SOCIAL RESEARCH

Marketing and Social Research



Part 1

Diary Entry 1

Today, I logged onto Facebook for usual surfing and interaction with my friends. There was a page that appeared on my News Feed regarding the hottest new cell phones of 2011. Since I am planning on purchasing a new cell phone, I clicked on the link for more information. There I gathered information on the new cell phones in the market. There were comments from other Facebook users. Their opinions were unbiased as they had no vested interest in the page or the company the cell phone belonged to. However, I have a question: Which cell phone is really the best in the market?

Diary Entry 2

I find it so interesting the way advertising has become so interactive. People are using social media to advertise in a way that consumers respond very quickly with positive or negative feedback. On my last visit to Facebook, I noticed the increased use of the social medium in promoting different products and services. One of my friends began a new business for which she posted photos and other content on a personalised page. The page has 200 likes in a short period of one week. Doing business and advertising it has become easier due to the presence of social media.

Diary Entry 3

Over the last week, I decided to search some blogs on topics that interest me. I came across a blog on the latest technology being used in cell phones like the Android software or the iOS5 and iCloud software that is so commonly talked about. On the blog I noticed that some of my friends on Facebook had shared the link on their profiles. They even put some comments on the different technology that I was not aware of and found interesting. My friends had recommended software that is the best and even cell phones that are doing best in the market.

Part 2

Introduction

The diary I kept over the past few weeks has been a very interesting experience. I did not realize the importance of user generated information. User generated content is like the new age of advertising. People are creating content according to their opinions, interests and preferences. I gathered a lot of information regarding cell phones and have now been able to come to a decision of which cell phone I want to purchase. The task of diary keeping made me understand that the content available on blogs and social media platforms is mostly user generated. People can even share that content to others or add to it if they want.

Discussion

When I visited the blog on the new technologies being used in cell phones, I asked a few questions myself. The blogger (writer of the blog) answered my questions and even cleared some of the misconceptions or doubts I had regarding some technologies and cell phones. I was able to research for my cell phone choice much more easily and found a lot of unbiased information. The user generated content that I came across was not ...