Introduction of social media channels in communication

The technological advancements have brought about changes in the communication methodologies. The introduction of the social media channels has facilitated the growth of the global communications and brought about significant development in the different industries. The promotional activities that are taken by the entertainment industry in the 21^st century are facilitated by the utilization of the social media platforms.  A recent report found that some 79% of the television viewers visit Facebook while watching the regular shows. It represents the promotional activities that the entertainment industry undertakes through the social media platforms (Hollywoodreporter.com 2018).   

The key purpose of the report is based on the understanding of the manner in which social media creates an impact on the entertainment industry in the modern generation. The usage of the social media as a tool to reach out to people and the manner in which it affects the promotional activities is a part of the discussion that is undertaken in this context. The music films and the television industry have experienced a steep growth through the proper functioning of the social media platforms, which is taken as the basis of the discussion.  

The social media has become one of the favorable entertainment channels through which the viewers derive their entertainment more than the utilization of the television or the other medias. It has affected the growth of the shows and the other events that are undertaken by the developers for facilitating the viewer’s engagement in the industry. According to a report published in the Hollywood Reporter some 88% of the consumers of the entertainment industry use Facebook and Twitter as a supplement to their traditional entertainment practices (Hollywoodreporter.com 2018). It has helped in understanding the different characteristic elements of the change that is faced by the entertainment industry through the growth of the social media platforms. The issues that are faced by the industry are primarily based on the tight schedule that is faced by the consumers which keep them away from their television sets. Therefore, the consumers relies more on Facebnook and Instagram for deriving their required entertainment.

According to Vogel (2014), the understanding of the change in the preferences of the customers is facilitated through the modification in the entertainment experiences of the customers. According to a report, the conspicuous nature of the consumers can be found through the analysis of the time that is spent by the consumers in the social media platforms disregarding their needs of  watching television or listening to music or finding a clip on Youtube.

Promotional activities in the entertainment industry through social media

Heath (2013) stated that the people who are visiting the social media platforms care   for the posts that are made online. The posts influence their interest of watching a particular movie. It helps the entertainment industry in undertaking the free promotional activities through the posts that are made by the viewers. It was found that one out of three social networkers have decided to watch a movie after viewing a post on the same in the social networking site. Therefore, it has helped in creating awareness among the people where 72% of the respondents post of a movie they are planning to watch while some 20% gives their views even before watching.  

Certain movies that attracted the attention of the viewers through the social media are Paranormal Activity and Alice in Wonderland. Alice in Wonderland was a premium hit as Disney launched a viral campaign through Twitter and Facebook, which allowed the fans to enroll themselves as the supporters of the characters in the movie. The utilization of the promotional method helped Disney in undertaking the most effective campaign through the usage of the social networking sites. On the other hand, the movie Paranormal Activity earned some $150 million dollars at the box office, which was due to the utilization of the Facebook page, which helped in the promotional activity (Hartley  2017).  There are instances of release of certain music albums, which was facilitated through the utilization of the social networking sites. It has helped in the determination of the success factor of the albums. The Endless River by Pink Floyd is one of the examples that have utilized the social media platform for undertaking the promotion in the international markets. The mass promotional activities are facilitated through the utilization of the social media networks. On the other hand, the social networks have become an integral part of the entertainment industry, which can be taken as a competition in the international markets. Vogel (2014) stated that the entertainment industry, in the modern days, are suppressed by the utilization of the social networking and the social media as entertainment has moved from the theatres to the pockets of the individuals.  Rampage, the movie has also earned their promotion through the social networking activities that are undertaken by the makers. It has helped in making the people aware on the large scale of the content and the value of entertainment that the production is aimed at delivering to the viewers of the same. The determination of the difference between the needs of the consumers relating to the entertainment on the tight schedules has helped in the evolution of the social networking sites. On the other hand, the social media today is no ore a meager tool of communication and mass awareness but also a major characteristic element of entertainment and a strong contender of the television and the music developers. However, there are instances where the social media is utilized as a tool by the entertainment industry for the promotion of their products to the target customers.

Impact of social media on the entertainment industry

According to Vinerean et al. (2013), the social media usage has impacted the growth of the entertainment industry as there are alteration in the channels and the operation of the same as per the needs of the viewers. The change in the mediums has affected the customer experience of the entertainment through the proper functioning of the channels. Gummerus et al. (2012) argued that the Television and the Film industries must take steps to respond to the viewers habits for recognizing the needs. On the other hand, the utilization of the social media platforms has helped the industries in undertaking their growth in the systems as per the needs of the customers.

The functions that are undertaken by the social media plat forms is based on publishing, networking, sharing, collaborating, messaging and discussing. The functions have helped in the developmental activities of the film and the music industry. The films and the music industry of the 21^st century have taken steps to collaborate with the social networking platforms to promote their product to their target audience. It has helped in determining the understanding the major features of the change in the behavior of the customers. Kane et al. (2012) stated that a detailed study of the customer behavior would be helping the entertainment industry to flourish based on the understanding of the needs of entertainment of the target market. On the other hand, the social media platforms help the developers in understanding the trends that are favored by the customers of the modern days (Lee and Ma  2012).  The promotional activities that are taken by the entertainment industry through the social networking sites have helped in reaching out to the global customers. The creation of the fan pages and the reviews that are posted by the customers will be helping the people in the entertainment industry in bringing forth modifications in their productions. De Vries, Gensler  and Leeflang (2012) stated that the users have found a place in the social networking to post their reviews and share their loyalty through the likes in the fan pages. Suppose for example a fan visits the page of the renowned band Pink Floyd in Facebook and gets to know of their new album, which can be taken as a promotion activity that is undertaken by the band through the utilization of the social networking platform. On the other hand, another fan posts a like on the album “Wish you were here” and comments on the same helps in enhancing the interaction on the album in the fan page. The viewer gets to know of the albums and the manner in which the music can bring entertainment to their day-to-day life.

The functions of social media platforms in entertainment

Coulson (2012) stated that some 66% of the people prefer to indulge themselves in the social networking sites while watching a movie in the theaters. Bothun  and Vollmer  (2016) stated that the understanding the  functions of social media platforms is based on the entertainment that is derived from the same, which is more intriguing than the traditional methods of entertainment. The survey that was published in the Hollywood Reporter has helped in determining the changes in the behavior of the viewers and the trends that are affecting the market of the entertainment industry (Baruah  2012). The interaction that is undertaken by the viewers in the social media platforms has helped in determining the transition in the functioning of the entertainment industry. A survey suggests that some 67% of the users of the social networking platforms read the review that is shared by the others while some 33% shares their own opinions on the same (Baker  and Hesmondhalgh  2013).  The discussion in the forums and the groups has helped in facilitating the free promotion for the films and the music industry. It has also helped in determining the modifications that must be taken by the entertainment industry for adhering to the entertainment needs of the viewers.

The Hollywood Report (THR) analyzed that the musicians in the industry has also benefited through the advancement in the  social media platforms as the posts that were shared by the people has helped the others to gain knowledge on the matter of the lyrics and thereby the positive posts influenced the people to try out the music (Hollywoodreporter.com 2018). It can be taken as a promotional method through the reviews and the discussions that has helped the entertainment industry to flourish as per the needs of the viewers in the market.  Hudson et al. (2015) argued that the social media platforms has helped in determining the promotional activities for the entertainment industry, but it also holds the risk of dissolution of the industry as the social media has emerged as a major entertainment segment for the customers.

The evolution of the social media platforms and the advancement of the same have affected the growth of the entertainment industry as the modern generation is more indulged in the messaging and the surfing, even more than that of being indulged in the traditional entertainment practices.  Martínez-Cañas, Ruiz-Palomino and del Pozo-Rubio (2012) stated that some 82% of the youth and the 67% of the middle and old aged viewers have indulged themselves in the proficiency of the social networking platforms. Dewan  and Ramaprasad  (2014) stated that the 21^st century has not only witnessed changes in the communication methods through the enumeration of the social networking platforms, but also experienced a growth in the entertainment channels that are made available to them at ease.  The determination of the needs of the consumers is an important criteria that helps the entertainment industry to bring in modifications in the manner in which the organizations seek to provide the proposed value to the viewers.

Benefits of social media for the entertainment industry

Conclusion

Therefore, from the above analysis it can be stated that the advancement in the social media has helped the entertainment industry in understanding the needs of the viewers. On the other hand, the advancement of the social networking sites can be taken as an alert that might affect the growth of the entertainment industry as most of the viewers are indulged more on the social networking platforms. On the other hand, the determination of the preferences of the people will be helping the entertainment industry to make an early start to compete and cope up with the advancement of the social media platforms.

References  

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Baruah, T.D., 2012. Effectiveness of Social Media as a tool of communication and its potential for technology enabled connections: A micro-level study. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2(5), pp.1-10.

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Coulson, S., 2012. Collaborating in a competitive world: musicians’ working lives and understandings of entrepreneurship. Work, employment and society, 26(2), pp.246-261.

De Vries, L., Gensler, S. and Leeflang, P.S., 2012. Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social media marketing. Journal of interactive marketing, 26(2), pp.83-91.

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Hartley, J., 2017. From the Consciousness Industry to the Creative Industries Consumer-created Content, Social Network Markets and the Growth of Knowledge. In The uses of digital literacy (pp. 49-80). Routledge.

Heath, S., 2013. System and method for social networking interactions using online consumer browsing behavior, buying patterns, advertisements and affiliate advertising, for promotions, online coupons, mobile services, products, goods & services, entertainment and auctions, with geospatial mapping technology. U.S. Patent Application 13/369,244.

Hollywoodreporter.com (2018). THR’s Social Media Poll: How Facebook and Twitter Impact the Entertainment Industry. [online] The Hollywood Reporter. Available at: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/facebook-twitter-social-media-study-302273/1-social-media-as-entertainment [Accessed 12 Apr. 2018].

Hudson, S., Roth, M.S., Madden, T.J. and Hudson, R., 2015. The effects of social media on emotions, brand relationship quality, and word of mouth: An empirical study of music festival attendees. Tourism Management, 47, pp.68-76.

Kane, G., Alavi, M., Labianca, G. and Borgatti, S., 2012. What’s different about social media networks? A framework and research agenda.

Lee, C.S. and Ma, L., 2012. News sharing in social media: The effect of gratifications and prior experience. Computers in human behavior, 28(2), pp.331-339.

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Vogel, H.L., 2014. Entertainment industry economics: A guide for financial analysis. Cambridge University Press.