УДК 33

Advantages and Disadvantages of New Media Marketing

Ван Иян – магистрант филологического факультета Российского университета дружбы народов.

Abstract: In the ever-evolving landscape of today's Internet, big data, and other technologies, continuous updates are the norm, giving rise to new media as the demands of the times dictate. This article focuses on new media marketing, providing a comprehensive examination of its notable advantages and potential drawbacks. The analysis presented aims to serve as a valuable reference for professionals in related industries, aiding them in gaining a better understanding of and navigating the intricate environment of new media marketing, ultimately facilitating more effective marketing strategies.

Keywords: media marketing, marketing strategies, marketing concept.

New media marketing concept

In the realm of new media marketing, theoretical definitions within academic circles have largely converged. Leveraging mobile Internet technology and platforms like short videos and live broadcasts as marketing channels, companies promote their brand, value, or promotional information based on their offerings. This approach, integral to a company's marketing strategy, is novel, enhancing marketing benefits and fostering market development. Importantly, it allows for the delivery of personalized marketing content, contributing to a more tailored and engaging customer experience.

In the realm of new media marketing, strategically choosing where to conduct marketing activities has emerged as a pivotal step in effective planning [1]. It's imperative for enterprises to ensure that marketing personnel comprehend and master the distinct characteristics and styles of various new media platforms. This understanding enables them to tailor marketing plans according to their specific needs and the unique traits of each platform, ultimately enhancing marketing effectiveness. Presently, prevalent platforms for new media marketing primarily encompass social platforms and video platforms.

Advantages of new media marketing

  • New media marketing effectively reduces marketing cost

New media not only diversifies the way companies promote their brands, but also better reduces marketing costs. In the past, many companies thought that they would spend a lot of money to build a website, publish corporate news and advertising information regularly or irregularly, and constantly update the website and promote it, but the results were often not ideal [3]. New media provides more free and open platforms with resource sharing. New media platforms provide many free resources, such as social media accounts and personal homepages, that businesses can use for marketing without incurring high costs. For example, opening a public account on WeChat, establishing an official Weibo account on Sina Weibo, and establishing a brand entry on Baidu Encyclopedia are basically free [4].

New media not only enhances low-cost platforms, but also provides low-cost communication. It is an indisputable fact that with the help of social media, the speed of communication is astonishing - almost reaching the point where it spreads all over the world overnight. It allows businesses to achieve broad reach and dissemination without significant investment.

  • More precise customer service positioning

In new media marketing, whether through button advertising on portal websites or keyword advertising on search engines, the approach is notably more targeted than traditional media [2]. An illustrative example is discussing mountain climbing on Weibo, where the system identifies an interest in outdoor activities, potentially leading to customized brand recommendations like the North Face and Camel. This personalized approach, centered on individuals, accounts, and relationships, allows for the recording and calculation of needs and potential future consumption. New media marketing, anchored in real-time responsiveness, can dynamically adapt to market changes and achieve precise market positioning based on consumer interests and behaviors. This agility contributes to enhancing marketing efficiency and effectiveness.

  • Real-time and interactivity of new media marketing

New media marketing encourages consumers to participate and have conversations with brands [5]. This interactivity increases consumers' loyalty and favorability towards the brand. People can talk about their needs on their mobile phones or computers instead of traditional forms of emails and phone calls. New media marketing is not only the transmission of information, but more importantly, the in-depth interaction with consumers, providing a unique user experience that traditional media cannot provide. One of the advantages of new media marketing is that it can flexibly update information and content to continuously attract and retain customers, which is in sharp contrast to the fixed and limited nature of traditional marketing.

Disadvantages of new media marketing

  • New media marketing is not professional enough

Enterprises lack professional employees for new media marketing, resulting in the quality of new media marketers failing to meet the final marketing requirements. Specifically, relevant business operators and marketing managers do not pay attention to the combination of products and marketing content, and cannot better promote the core features of the product and the corporate brand [2]. At the same time, the company has not established a professional new media marketing team and cannot carry out detailed planning of marketing content, making the quality of new media marketing content uneven. Even in new media marketing, simple repetition is outdated. In order to improve promotion effectiveness, some companies simply publish advertising content repeatedly on different platforms. Doing so will not only fail to improve the effective conversion rate, but will also reduce attention and credibility.

  • Fraud and deception in new media marketing

Some companies resorting to fraud and deception, like inflating fan numbers and false publicity, may see a quick increase in exposure. However, these unethical practices erode credibility in the long run, leading to a regression in brand image. Investing in spam emails, text messages, and vulgar content, while providing a short-term boost, is deemed irrelevant and can provoke negative reactions from a small portion of netizens. Ultimately, false and deceptive marketing methods may yield quick gains but are not worth the long-term losses. Prioritizing audience needs is crucial for meaningful brand development, and irresponsible new media marketing methods should be changed and rectified.

  • New media marketing communication information saturation

The accessibility of new media has significantly lowered the participation threshold, enabling any individual or institution to effortlessly enter and disseminate information. Consequently, there has been a surge in communication entities, intensifying market competition and contributing to heightened information fragmentation. The rise of social media has fostered a trend of user-generated content, empowering everyone to act as an information originator. While this diversifies information sources and content, it also risks information overload, complicating consumers' ability to filter and focus on genuinely valuable content. Some companies resort to extensive advertising and promotion to increase attention and exposure [3]. However, this over-promotion results in users frequently encountering advertisements while browsing content, leading to information oversaturation and a diminished user experience. Collectively, the interplay of these factors has given rise to an issue of excessive communication subjects and information saturation in new media marketing. Addressing how to stand out in this fiercely competitive environment is a challenge that companies must earnestly confront.

Conclusion

In the realm of new media, every industry must carefully assess its current development, weighing the pros and cons of new media marketing and seamlessly integrating the internet with business models. This article delves into the concepts and primary forms of new media marketing, highlighting its advantages such as cost-effectiveness, precise customer positioning, and real-time engagement. Conversely, it addresses the drawbacks, including a lack of professionalism, potential for fraud and deception, and the challenge of information oversaturation. It is my hope that these insights prove valuable for professionals in relevant industries.

References

  1. Ma Xiaofen. Innovative research on characteristics and strategies of new media marketing. URL: https://wap.cnki.net/touch/web/guide (accessed on 10.02.2024).
  2. Deng Qian. Review and perspectives of new media marketing research. Peking University, 2019. № 3. P. 12-15.
  3. Six advantages of new media marketing. URL: https://wenku.baidu.com/view/755dc6c5e75c3b3567ec102de2bd960590c6d993.html (accessed on 10.02.2024).
  4. Chen Shuang. Freedom of expression in new media and its regulation - the case of Weibo. Beijing: Modern Science, 2020. №10. P.56-59.
  5. Gao Xueli. Legal boundaries of freedom of expression in the era of new media. Science, 2018. 2. P. 26-29.