Categorically reviews the theories of communication, best practices in social media and previous research, and analyzes the corporate involvement towards strategic and tactical stewardship in serving customer-centric business requirements.

Social media platforms are powerful tools that can help organizations to gather user preferences and build profiles of consumers. These sites add value to business activities, including market research, co-creation, new product development, and brand and customer management. Understanding and correctly incorporating these tools into daily business operations is essential for organizational success. Managing Social Media Practices in the Digital Economy is an essential reference source that facilitates an understanding of diverse social media tools and platforms and their impact on society, business, and the economy and illustrates how online communities can benefit the domains of marketing, finance, and information technology. Featuring research on topics such as mobile technology, service quality, and consumer engagement, this book is ideally designed for managers, managing directors, executives, marketers, industry professionals, social media analysts, academicians, researchers, and students.

With the introduction of the Internet, consumers are relying heavily on the media for content. The popularity of consumer-generated content (CGC) has captured the consumer (i.e., user) as the producer, which has cause a power shift in the market from the companies to the consumers. When technology is paired with culture, it is inevitable that consumers are constantly changing their attitudes toward consumption to adapt to current trends. Thus, marketers are meticulously looking for information to keep current with the consumer market in order to maintain their market share. CGC relates closely to electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and can be found in various online review sites, forums, blogs, company websites, as well as on social media platforms. Consumers’ contribution toward the content on the different digital media sites (including company’s website) is on voluntary basis, either paid (e.g., sponsored) or nonpaid (e.g., personal blogs). It is evident that information that is published online travels faster to consumers than when delivered through traditional media such as television. Companies are therefore trying to be proactive; and as part of their promotional efforts, they are turning to online media for the latest information on their target market, feedback on their company (e.g., criticism, praises), as well as information on their competitors. The goal of this book is to educate business owners, marketing practitioners, students, as well as marketing researchers in understanding the use of CGC and how it is beneficial for their marketing plan.

Categorically reviews the theories of communication, best practices in social media and previous research, and analyzes the corporate involvement towards strategic and tactical stewardship in serving customer-centric business requirements.

Consumer Psychology in a Social Media World seeks to illustrate the relevance of consumer psychology theory and research to understanding the social media world that has rapidly become a key component in the social and economic lives of most individuals. Despite the rapid and widespread adoption of social media by consumers, research focused on individuals’ use thereof and its implications for organizations and society has been limited and published in scattered outlets. This has made it difficult for those trying to get either a quick introduction or an in-depth understanding of the associated issues to locate relevant scientific-based information. The book is organized into five broad sections. The first presents a summary overview of social media, including a historical and cultural perspective. The second section is focused on social media as a modern form of word of mouth, always considered the most impactful on consumers. It also touches upon a motivational explanation for why social media has such a strong and broad appeal. Section three addresses the impact that consumers’ switch to social media as a preferred channel has had on marketers’ branding and promotional efforts, as well as the ways in which consumer involvement can be maintained through this process. Section four takes a methodological perspective on the topic of social media, assessing ways in which big data and consumer research are influenced by novel ways of gathering consumer feedback and gauging consumer sentiment. Finally, section five looks at some consumer welfare and public policy implications, including privacy and disadvantaged consumer concerns. Consumer Psychology in a Social Media World will appeal to those who are involved in creating, managing, and evaluating products used in social media communications. As seen in recent financial and business market successes (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, WhatsApp, etc.), businesses focused on facilitating social media are part of the fastest growing and most valuable sector of today’s economy.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, entrepreneurs in the grocery retail industry face numerous challenges in navigating the complexities of online operations and services. As social media platforms have emerged as powerful communication tools for marketing, promotion, and customer service, a fundamental shift has occurred in the marketing landscape. This transformation has granted businesses unprecedented access to monitor customer behavior and preferences. By leveraging social media communications, sellers work diligently to effectively target their desired audience by strategically positioning and categorizing data. Influences of Social Media on Consumer Decision-Making Processes in the Food and Grocery Industry delves into the transformative power of social media and digital marketing techniques, shedding light on how businesses strategically employ online communication strategies to sway consumers' purchasing decisions. This comprehensive book explores the tireless efforts of grocery and food entrepreneurs to evaluate the far-reaching effects of social media on the consumer decision-making process. It investigates various web-based social media platforms and tools, delves into the impact of social media and mobile apps, and examines the utilization of cutting-edge Information & Communication Technologies (RFID, QR codes, NFC, cloud, SaaS, mobile devices, robots, and more) within the grocery and food sector. By studying the present landscape, this book not only sheds light on the current state of social media communications but also offers valuable insights into the future trajectory of this dynamic industry. Entrepreneurs, marketers, researchers, and policymakers alike will find this book an indispensable resource for understanding the profound impact of social media on the ever-evolving grocery and food landscape.

The Dark Side of Social Media takes a consumer psychology perspective to online consumer behavior in the context of social media, focusing on concerns for consumers, organizations, and brands. Using the concepts of digital drama and digital over-engagement, established as well as emerging scholars in marketing, advertising, and communications present research on some unintended consequences of social media including body shaming, online fraud, cyberbullying, online brand protests, social media addiction, privacy, and revenge pornography. It is a must-read for scholars, practitioners, and students interested in consumer psychology, consumer behavior, social media, advertising, marketing, sociology, science and technology management, public relations, and communication.

Social media has provided endless opportunities for marketers, fuelling their desire to learn more about their consumers through this dynamic online environment. Yet many organisations are finding it difficult to create effective marketing strategies, making decisions that are based on research that is highly focused on the nature and boundaries of social media. The changing behaviour of consumers, variety of platforms and changing culture indicates that much of the research around this topic is still highly fragmented. Social Media in the Marketing Context: A State of the Art Analysis and Future Directions provides a comprehensive overview of the current literature surrounding social media and the marketing discipline, highlighting future development opportunities in both knowledge and practice. - includes extensive literature search on social media in the context of the marketing discipline - provides key areas for future research and recommendations for practitioners - shows the importance for marketers of understanding individual behaviour on social media

Abstract: "This book discusses the indispensable value of understanding consumer activities and the crucial role they play in developing successful marketing strategies by focusing on concepts such as consumer perceptions, consumption culture, and the influence of information technology"--Provided by publisher