Social Networking Communities

Social networking and online communities

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this chance for thanking my research facilitator, friends & family for support they provided & their belief in me as well as guidance they provided without which I would have never been able to do this research.

DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this thesis/dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this thesis/dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

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ABSTRACT

Within the span of about 20 years, the Internet has gone from a curiosity and scientific tool to a necessity used by billions around the globe. It has become indispensable to businesses everywhere, and every day the Net surges with staggering amounts of information. One of the strongest features of the Internet is social networking sites that allow users to stay connected 24 hours a day, sharing information, ranging from pets' birthdays to life's milestones. Critics renounce social networking as a dangerous waste of time, while adherents claim it as the next phase in human social development. As with all social experiments, the real ramifications eventually will sort themselves out. Beyond the obvious attraction of social networking sites for connectedness, however, is their powerful potential as business tools, and professionals are beginning to pick up on this potential. Social media sites like Face book and Twitter are changing the way businesses market themselves and connect with their customers. By identifying and clearly stating your objectives for social network participation, you can more easily identify the activities that make sense and most importantly, how much time and energy you should invest to reach your objectives.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW4

Data Mining7

Defensive Strategies10

Awareness11

Acceptable Use Policy13

Monitoring & Logging16

Enforcement18

Users of Social Media21

CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY24

CHAPTER 04: DISCUSSION25

Buzz Marketing All About26

The Online Social Media as a Driver of Buzz Marketing29

The Points to Ponder Upon45

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION60

Conclusion60

Findings65

REFERENCES69

APPENDIX79

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Every day on the radio and television we hear about Face book, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, MySpace, and YouTube and are asked to follow organizations through social media to provide feedback or stay up to date on news events or product releases. It seems social media are a driving new force that is affecting the way people communicate, both personally and professionally. Businesses are finding social media a great way to communicate with customers and their own employees in a more cost effective way.

Social media sites like Face book and Twitter are changing the way businesses market themselves and connect with their customers. By identifying and clearly stating your objectives for social network participation, you can more easily identify the activities that make sense and most importantly, how much time and energy you should invest to reach your objectives. (Quittner, 2009, pp. 46-47)

Social media marketing has been a considered as an alternative strategy of creating preference and demand among prospective customers by the theoreticians and ...