Abstract
Social media includes several internet-based technologies where people create profiles and allow ease of interaction. The sharing of content created by people in these networks is where its power is derived. While there are many aspects where this influence is felt, the essay discusses concerning the entertainment industry.
1.0 Introduction
The essay discusses the impact of social media on the entertainment industry. Entertainment content such as music, movies, and games is discussed. Popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram are discussed in the essay on how they have influenced the consumption of entertainment. The influence of social media on the entertainment industry, like many other industries, is in the power of sharing and the strength of relationships that people have.
2.0 Findings and Analysis
1.Social media influences consumers’ exposure to various entertainment content. Social media is a conglomeration of various technologies, most of which are based on the internet, such as blogs, wikis, and podcasts, among others that allow people to share information online. Nowadays, people access and share information on various aspects, including news and current affairs. Safko (2010) noted that social media is a new technology that allows people to connect and build relationships with each other, depending on their needs. Like it has an effect on how businesses connect and relate with their customers, social media influences how people access and consume various forms of entertainment. One researcher, Penn Schoen Berland, found out that 88% of people who were sampled used Twitter and Facebook as sources of entertainment, in addition to their traditional options. Furthermore, it was noted that people spend more time on social media platforms compared to other traditional options such as television. This is evidence of the popularity of social media. People are said to be on social media even when they are watching television or doing other tasks that do not involve multitasking. One reason for this could be the need to seek inspiration or guidance from other peers.
2.Social media is used by people to recommend to their peers what is trending and the need to watch shows they think are popular. This reporting is used to improve shows that people, where certain movies are recommended or bashed. It implies social media is used to inform and influence what is to be consumed by people belonging to or accessing certain social media platforms. People have more options on what to watch or listen to due to increased information. Better-informed people can also decide on whether they need to get further details, which means purchasing complete content or attending movie theatres. Previews and trailers are often used in advertisements on social media to reach as many people as possible. Reviews can be posted on review websites, social media pages, or below the content on YouTube. Thus, positive reviews can be used to promote certain content, and owners can benefit from it. Better knowledge is useful in better and faster decisions by consumers on what they need. As has been noted, social media can act as a source of information to people, and due to the popularity of social media platforms, it is possible to reach out to massive people in the shortest time.
3.The majority of social media support various ways in which entertainment is presented and used. YouTube and Facebook allow videos to be hosted and viewed on the site without leaving the platform. Facebook, the largest social media site, allows YouTube videos to be hosted on its platform. TV shows, songs, and even movie previews can be hosted on social media platforms such as Facebook, or links can be attached to microblog sites such as Twitter that allow people to access them from any site. Thus, social media has increased the flexibility of accessing social media content. People can choose what, where, and when to access entertainment content of their choice. Nowadays, television stations record their programs, including newscasts, and upload them online on social media where people can catch them long after they are aired. This allows more people to access this content. The programs can be watched severally and accessed by an increased number of people, especially if it is interesting content. It is also possible for people to stream some or all their content, making it possible to watch popular television shows live using smartphones, tablets, or laptops.
4.Some people go to the theatre because of comments they read on social media, indicating the power of influence social media has and the level of reliance that people have on social media. Baek et al. (2014) noted that social media and games are useful in influencing consumer behavior and attitudes, just like they do for other products. Kim and Ko (Kim & Ko, 2012) added that social media has the power to influence customer equity. Though the study was done on luxury fashion, the same trend has been seen because of denominators of “interaction, trendiness, customization, and word of mouth.” Positive perception of products closely depends on reviews of their customers and peers. Igreg (2014) noted that 72% of sampled people who watch movies will post it on social media. Some will create screenshots and share them with others in a trend that will make them trending.
5.According to Rappaport (2011), word of mouth is strong enough in marketing and people to purchase certain items. Word of mouth from relatives and friends has the potential to convince customers, and in the era of social media, marketers have understood this. Entertainment content such as movies and music are marketed in these media in the hope that relatives and friends would be convinced to watch them. This increases consumption due to the increased popularity of certain promoted content. (Asur & Asur, 2010) noted that social media is useful in predicting and informing people on trends in various aspects of entertainment. Twitter is used to broadcast revenues from movies and important aspects of media that create interest in people who are not aware of the content to seek out for them. Social media’s power in forecasting has been explored beyond the usual creating and sharing of content.
Gaming industry
3.0 The gaming industry is also one that has been influenced by the social media industry. Hoggins (2016) noted that Warner Bros’ marketers approached YouTubers and asked them to market the game but did so favorably and not critically. Though this was later criticized, it indicated the huge influence that social media has on the entertainment industry. YouTubers with a huge following are likely to attract a huge audience to themselves and influence games. This is because they already have a following of people who depend on their reviews to decide whether they will purchase the game a lot. Some approach social media to discuss these games as guides and tricks for playing different games.
4.0 Hosting millions of hours of video content, YouTube has been used to make and promote talents. For example, Adib (2009) noted that popular artists such as Justin Bieber were found on YouTube where his talent was noted before it was nurtured to reach the current celebrity status. This is one of the cases in which entertainment has been influenced by social media, where people can unveil their careers and seek support from peers online. O’Neill (2010) presented a reservation that posting content online does not guarantee success in reaching a potential of several million with access to the platform. However, it does provide an opportunity for people with talent that people need to succeed by getting discovered. In the case of the entertainment industry, social media has been used by budding game developers. Zfat (2016) noted that these writers are there in the industry to help clarify issues to their fanbase whilst helping popularise their games. This is one of the means of selling themselves to the public, where they attempt to create a positive relationship with their customers and market their skills. Besides, using screenshots and reviews, people can be easily guided on important aspects. The fans can discuss a wide range of issues, and similar interests in the game allow people to create topics, criticize them, and make comments that developers can use to improve them. If game development is a business, social media serves as its launchpad to the public by marketing them.
5.0 Social media is engaging, unlike traditional media, where this interaction is not available. This means that feedback is realized and authors get a chance to improve based on the feedback given. It can work for or against the artist depending on the perception and needs of the audience. Connolly (2013) supported this and noted that social media utilizes the power of social media to connect people and the platform of sharing experiences to market their games. However, this will have a huge impact if the games are entertaining or achieve other purposes such as educational and behavioral changes. According to Quandt and Kroger (2014), gaming is itself social, given that it allows social interaction through creating multiplayer platforms. This happens for digital games where people compete in the virtual space of the internet.
6.0 One aspect that social media has done for entertainment is shrinking several entertainment aspects to a single platform where users can access content easily. Interconnectivity makes people explore a wide array of aspects of entertainment that they wouldn’t know were they to be limited to a single platform. A good example is YouTube, which hosts several aspects of entertainment. Music, movies, games, television shows, and even live streaming are done on the platform. They are all done in the form of audio-visual and online, which YouTube supports. It means consumption has increased due to the increased convenience of convergence. Ahs Lao developed these capabilities of allowing people to watch It allows people to be informed and to access desired content at the same time. While it allows increased flexibility, it has not decreased the revenue that content owners, such as movie companies, make on the same. On the other hand, social media has caused information to reach out fast and increase demand for the same. Radbill (2016) observed that social media has opened new opportunities, especially for music that reaches its audience widely as soon as it is released. The author noted that although the three powerful distributors of Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Entertainment account for 75% of global music revenue, digital music technologies such as social media have caused them to wane. Social media reduces the cost used to distribute content online due to the ease of access to content. Marketing costs also reduce as people seek to access content using several available options such as tablets, smartphones, laptops, and others.
7.0 Conclusion and Recommendations
Social media has had a huge influence on several aspects of life, ranging from politics to business marketing. Similarly, the influence has spread to the entertainment industry, perhaps in equal measure or more. This is because, in addition to being a platform for communication and content access, YouTube has evolved into a source of entertainment. The popularity of social media has been due to an understanding of people on how people consume media and influence others. It has influenced the willingness of people to like or reject certain content. These decisions are often impressed on them by their ‘friends’ and ‘followers’ online. This happens because of the nature of online relationships and the propensity of people to trust word of mouth from people of their acquaintance.
Through social media, people have launched careers by creating and sharing content that people like and prefer. Examples that were given include music icons such as Justin Bieber. This success is also due to immediate access to feedback from followers that allows creators to improve or increase content. The effect of increased flexibility due to the convergence of various platforms has made it easy for people to increase what they watch or listen to. The ability to be stored online also makes it easy for people to choose the time and specific content to watch. While it has increased opportunities for new content creation and sharing, such as music, corporate sharing entities that used to distribute the music are likely to see their revenue reduce.
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