Social Media Marketing - Network Structure & Group Influences PDF

Social Media Marketing Chapter 3: Network Structure and Group Influences in Social Media  Learning Objectives When you finish reading this chapter, you will be able to answer these questions: 1 How are social networks structured? 2 What a...

Social Media Marketing Chapter 3: Network Structure and Group Influences in Social Media  Learning Objectives When you finish reading this chapter, you will be able to answer these questions: 1 How are social networks structured? 2 What are the characteristics of online communities? 3 What role do influencers play and what are their sources of power and social capital? 4 How do ideas travel in a community?  Community Structure in Social Media Online Community is a cyberplace where people connect online with kindred spirits, engage in supportive and sociable relationships with them, and imbue their activity online with meaning, belonging, and identity. ─ Cyberplaces are virtual spaces where people connect and build relationships, fostering supportive and social interactions. Each online community includes a group of people who come together for a specific purpose, guided by community policies, and supported by an online host that enables virtual communication. ─ Online communities are not much different from physical communities, which are unified by shared interests, location, or common concerns (social, political, or economic). Community participation is facilitated online by sites that serve as hosts or vehicles (the second layer of infrastructure in the Social Media Value Chain). ─ These hosts provide a virtual space—a cyberplace—and functionality to support member connectivity and participation in one or more of the zones of social media. Popular Community Hosts: ▪ Social Networks: Facebook, VK ▪ Microblogs: Sina Weibo ▪ Video Platforms: YouKu ▪ Forums: Taringa ▪ Social Networks in China: Qzone Networks: The Underlying Structure of Communities Social Network Sites — networked communication platforms in which participants: – Have uniquely identifiable profiles. – Can publicly articulate connections that can be viewed and traversed by others. – Can consume, produce, and/or interact with streams of user-generated content provided by their connections on the site. The Importance of Network Effects and Group Influence in Communities: ‒ Network Effects: The value of the community grows as more members join and actively participate. ‒ Group Influence: Community participation and the flow of content are shaped by the influence of individuals or groups.  Social Networks A social network is a set of socially relevant nodes connected by one or more relations. Nodes Members of a network—people, organizations, or other entities (e.g., university alumni associations) Ties/Relationships Connections between nodes (e.g., friends, followers, links). Interactions Behavior-based ties (e.g., talking, sharing content, or collaborating) Flows Exchanges of information, resources, or influence among network members ▪ Media multiplexity: Communication flows in multiple directions across different platforms (e.g., Facebook, emails, text messages). ▪ Word-of-mouth communication: Flows can involve entire communities or specific groups, extending beyond online spaces to offline interactions. ▪ These flows are crucial for information sharing, promotion delivery, and social influence.  The Characteristics of Online Communities Presence 1 Online and physical communities share important characteristics: – Membership: A sense of belonging. 2 – Proximity: A feeling of closeness, even across physical distance. Purposive Value and Social Objects – Interest: Members are engaged in the community’s activities and purpose. Standards of Behavior 3 These shared characteristics bring value to members: – Social vehicles provide virtual spaces to foster interaction. Groups and Subcultures 4 – Platforms enable sharing, communication, and working together. Participation 5 Social Capital 6  Presence Presence — refers to the feeling of being "present" or situated in an online environment, despite its virtual nature. – Even basic platforms (e.g., forums and message boards) can create a sense of presence through user interaction and engagement. – Communities like Second Life use 3D spaces to replicate the sensation of a physical place. o Online communities feel more real when platforms enhance the look and feel of the environment. – Social media sites enhance presence by designing interfaces and interactions that mimic real-world social exchanges. o Examples: Real-time messaging, video calls, and interactive features like polls and live streams that replicate face-to-face interaction. Why Presence Matters? – The sense of being present strengthens the emotional connection between members and the platform, fostering deeper engagement and loyalty.  Purposive Value and Social Objects Purposive Value — Virtual communities thrive on shared interests or passions, just like offline communities (family, hobbies, beliefs, etc.). ‒ Members generate, share, and interact with community content (e.g., photos, recipes, events), adding value to the community by fueling engagement. Social Object Theory ‒ In online communities, a social object is something that mediates interactions between people (e.g., photos, videos, events), building meaningful relationships and engagement. o Facebook: Offers multiple objects like photos, quizzes, live videos, fostering diverse interactions. o Instagram: Focuses on photo-sharing as the core object. o Snapchat: Evolved from photos to include video-based social engagement, expanding its object offering. ‒ Communities become stronger when members engage with shared objects, leading to deeper social bonds. ‒ Object Sociality refers to how well a social network enables members to share specific objects tied to their unique interests. o Communities around object sociality are likely to be highly involved because of shared, deep-rooted passions. o Example: Specialized communities sharing dog photos or music history bookmarks, such as Star Wars fan groups or gaming guilds. ‒ Vertical networks: are SNS designed around object sociality—focusing on a specific hobby, interest, or characteristic. o These networks attract smaller, but highly loyal audiences compared to general SNS.  Standards of Behavior Members participate, interact, and help recruit new members to maintain a thriving community. Norms are essential to maintain order and foster positive interactions. ‒ In social communities, members learn norms through socialization, promoting actions that benefit the entire community. ‒ Norms Govern behavior and ensure the community functions smoothly. ‒ Communities enforce norms through sanctions, even extending to shaming or online firestorms. ‒ Online communities can enforce sanctions against outsiders, often through public shaming, influencing behavior through community pressure. ‒ Aggression: Behaviors like vulgarity, insults, and bullying are more prevalent when peer comments normalize these actions. Flaming Doxing Trolling Shouting through ALL CAPS Publishing private information Deliberate provocation to posts to express anger as punishment stir conflict Standards of behavior may also be influenced by anonymity and by explicit agreements between the community and individual members. – Open access sites allow participation without registration or identification, lowering barriers for misbehavior. – Anonymity emboldens users to act out in ways they might avoid if their identity were known.  Groups and Subcultures Social media allow niche groups to network and grow, connecting like-minded people once separated by geography. ‒ It facilitates the rise of crowdcultures, where communities gather around shared passions or ideas. o Examples: Subcultures emerge around diverse topics like anime, minimalism, Paleo diets, and libertarianism. ‒ These groups can leverage crowdsourcing, achieving more collectively than individual efforts could. o Members affiliate with communities with which they identify but the source of commonality could be anything—a mission, location, interest, and characteristic. Social Identity is part of one's self-concept tied to group membership; it influences why and how people engage in online communities. ‒ Participation can be thought of as “intentional social action” in the context of a group. o Described as “we-intentions”, participation is influenced both by individual attitudes and characteristics and the context and norms of the group.  Participation Participation — Community success relies on active participation from its members, especially new ones. ‒ A thriving site requires a critical mass of active users—often driven by friends already participating. ‒ Having active friends in a network is the strongest predictor of whether someone will engage. ‒ Engagement: Defined as "a psychological state through interactive, co-creative consumer experiences," engagement is the ultimate goal. Key Elements of Participation ‒ Your activity is influenced by how active your connections are. Participation's Ripple Effect ‒ Without feedback and redistribution, your engagement declines. 1. Connections with others. ‒ Some members (nodes) have more connections and influence in the 2. Creation of content (artifacts). network, shaping participation for others. 3. Feedback from the community. 4. Distribution of content and feedback. Effective Community Participation Strategies The Participation Challenge 90% of users are lurkers—only observing without 1. Magnetism: Attracting members and keeping them engaged. contributing. 2. User-Generated Content: Encouraging proactive content creation. Around 10% participate regularly or intermittently. 3. Value Creation: Members co-create value, enriching the experience for all. Similar to the 80/20 marketing rule, about 20% of users are responsible for 80% of the community’s contributions.  Social capital Social capital refers to the resources that individuals or groups gain through community relationships. – These resources can be traded for other benefits, such as job opportunities, information, or influence. – Social capital can include valuable information, employment connections, organizational skills, and more, held by groups or individuals. – Like exclusive country clubs, communities often control membership access, making social capital a limited, protected resource. Building Social Capital in Communities – Reputational Capital: Healthy communities build capital through reputation that is based on shared norms, behaviors, and values of the members. – Gated Communities: Online gated communities with selective access often offer a high degree of social capital to those accepted. Measuring Online Social Capital – The Klout Example – Klout measures influence across social communities by assigning a score (0-100) based on: Network size It promotes the viability of the network effect Member activity Q4 Q2 As people participate less, influencers' social capital diminishes, weakening the Q3 Q1 community's overall strength. Quality indicators Information flow within the Such as network feedback like number of network “favorites”  Strong and Weak Ties Emotional support is a form of social capital. Bonding Social Capital: Emotional support within a community. – This form of social capital easily develops online due to accessibility. Core Ties Significant Ties Weak Ties Latent ties Close relationships that may offer Relationships are somewhat Relationships based on limited Pre-existing relationships that are support but might not always provide close connections, but less so shared experiences or fewer no longer active but can be the solutions we need or the privacy than core ties connections, like many Facebook reactivated, such as reconnecting we want for specific issues friends who are casual with old high school friends on acquaintances Facebook Maintained social capital refers to the value we get from maintaining relationships with latent ties. – SNS allows users to preserve connections across various tie types (strong, weak, and latent), enabling easy reconnections and network maintenance despite changes in geography or lifestyle. – Example: College students use Facebook to maintain latent ties with old high school friends, which can be beneficial for future networking opportunities.  The Rise of Influencers Influencers (Opinion Leaders): People viewed as knowledgeable in specific areas and trusted by others to influence purchase decisions. Influencer characteristics Sources of Power Activists: Engaged in activities. Reward Power: One’s ability to provide others with what they desire. Connected: Large social networks. Coercive Power: The ability to punish others. Impact: Influence the opinions and actions of others. Legitimate Power: Organizational authority based on rights Active Minds: Seek and share new information. associated with a person’s appointed position. Trendsetters: Establish trends in their communities. Referent Power: Authority through the motivation to identify with or please a person. Expert Power: Recognition of one’s knowledge, skills, and ability. Information Power: One’s control over the flow of and access to information.  The Rise of Influencers (Cont.) Why Influencers Matter? 1 Expertise: Technically competent and trustworthy sources of information. 2 Knowledge: Evaluate products unbiasedly. 3 Leadership: Hold leadership positions and connect with their communities. 4 Referent Power: Similar values and beliefs to their audience (homophily). 5 Risk Absorption: Early adopters reduce risk for others by testing new products. The Rise of Micro-Influencers (Microcelebrities) – Micro-Influencers are Individuals who build influence by establishing intimacy with smaller audiences (1,000–100,000 followers). o They share content that fosters trust and transparency. o Despite smaller followings, they often have higher engagement and community influence.  The Rise of Influencers (Cont.) Archetypes of Social Media Influencers (Adweek): – Influencers specialize in various niches and partner with brands to: ▪ Brands partner with influencers to seed campaigns. ▪ Drive impressions. ▪ Increase the likelihood that campaign content will go viral. Influencer marketing will likely remain a key social media marketing approach well into the future. Key Factors Marketers Consider When Selecting Influencers: 80% High-quality, relevant, and engaging content is the top priority for marketers when choosing influencers. Quality of Content 78% The influencer’s audience must closely match the brand’s target demographics to maximize campaign Target Audience Alignment impact. 73% An influencer's level of audience interaction (likes, comments, shares) is crucial for measuring their Engagement Rate influence and effectiveness. 56% The influencer’s style and messaging should align with the brand’s image and values to maintain On-Brand Messaging & authenticity. Aesthetic 50% Marketers evaluate whether the influencer’s fees align with the campaign budget and expected return on Budget investment.  Flow: How Ideas Travel Online Influencers play a crucial role due to their social power and reach. ‒ Influencers are key nodes in networks with the ability to reach large audiences. The Two-Step Flow Model of Influence ‒ Information flows from influencers to followers, then from followers to others, so the influence can be driven by both Step 1 influencers and those easily influenced. ‒ These individuals engage in vigorous communication and two-way dialogue with influencers. o These conversations create cascades of information. ‒ A cascade occurs when a piece of information triggers a sequence of interactions. Result Message originates Influencer sends the Those contacts pass the Step 2 from an influencer message to their message on to their own Information spreads contacts networks widely and quickly The Power of Network Effect ‒ The ease of sharing via social media amplifies the flow of information. ‒ Influencers play a crucial role due to their social power and reach. o The more people participate, the more influence grows. So, Information can spread with or without direct involvement from influencers.  Word-of-Mouth (WOM) Word-of-Mouth (WOM) Communication — refers to product information spread from person-to-person. ‒ Influences over two-thirds of consumer goods sales. ‒ WOM spreads easily through digital channels, increasing its influence. WOM forms Marketing and WOM ‒ Marketers no longer rely solely on organic WOM; they actively promote and track it. o Digital channels like BzzAgent facilitate organized WOM campaigns. o Sophisticated tools monitor WOM effectiveness. ‒ 90% of shoppers prefer online WOM over search engines or emails. o They are willing to pay more and wait longer for products endorsed by peers. ‒ Negative WOM is more common online than positive WOM. Measuring the Value of WOM Compliments Complaints Recommendations Ex: someone Complaining about a Recommending a ‒ Ad Equivalency Value: The worth of WOM is equated to what it would cost in paid media. complementing another’s bad experience restaurant or service dress and asking where they bought it ‒ Earned (WOM) and owned media are crucial for brand promotion. o Exposure to a brand through social sharing, not just traditional ads.  The Viral Spread of Social Content Viral Content — Content that spreads rapidly through social networks. ‒ This content may be branded or unbranded. ‒ Content deemed relevant, valuable, or bizarre. ‒ The spread of viral content occurs through social graphs and word-of-mouth (WOM). Meme — When a viral content evolves within a social community, it becomes a meme. ‒ A meme is a snippet of cultural information that spreads rapidly through social networks. ‒ Memes are distinctive and memorable. ‒ Forms of Memes: ▪ Songs ▪ Phrases ▪ Ideas ▪ Slang words ▪ Fashion trends ▪ Shared behaviors  Summary How are social networks structured? – Online communities are built on foundations of networks. These networks are made up of nodes connected by ties. The nodes experience interactions and flows of resources, information, and influence occur between nodes. Some nodes are more influential than others. Some ties are stronger than others. Some information flows more deeply and widely. The network effect explains that the relative value a community offers its members is tied to its membership. What are the characteristics of online communities? – Communities are often built around social objects—objects of mutual interest among community members. Social communities thrive on conversations. They instill a sense of presence for those who participate. Community members share a collective interest, and governance is based on democracy. Community members follow standards of behavior that may be presented as rules and as norms accepted by the membership. Social norms are created, shared, and sustained by community members because they promote behavior that benefits the collective. Participation is necessary for the health of the community but most members are not active. Community participation is typically characteristic of the 80/20 rule whereby only a small percentage of members participate for the benefit of all. How do ideas travel in a community? – Information travels in the community via flows between nodes in the network. Word-of-mouth communication about brands, known as influence impressions, travel this way. It is a natural pattern for some members to be more active and to acquire positions of authority within a group, whether offline or online. Opinion leaders have more influence in communities and consequently information shared by opinion leaders may be more influential and spread farther and deeper through the social network. The content may go viral. When a viral piece of information enters the general consciousness of the community and is adapted by the community members, it is called a meme.  Summary What role do influencers play and what are their sources of power and social capital? What types of ties do we have to others in our communities? – Opinion leaders possess sources of social power such as expert power, reward power, and authority power. Social capital refers to the valuable resources people (individually or in groups) have within the context of a community. The capital may be actual or virtual and can include reputational capital, bonding social capital, bridging social capital, and maintained social capital. People’s networks always include strong and weak ties. Both have value. Even weak ties can create social capital for network members. Maintained social capital refers to the value we get from maintaining relationships with latent ties.