers.

Social media is becoming so versatile for many companies to increase their sales and make consumers more engaged. I interviewed a non-expert about social media within their company. Rebecca discusses the social media outlets her company uses.

listen to ‘Rebecca Explains Social Media at Her Company’ on Audioboo