Definition of Social Media

SM is a “virtual reality” based on user generated content, where not only users have an ability to list, view, watch and read a context in which they are interested in, but they can also interact with other users in perspective of their real and virtual personality (Steenkapm & Hyde-Clarke, 2014;

De Nardis, 2014). SM is a “network sphere” where users “can create, edit, change, archive, interact and share content with other users” (Rauniar et al., 2013). According to Boyd & Ellison (2007) SM allows users with three services: creating personal profile page; connection with other users (friends, followers/following and connections); and access to other diverse private or business content. More specific, SM is a network based on two levels: 1) personal profiles and 2) diverse communities i.e. users create their virtual-self (profile) and discuss their personal thoughts in interaction with other users (communities) (Kietzmann et al., 2011). Audience has already integrated SMPs in their everyday lives, while having an ease in accessing desired brand content with which they self-identify. On these “brand pages” they can personally or anonymously exchange thoughts and interests and participate in co-creating future brand content (Deighton & Kornfeld, 2009).

The equilibrium point of SM is the user-driven marketing strategies and different tools of chosen platform in uniformly constructive way. On the platform, the brand can place their “virtual image” and share content according to its marketing strategy and defined goals (Keller, 1993).

By viewing the brand content, users evaluate this virtual image based on their own perspective of value and popularity (Reece, 2010).

SM is understood as a technology through which IRLs can build brand engagement with their audiences, similar as a productions system, where the input is “personalizing” and the output is

“monetizing” their relationship. More precisely, SM is contributing with an invisible system of materialising brand engagement into financial income. This relies on “making friendship”

(Baym, 2012) with audience that has a bilateral benefit i.e. IRLs are gaining a financial income and audience getting an emotional reward that includes: self-esteem; self-worth and community affiliation. Moreover, SM enabled audience with more options on how to consume music by

using distribution channels where they can buy and own desired music as a collective products (whole album) or individual products (one song). Among other benefits, audience is enabled to access an online music base, where they can take their needed time in observation and making a decision about which music products they would like to buy (Dias dos Santos, 2016).

The borders of real-life are cultivated in SM settings (Algesheimer et al., 2005; Bagozzi &

Dholakia, 2006), as dependents of a chosen content strategy. In achieving the highest level of brand engagement on SM, Brodie et al. (2011b) propose three key markers that the brand should nurture on a daily basis: shared consciousness, shared rituals and traditions and a sense of moral responsibility.

Each SMP has an unique marketing tools and methods that IRLs can use in their marketing strategy. IRLs understand SMPs as an incredible possibility for marketing promotion of their music, artists, products, services etc. There is a large base of SMPs that IRLs can use, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter as sites with a networking content and music content sites such as Youtube, Soundcloud, Songkick, with an addition to Spotify that is not traditionally a SMP, yet it‟s a well-known by other platforms users (Hutchby, 2001).

In this master thesis the groundwork of the SMPs analysis are Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.

According to Malhotra et al. (2013) Facebook is the main SMP on which brands can achieve highest success in gaining attention and building a strong relationship with their audience. On this SMP, the number of followers, emoticons, comments, recommendations, shares etc., are a strong research fundamental in measurement of brand engagement (Chauhan & Pillai, 2013;

Hoffman & Fodor, 2010; Malhotra et al., 2013). On Facebook, IRLs can share content as images, text, direct-links, videos/live performances, etc., simultaneously the audience (by own decision) can also share their own content based on their knowledge and experience, recommend or criticize a brand page, leave a comment or reply to other users and share their emotions by placing emoticons.

Emoticons are related with audience self-expression and they transform thoughts in actions. This paradigm (Gronroos, 2007) subsists in the brand virtual reality, where with emoticons the audience can approve/disapprove the brand marketing activity. In audience minds, with emoticons they make a self-presentation outside of the computer box i.e. directly to the brand

(Schau & Gilly, 2003). There is a set of emoticons available on Facebook, where “Like” and

“Heart” are reactions that represent positive emotions and show interest in “self-identification”

with a brand. By pressing “Wow” emoticon, it‟s featured that the audience is excited and pleased from brand content, yet this is also a positive emoticon. Contrary the emoticon “Angry” signals that audience is angry about brand content, or not pleased, not interested and sometimes bored.

Sometimes, ambiguity occurs when it is tried to determinate the emoticon “Laughing”. This insecurity can vary from positive (e.g. funny, interesting, happy, comic etc.), to negative expressions (e.g. underestimation, absurd, bizarre, goofy etc.). The same situation also occurs with emoticon “Cry” that in some occasions can have more positive than negative meaning (e.g.

sadness, awaken memories, grief, melancholy etc.). However, emoticon options on Facebook enable a deeper brand engagement, than the single “Heart” on Instagram or “Like/Dislike”

reactions on Youtube (Muniz & O‟Guinn, 2011).

Instagram has a “Wall” option where the brand can share content, and audience can leave its comment. As previously mentioned, Instagram doesn‟t have different emoticons, but this platform is powered by its “Stories”. In this section, IRL can share content on daily-basis (e.g.

images, videos, text, stickers, quizzes etc.) allowing audience to leave a comment or a sticker as

“Like”, “Heart”, “Crown”, “Fire” etc.

Youtube is a platform that offers the best marketing tools in reaching audience, with its feature of “space shifting” i.e. viewing content from any geographical space in the world in any time-zone. Youtube is a video-sharing service and leading global community of the music industry.

On this “core strategic tool” IRLs can upload their music videos, create playlists and share other content as posts, questions, quizzes in order to interact with their audience in a written manner (Dugan, 2011). The audience can express positive/negative emotions on Youtube with pressing

“Like” or “Dislike” reaction, and also a comment can be left on the video content. This SMP grants IRLs in covering market segments of audience that simply doesn‟t want to have a personal profile on Facebook or Instagram i.e. they are here „Just for the music“. On Youtube, IRL can place playlists as promotional agenda of their music and artists, create a post or quiz question, comment and reply to audience.

According to Hollis (2011) “users that often comment to brand SMPs content have a higher influence on other users in replying them in the comment section”, than the brand itself. Also

users that place emoticons to brand SMPs content in average have 2.4 times more friends on their own profile, than other users (Nelson-Field, Riebe & Sharp, 2012). This implies that this audience is more inter-connected with brand pages on SMPs that is an added-value of brand engagement.