PROJECT REPORT

On

“SOCIAL MEDIA AS A MARKETING TOOL AND IMPACT ON YOUTHS PERSPECTIVE”

FOR

THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF

“MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINSTRATION”

FROM GGS IP UNIVERSITY

DELHI

BATCH: 2011-13

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

SWATI SHARMA (SYN-13) Dr. PREETI KULSHESHTA

ARMY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY,ARMY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY,

GREATER NOIDA (UP) – 201306GREATER NOIDA (UP) – 201306

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Supervisor Certificate

This is to certify that SWATI SHARMA a student of Master of Business

Administration, Batch –MBA08, Army Institute Management &

Technology, Greater Noida, has successfully completed her project under

my supervision.

During this period, he worked on the project titled “IMPACT OF

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND THE PERSPECTIVE OF

YOUTH” in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree of Master of

Business Administration of GGSIP University, Delhi.

To the best of my knowledge the project work done by the candidate has

not been submitted to any university for award of any degree. Her

performance and conduct has been good.

(Signature)

Name of the faculty supervisor

AIMT-Gr. Noida

Date:

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I take this opportunity to show my sincere gratitude to all those who made this

study possible. First of all I am thankful to the helpful staff and the faculty of

Army Institute of Management and Technology. One of the most important

tasks in every good study is its critical evaluation and feedback which was

performed by our supervisor Prof. Gyanesh Kumar Sinha. I am very thankful

to our supervisor for investing his precious time to discuss and criticize this

study in depth, and explained the meaning of different concepts and how to

think when it comes to problem discussions and theoretical discussions. My

sincere thanks go to my family members, who indirectly participated in this

study by encouraging and supporting me.

SWATI SHARMA

MBA08

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PREFACEThis Report will help to understand the Social Media marketing as a tools and its impact on the youth . In this report we will study about the various tools of social media marketing and its impact which is positive as well as negative on the youth. This report also throws light on the activities performed by youth on various media’s.

This report includes history, options, tools, impact, consumption of social media by the youth and also the ethical values to be kept in mind while being online . The report also gives an analysis along about the media consumption by the youth . all this help to develop an understanding how the social media is proving to be a boon or a bane to the society. How the usage of social media is shaping the thoughts of the youth in a country and how they react to particular things which they see online.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Every company from small firms to Fortune Companies are racing to make their mark in cyberspace with their own “Home Pages” on the world wide web (www). In the current era of technology when new technological advances are taking place at every walk of our lives I am trying to show how these SOCIAL MEDIA marketing tools are impacting the youths perspective. Gone are the days when pure- bricks model would thrive well in the market scenario. Social media had become really important gradient in today’s marketing mix in general and in promotion mix in particular. Internet growth is creating opportunities for marketers. The number of Internet users around the world is constantly growing. I have done my winter dissertation project on “impact of social media marketing and youth perspective” which has helped me to get in tune with the current marketing trends in the social media. It also helped me to understand how these marketing techniques are affecting the decision of the youth while purchasing certain items. I started my research by going through the various content available online and going through the social media marketing techniques used by various companies. The study is descriptive in nature. The data is majorly secondary with a few questionnaires being filled up by some of colleagues. The research is majorly based on the content available through various sources

online.It starts with an introduction to the concept of social media marketing and its history as discussed. The need and importance of social media marketing and how most of the companies these days are focusing on the internet media in order to increase their presence. Then the literature surveys which all are the research projects I referred to during my research. For collecting the primary data I got some questionnaires filled up through some of my colleagues. The secondary data was collected through books, journals, magazines and certain websites; I started my data analysis and interpreted the data.Based on my findings, the research work and my experience and understanding of the research and topic I have given certain recommendations for social media marketing.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

A. Supervisors certificate……………………………………B. Acknowledgement……………………………………….C. Executive summary……………………………………….

CHAPTER-1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 History of Social Media Marketing

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OBJECTIVEThe study will throw light on how the social media has become a way of life for the people. It tells us how today’s youth is spending time on various forms of media and what are these various forms of media. It also analyses what are the negative impact that these social media marketing techniques are making and how the youth is moving from leading an active life to a more sedentary lifestyle which may cause health and other serious problems to the generations today and the generations to come. The objective of this research is as follows:

To understand how the various forms of media are used for marketing To find the various methods of social media tools To suggest strategies to bridge the gap between expectation and

performance to improve its effectiveness To find the impact of social media on the youth

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LITERATURE REVIEWIn the current era of technology when new technological advances are taking place at every walk of our lives I am trying to show how these SOCIAL MEDIA marketing tools are impacting the youths perspective. How they get carried away by mere seeing of certain games online and some online marketing. Gone are the days when pure- bricks model would thrive well in the market scenario. Social media had become really important gradient in today’s marketing mix in general and in promotion mix in particular. Adapting some form of marketing online through social media is a key node for all businesses, especially in an industry where trends constantly change such as fashion and handicrafts. Social Media has, to some extent, made the youth more accessible to marketers. Social Media Marketing is about understanding how technology is making it easier for people to connect socially with their social networks and how your business can profit from that understanding. More and more of your customers, whether for personal use, business-to-consumer or business-to-business reasons use social media in every aspect of their daily life. There is a common misconception that social media and social networking sites (SNS) are two synonymous terms. This media encourages user involvement which can be as simple as posting comments or giving votes or as complex as recommending content to other user on the basis of preferences of people with similar interests and lifestyle. Thus social media can be described as a broad term inclusive of activities where people create content, share it, bookmark it and network at a phenomenal rate. On the other hand social networking sites are a place where in one forms communities of interest to connect to others. Social networking sites utilize social media technology to connect with people and build relationships. The youth have significant buying power, are influential on the buying decisions within their family units and are often the trendsetters in society. Their natural digital literacy and love of social networks means that the media landscape has become less fragmented and that we have much better insight into where they are and what they are interested in, however, a number of barriers and challenges to the successful use of Social Media for marketing still remain. The aim of this paper is to find out how brands actually measure the impact of the social media. It also briefs about the various methods of SOCIAL MEDIA marketing. It throws some light on how do brands understand the social media habits of the youth. And also how do brands get noticed by Youth. It also talks about how brands create engaging content that will keep the youth following different media channels. Does social media marketing create profit for brands. And

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why is digital media an upcoming media for brands to advertise. In addition strategies have been suggested to maximize effectiveness. Social networks are extremely capable of informing and influencing purchase decisions, as many users now trust their peer opinions more than the marketing strategists. Customers now have the power to talk back at the brand and broadcast their opinions of the brand. Therefore, marketers have no choice but to treat them differently and with greater respect. Every company is emphasizing to make marketing decisions in the areas of segmentation, product offerings, pricing, distribution and promotion. Increasing use of information and communication technologies is shifting market power from suppliers to consumers; ensuing consumer empowerment is presented as an unintended consequence of marketing. Marketing implications arising from this consumer empowerment are examined in terms of a process where control and management by suppliers over consumer access and ennoblement are increasingly difficult. The Information technology has produced a revolutionary new way for businesses to communicate and interact with their customers. The role of marketing strategies in fostering controlled consumer empowerment is reflected in the development of information-based consumer-centric marketing strategies that seek to enable and control delegation. Before the development of the web, news was slow moving and organizations could take their time to develop structured responses to problems. Currently, rapid developments in consumer generated media sites mean that the general public can quickly air their views. These views can make or break a brand. Consumers trust these published opinions and base their buying decisions on them. For example, eBay’s success has been based on their system of feedback ratings, which provides consumer opinions of sellers. Any information available to company potential clients affects company reputation and their buying decisions. The influence of the information and technology on business over the next five years will be great. A the Web is beginning to shake the foundations of the advertising industry as it transforms how even offline media, such as radio, TV and print advertising, is purchased. Marketers are seeking to take advantage of vast audiences for social media sites, and tap into their inclination to participate and interact online, as well as their potential to amplify and transmit targeted messages. Over the past 40 years, we have experienced a radical shift in how business is conducted and how people interact. The introduction of personal computers, the Internet, and e-commerce have had a tremendous impact on how businesses operate and market. The introduction of social media technology is accelerating and we can expect it to have a similar impact on businesses now and into the future. As new technologies became available,

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businesses that learn to use new technologies gain great benefits. Some of the best-known examples include technology-driven companies such as Microsoft, eBay, Amazon and Google. In a short span of time, social media has become one of the most loved mediums for the Indian youths today. Social Media Marketing is the hottest new marketing concept and every business owner wants to know how social media can generate value for their business. People are social by nature and collect or share information that is important to them. Social Media Marketing is about understanding how technology is making it easier for people to connect socially with their social networks and how your business can profit from that understanding. More and more of your customers, whether for personal use, business-to-consumer or business-to-business reasons use social media in every aspect of their daily life. There is a common misconception that social media and social networking sites are two synonymous terms. Social media are tools for sharing and discussing information. It can be described as a kind of online media which encourages every member for feedback and contribution. It is a social instrument of two way communication facilitating the sharing of information between users within a defined network via web 2.0 (O'Reilly, 2005). It involves online activities in which the user contributes to content creation. This media encourages user involvement which can be as simple as posting comments or giving votes or as complex as recommending content to other user on the basis of preferences of people with similar interests and lifestyle. Thus social media can be described as a broad term inclusive of activities where people create content, share it, bookmark it and network at a phenomenal rate. On the other hand social networking sites are a place where in one forms communities of interest to connect to others. Social networking sites utilize social media technology to connect with people and build relationships. Social networking sites allow individuals to construct their profile within a bounded system, share with other users and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). It can be thus concluded that social networking sites are a form of social media. The increasing dependence on technology for basic communication highlights the importance of analyzing how these networking sites are affecting daily processes. Anyone including teens and young adults, women, men, affluent consumers, and older individuals can join a social network site. Once registered the person can begin to socialize and create his/her own network of friends with common interests or goals. Sites like Face book, Twitter, LinkedIn are influencing the way users establish, maintain and cultivate a range of social relationships, from close friendships to casual acquaintances. Consumers today want to be more

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informed about products before they make the purchase. Most importantly, social networks are extremely capable of informing and influencing purchase decisions, as many users now trust their peer opinions more than the marketing strategists. Customers now have the power to talk back at the brand and broadcast their opinions of the brand. Therefore, marketers have no choice but to treat them differently and with greater respect.

LIMITATIONSThe analytical study emphasizes on Social Media Marketing and its impact on youth. Data used is collected through a research conducted within Delhi-NCR. Also, the research is majorly a secondary research where the data was collected from the internet, books, magazines, journals, etc. Since, the conclusion drawn are based on limited data, they remain subject to modifications and corrections.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

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The scope of the study has been limited to social media marketing only. The study has been confined to Delhi & NCR region as this area has greater internet penetration and plenty of social Network Sites users.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGYThe study is based on descriptive research design. A questionnaire has been designed, to know the point of view of respondent regarding the extent of social media that helps consumers in buying decision making. First part of the questionnaire contains information regarding demographics and usage pattern of social media of the respondent. Second part has series of close-ended indirect questions which are based on impact of social media in making consumer buy a product and expectation from such media. The survey was conducted online through social networking sites and responses of 150 social networkers were collected. The instrument (questionnaire) was put over Google docs and the link was sent to users to fill the instrument through various social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, Twitter, LinkedIn, Hi5, Bebo etc. The respondents and other people on different social networking sites were also requested to post the link from their profile. So the sampling technique used was non-probability convenience sampling.

Profile of Respondents

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Variable* Classification Total N (%)

GENDER Male 71

Female 79AGE Less than 18 0

18-24 68 25-39 72 40-60 10

International Journal of Marketing, Financial Services & Management ResearchVol.1 Issue 11, November 2012, ISSN 2277 3622Online available at www.indianresearchjournals.com

Motivation behind following a brand or joining a brand page

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Variable Total N Motivation to follow a Brand or Join a Brand page

Brand invitation/Advertising 68 Friend’s invitation 52 Personal research 32 Loyalty towards the brand 44

The motivational factor for people joining/ following a brand page/ brand on social networking platforms vary from person to person. The main reason fans come to join a brand page or brand following is through brand invitation/ advertising followed by a friend invitation. The search factor (personal Research) plays an important role, thus it is crucial for brands to be found if consumers search for them. Brand loyalty also plays a role in motivation towards brand following on the social networking platforms. Brand loyalists are consumers who will market a certain brand and talk positively about it among their friends/ peers. This is free word-of-mouth marketing for the brands and is often very effective. Social networking sites are a new CRM (to receive exclusive deals and offers, exclusive content) tool where the consumer wants to feel exclusive. The attachment to brand is a key motivator to advocate the brands. Demonstrating appreciation for the brand, showing what you like, and supporting the Brand’s values play an active role in generating advocacy. The desire to engage with the brand either through dialog with the brand’s representatives or with other consumers reaches an interesting level.

International Journal of Marketing, Financial Services & Management ResearchVol.1 Issue 11, November 2012, ISSN 2277 3622Online available at www.indianresearchjournals.com

Time dedicated for socializing

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Social networking is now an important aspect of the day. With most people spending more than hour online! The above chart depicts very clearly that how much it is important for the marketers to exploit the situation by making workable marketing strategies.

Purpose for using social media platform

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Social media helped people connect with long lost friends. This is evident with 58% respondent in the survey using such platform to connect with friends. While 24% respondents believe in exchanging their views and experiences on various products/Services and others apart from just playing games and participating in contests (16%). So, here marketers have plenty of opportunity to communicate with their targets and offer them their products/service to persuade them to transact and become loyal customer for them. It is a fast growing platform for brands in all the sectors. It acts as an effective tool as it is the best way to reach out market segment without incurring huge cost.

Considering social media in buying decision

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It is evident from the above bar chart that most of the respondents are using social media networks are considering social media before starting of buying decision making process. More than two third of users are always considering social media networks at the time of getting into purchase decision. So, it is of enormous importance for the marketers to put information on the social sites where there is huge probability to come into the eyes of consumers and if successes into pursuing the customers’ then positive word of mouths will automatically get started. This will eventually gives rise to multiple impacts and conversation will get started on the web.

MEANING AND INTRODUCTION:

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Social media marketing refers to the process of gaining website traffic or attention through

social media sites. Social media marketing programs usually center on efforts to create

content that attracts attention and encourages readers to share it with their social networks. A

corporate message spreads from user to user and presumably resonates because it appears to

come from a trusted, third-party source, as opposed to the brand or company itself. Hence,

this form of marketing is driven by word-of-mouth, meaning it results in earned media rather

than paid media.

HISTORY OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING:-The history of social media is credited mostly to the last decade with social networking sites such as Facebook,

Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. While these sites most definitely propelled social media to new heights, the truth is

they don’t represent the original social networking platforms. Social media channels like Google+, Pinterest,

Instagram and Foursquare weren’t here or popular in 2009. But, so what? The social media sites your business uses

don’t drive success. If your business doesn’t have the mindset to use social media as channels to connect, engage,

share and build trust with your current and prospective future customers, you’re totally missing the point of social

media. And, it doesn’t matter if you’re a B2C or B2B. Social networking phenomenon has emerged over the past

ten years. In that time, social networking sites (SNS) have grown from a niche to a mass online activity, in which

tens of millions of internet users are engaged, both in their leisure time, and at work. However, there has been very

little research on the socio-economic impact of these sites in the Indian context. In this paper we focused on the

impact of these social networking sites on the youth of India in both positive as well as negative phase. Social

networking is a phenomenon which has existed since society began. Human beings have always sought to live in

social environments. The proliferation of social networking sites (SNS) and their pervasion in everyday practices is

affecting how modern Indian youth societies manage their social networks. To a significant extent, SNS have

shifted social networking to the Internet. In less than five years, these sites have grown from a niche online activity

into a phenomenon through which tens of millions of internet users are connected, both in their leisure time, and at

work. There are various factors which have prompted us to consider the implications of these technologies for

policy-making. One of these is the willingness of users to embrace SNS as a means of communication and social

networking in everyday life. The increasing dependence on technology for basic communication also highlights the

importance of analyzing how SNS are affecting daily processes. Sites like Face book, Friend ster and LinkedIn are

influencing the way users establish, maintain and cultivate a range of social relationships, from close friendships to

casual acquaintances. Social media has become a platform that is easily accessible to anyone with internet access.

Increased communication for organizations fosters brand awareness and often, improved customer service.

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Additionally, social media serves as a relatively inexpensive platform for organizations to implement marketing

campaigns.

TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS USED BY YOUTH Computers

Texting

Facebook

Youtube

Smart phones with apps

ipads

Television

Movies

Video games

Tweeting

MySpace

Pinterest

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Social networking websites and blogs

Social networking websites allow individuals to interact with one another and build relationships. When products or companies join those sites, people can interact with the product or company. That interaction feels personal to users because of their previous experiences with social networking site interactions.

Social networking sites and blogs allow individual followers to “retweet” or “repost” comments made by the product being promoted. By repeating the message, all of the users connections are able to see the message, therefore reaching more people. Social networking sites act as word of mouth. Because the information about the product is being put out there and is getting repeated, more traffic is brought to the product/company. Through social networking sites, products/companies can have conversations and interactions with individual followers. This personal interaction can instill a feeling of loyalty into followers and potential customers. Also, by choosing whom to follow on these sites, products can reach a very narrow target audience.[

Social networking sites also include a vast amount of information about what products and services prospective clients might be interested in.

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Through the use of new Semantic Analysis technologies, marketers can detect buying signals, such as content shared by people and questions posted online. Understanding of buying signals can help sales people target relevant prospects and marketers run micro-targeted campaigns.

Mobile phonesMobile phone usage has also become beneficial for social media marketing. Today, many cell phones have social networking capabilities: individuals are notified of any happenings on social networking sites through their cell phones, in real-time. This constant connection to social networking sites means products and companies can constantly remind and update followers about their capabilities, uses, importance, etc. Because cell phones are connected to social networking sites, advertisements are always in sight. Also many companies are now putting QR codes along with products for individuals to access the company website or online services with their smart-phones.

EngagementIn the context of the social web, engagement means that customers and stakeholders are participants rather than viewers. Social media in business allows anyone and everyone to express and share an opinion or an idea somewhere along the business’s path to market. Each participating customer becomes part of the marketing department, as other customers read their comments or reviews. The engagement process is then fundamental to successful social media marketing.

CAMPAIGNS

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Many social media campaigns target men specifically, perhaps the most famous one of all being The Old Spice Guy. With quick-witted humor and the tagline “Smell like a man, man,” Isaiah Mustafa quickly became a popular and oft-quoted figure in TV commercials. Then Old Spice developed a social media campaign allowing him to respond to questions directly via online videos – 180 to be exact. Throw Twitter in the mix, plus a mention from the ever-followed Ashton Kutcher, and the buzz following the campaign is still being generated two years later.

Several other brands are jumping on the Social Media Campaign Trail as well to reach their target audience of men, and succeeding with creative content and direct branding. Here are 5 examples of brands targeting men through social campaigns.

Why It Works

The proposition is simple, “Our Blades are F*****g Great,” and addresses two age-old “man” problems right off the bat: 1) paying too much for razors and 2) forgetting to buy them. The pitch solves them both and lets you know right away, “For just a dollar a month, we send a high quality razors right to your door.” Easy, right? Funny and to the point wins the race.

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Mike from Dollar Shave Club directly addresses his customer, young adult men, and does a pretty good job by acting like one himself. In fact, he actually trained with the sketch comedy group Upright Citizens Brigade, and it shows. Given the simplicity of the video, he also shows you don’t need to spend a lot of money for a high-production advertisement. Show who you are, solve a real problem, and your audience will care. Authenticity is key.

We’ve seen deadpan humor and endlessly quotable one-liners before like the aforementioned Old Spice Guy? Everybody likes to laugh and it’s a great reason to share funny material online. Mike shows us that even a hard sell can be a hoot.

Gymkhana 5

In a series of successful racing videos from DC Shoes, Ken Block, professional rally driver and co-founder of the clothing brand, participates in some exciting automative shenanigans. In Gymkhana 5, Block races around the streets of San Francisco for 10 fast-paced minutes of pure adrenaline and hoonery.

Why It Works

Gymkhana shows great content doesn’t need to be swimming in logos and branding to be effective. It’s exciting. It’s emotive. It’s engaging. It has one specific goal in mind: draw the attention of every car guy possible, then actually hold that attention for five to ten minutes.

What DC and Gymkhana did very well is give viewers control of where to watch it. They not only made content that viewers want to share with friends but also made it extremely easy to do so, beginning with YouTube and expanding out from there. DC Shoes was not stingy with embed links and formats, making the video readily available in downloads with the potential to be viewed on laptops, iPhones, iPads and more. In doing so, they were able to achieve 500,000 shares in its first 24 hours alone and get the video into as many hands as possible. The high-quality production and HD format of the video are also worth noting, because really, how else would you want to watch a slow-motion 360 donut?

In specifically targeting a narrow audience (a.k.a. car guys) they were able to create great content that served a wider audience as well.

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Movember, Changing the Face of Men’s Health

For the month of November, Movember encourages men to grow a mustache or “Mo” in order to generate funding and awareness for men’s health. Launched in 2004, the campaign really took off in the last two years thanks to social media and raised more than $120 million for prostate cancer research in 2011.

Why It Works

“We as men don’t feel comfortable talking about our health,” says Movember co-founder Adam Garone. However, growing a mustache gives men an easy and fun segue into a conversation about men’s health. Prostate cancer and other men’s health topics affect many people. So, it’s not difficult to comprehend why the #Movember hashtag dominates social media like Twitter and Facebook during the month of November, not to mention phrases like “prostate cancer” and “getting checked.” These trends suggest men are actually responding and going to the doctor, which is the ultimate goal of the program.

When you add social media into the mix, the potential reach of the conversation is endless, but you can’t get in your own way. Men can generate all this chatter and keep the conversation going, but the people behind Movember had to be willing to relinquish some control of their brand, something many companies have an issue doing while holding on to brand integrity. Darone mentioned they reached 800,000+ Brand Ambassadors last November, but to be successful he had to trust the community, allowing them to speak on the benefits men’s health awareness.

So, what’s the lesson? If you’re trying to generate awareness about an embarrassing topic, create a sense of solidarity through symbolism.

Carlsberg, “That Calls For A Carlsberg”

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Carlsberg took to a shot at a social stunt last year to generate conversation for their campaign. They filled a 150-seat theater in Brussels, Belgium, with 148 of the most intimidating, mean and hulky looking bikers they could find and left two seats empty in the dead center. For those who took the seats, Carlsberg rewarded their act of bravery, with applause and fresh, cold beer of course:

Why It Works

Would you sit down? Which of your friends would run in the opposite direction? The bravery to face your fears is something to be admired, says the beer label. The video ties into its larger advertising campaign, with the tagline “That calls for a Carlsberg,” aimed at rewarding men who step out of their comfort zones and prove themselves to be courageous. The simple yet effective story caught the attention of millions who identified with the emotions, and the YouTube video has 11.7 million views as of September 2012.

Indeed, the candid-camera style format is a favorite of many, and when placed on a social medium it has an even greater effect. Did you know what you were getting into when you watched the ad? I sure didn’t. The surprise is so genuine and applause so encouraging, it makes you want to share the video with your family and friends.

Degree For Men, “Masters of Movement”

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Degree Men’s Deodorant turned to social video and social gaming to promote their line of Adrenaline products with the campaign”Masters of Movement.” The four part series of videos features extreme sports icons on outdoor adventures and allows social gamers to earn points and currency.

Why It Works

With a goal to increase the brand’s interaction with its core consumers, Degree was successful in leveraging social gaming to reach their audience of 18 to 35-year-old males through a partnership with Ubisoft on the new Adrenaline game for Xbox Kinect and PS3 Move. They also provided an Adrenaline game for mobile, social and in-banner use.

Degree was also effective in tying their new line of MotionSense into their video. MotionSense is a sweat technology that releases bursts of fragrance to fend off sweat and odor in response to body movement. The video is similar to Gymhkana in that it does not excessively promote the product; however, it produces great content that generates conversation and directly ties in with the video’s movement and action.

Major Takeaways

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Know your audience and where to find them. When aiming for men, incorporate sites like YouTube or gaming.

Create engaging content that’s not swimming in branding and let the conversation flow from there.

Make content accessible and shareable, especially when it comes to embedding videos.

Know where you audience is and exploit the relevant networks to make your campaign as visible as possible.

Evoke emotions like anticipation, suspense, courage or joy. Don’t be scared of humor and quirky one-liners to convey your message.

MEDIA CONSUMPTION OF TYPICAL YOUTH

WHAT YOUTHS DO ONLINE ?

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

FEATURES DESCRIPTION

Presentation of

oneself

The basic level of entry in most SNS is the setting up of a

'profile': a personalized page developed by the user in

which he/she presents him/herself to peers, through text,

photos music and videos amongst others Functionalities.

SNS allow users to mobilize and organize their social

contacts and profiles in the way they want other members

to see them.

Externalization

of data

The externalization of networks is possibly one of the first

times online users have been able to view their own online

social networks, and share them with friends and the

general public. Some SNS also support applications

which allow users to describe the relation between

themselves and other members.

New ways for

community

formation

Though notions of virtual communities have existed since

the beginning of online applications, SNS support new

ways for people to connect between themselves. Users of

these sites may choose to communicate through various

digital objects, such as tags and in-built applications

within the SNS, such as the 'visual shelf' application in

Facebook. Users may join a community of book readers,

connecting through books they have liked

Bottom-up

activities

SNS provide the ideal platforms through which users with

similar values and interests can come together to

Collaborate effectively and cheaply. For instance, doctors

can share and double check rare medical cases on health

SNS such as Within3, or activists can organize a protest

through sites like Care2.

Ease of use A major attribute of SNS' popularity is their simplicity.

Anyone with basic internet skills can create and manage

an online SNS presence. Prior to SNS, users gained an

online presence by having a personal homepage. The

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drawbacks were that these homepages are not easy to

create and development and hosting of the site often incur

costs. In contrast, SNS are free of charge and open for

anyone to join. Most of them require registration, while

others limit membership through an invitation from

members who are already members of the site.

Reorganization

of Internet

geography

SNS support new points of entry to the internet: people's

personal worlds. Until recently, people spoke of the

internet in metaphors of places (cities, addresses, and

homepages).

Taking all these characteristics together, we can observe significant changes in how users network and operate their

social contacts according to different social environments. In particular, SNS seem to be influencing and shaping the

way we communicate between ourselves and how we manage our social contacts.

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ON YOUTHThere has been significant interest and concern about the risks of online social networking because of access to personal information

and the anonymity that the system allows. A number of public cases of bullying and identity theft have put this issue in the public

arena. In the survey participants were asked whether they have ever had a bad social networking experience. A considerable number

of respondents in a survey (28%) reported having had a negative online experience with adults aged below 30 the most likely to

export this (60%).

These participants were asked to provide further information about the negative experience. For most respondents the experience

reflected unwanted contact or people posting in appropriate or upsetting information online. Some respondents specified having

online bullying and provided examples such as abusive messages and harassment from someone of the opposite sex.

(A)NEGATIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON YOUTHIn considering the disadvantages, respondents identified a number of negative aspects of online social networking including:

(i) the time-consuming nature of online social networking sites, Indian youth admitting that they waste a lot of time on these sites.

(ii) Concern about access to personal information by others, with almost half of the youth worried that “non friends‟ may see their

personal information.

(iii) Concern that information posted may be used against them.

(B)Other Negative Impacts Of Social NetworkingThe negative effects of a new technology are never fully visible in the initial stages due the hype and excitement involved. However

with time we observe the more time we spend online the more connected we get hence the urge to not miss out on anything this

induces an invisible layer of stress and pressure on the individuals. The very fabric of our societies is now beginning to take a new

shape.

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Scientist have warned Sites such as Face book, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification

and make young people more self-centered.

(i) My fear is that these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing

noises and bright lights, which have a small attention Span and who live for the moment.

(ii) A 2010 Case Western Reserve School of Medicine study showed hyper-networking (more than three hours on social

networks per day) and hyper texting (more than 120 text messages per day) correlated with unhealthy behaviors in teens,

including drinking, smoking and sexual activity. Hyper-networking was also associated with depression, substance abuse,

poor sleep patterns, suicide and poor academic performance

(iii) While the above studies show actual correlations between social networking and negative consequences, others argue that

many other negative consequences may exist that have not yet been studied. Some of the harmful effects people suggest

social networking has that have not yet yielded conclusive study results include:

a) Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, an eminent.

b) Encouraging poor grammar, usage, and spelling Allowing the spread of misinformation that may be perceived as fact

even in light of evidence to the contrary.

Exposing children to online predators

Creating a culture in which a single mistake such as a racy picture or poorly thought-out comment can cause irreparable

harm to your reputation

Decreasing productivity as workers habitually check social networking sites while they should be working

Providing information that increases the risk of identity theft.

(C) POSITIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIASocial networking isn’t for everyone, but it’s now such a massive part of all our lives, whether we embrace or reject the notion,

that it can no longer be ignored. But are social networking sites such as Face book, Twitter, and Google+ a force for good or

evil? As with most questions there are multiple angles to approach this quandary from. Having already looked at the negative

impact of social networking sites on society, I thought it only fair to redress the balance. Every ying has its yang, after all.

Using the previous article as a loose template it’s clear to see that what some people would conceive as negatives for for

Twitter takes all of 20 seconds and with cross-posting over other social networks switched on, that update reaches everyone

you want it to reach (and probably more besides) in an instant. Social networking sites allow you to live a life

unhindered by small talk.

(D) SPEEDY COMMUNICATIONOur time is being stretched thinner and thinner by work and family commitments, but social networking sites offer a chance to

communicate in a speedy and efficient manner. Writing an update a lot less important. Social networking sites have made the

world a smaller place.

(E) IN TOUCH WITH THE WORLDIt isn’t just your inner circle of close friends and even closer family members that social networking sites allow you to

communicate with easily and effectively, either. They open the world up to you, making it a smaller place than it has ever been

before. So much so that I actually haven’t a clue where many of my contacts reside. When it comes to social networks

everyone is equal, regardless of location. Family living abroad can be kept abreast of the latest happenings in your world as

quickly as those living next door. Friends who you haven’t seen since school, and who have since moved away, are able to

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keep in touch. Location-based services such as Foursquare and Gowalla emphasize your location but social networking as a

whole means it has become a lot less important. Social networking sites have made the world a smaller place.

(F)BUILDING RELATIONSHIPSThere is no doubting that social networking sites can lead to the breaking up of relationships. But there is another side to the

tale, which is that people are moving onto other, perhaps better, relationships at the same time. Social networks can put you

(back) in touch with those you have lots in common with, and that common ground is often the starting point for long lasting

relationships.

BRAIN STUDIES studies show exposure to TV violence activates brain regions that regulate emotion, arousal and attention, and episodic

memory

Extensive viewing may lead to a large number of aggressive scripts stored in long‐term memory that end up influencing

behavior

Aggressive media viewing= blunting of emotional response and reduced attention with repeated viewing

Among aggressive youth, media violence exposure may habituate amygdala responses to violent stimuli (lower emotional

impact)

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUTH USING SOCIAL

NETWORKING SITESThe new digital social networking media are a frontier that is rich with opportunities and risks, particularly for young people.

Through SNS technologies, young people are participating in a range of activities, including social

networking, blogging, vlogging, gaming, instant messaging, downloading music and other content, uploading and sharing their

own creations, and collaborating with others in various ways. Five key issues are at stake in the new social networking media

identity, privacy, ownership and authorship, credibility, and participation. These issues decide the social and ethical

responsibilities of the youth that using the services of social networking sites.

(a) Every person that using the SNS should be aware about their rights and moral responsibilities.

(b) We should respect the authentication and privacy of those members that are using SNS.

(c ) We should follow the ethics of online identity.

(d) Create culture of disclosure.

(e) Online, a number of strategies—including privacy settings, selective disclosure, code switching, and deception are used by

youth to control the presentation of their identities and thereby manage their privacy. Most social networking sites have privacy

settings that allow users to limit access to their profiles to a narrow audience of confirmed friends, and evidence suggests that

many young people use them.

(e) The online culture of disclosure holds important promises for young people, including empowerment of themselves and

others, the creation of communities of support around shared struggles, and the development of a broad ethical sense of

responsibility with respect to privacy.

(f) Promises of Ownership and Authorship Online.

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(g) Maintain Credibility. So the youth of Indian can play an important role to reduce the negative impact of social networking

sites such a that it can be used in the beneficial way.

LITERATURE REVIEW

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