Running head: Billboards and Social Media Networking 1

Billboards and Social Media Networking

Nathan White

Marketing 201

American Military University

Professor Schaefer

May 12,2019
Billboards and Social Media Networking

Abstract: The paper discusses certain aspects of marketing that pertain to billboard

advertisements and social media networking. Thus, the first part of the paper is devoted to

the discussion of billboards. The discussion is undertaken from the personal perspective –

ideas, opinions, etc. that the author adheres to are shared.

It is stated that there are many factors which make a billboard memorable. From an

objective standpoint of view, a billboard should have an attractive image – and the colors

may play an important role in the creation of it. Furthermore, well-thought and ‘catchy'

slogans can be of great help for the advertiser.

In the second part of the paper, the question of creating a new social media networking

site is addressed. The name of the site is chosen. It is suggested that it should be called

Friends.com. The reason for this is that people go to social media primarily to communicate.

It does not exclude the possibility of them to purchase certain products.

Yet, the advertiser should focus on the communicative part of social media networking.

The advertising there should not be too meddlesome or intrusive. The main thing is to attract

potential clients to the site. If this is accomplished, advertising will be much easier and more

effective. Sometimes just inserting a few commercial slogans and images on the background

of the site is enough to send a message to the potential client.

Billboards and Social Media Networking

1. Billboards are ubiquitous nowadays. On my way to work, I see at least dozens of

them. Some of them are memorable while others do not seem to produce the desired effect.

What does this depend on?

First of all, some subjective factors play a role – I usually notice those advertisements

which present some interest to me. For example, I have always wanted to have a new car and

naturally enough all billboards featuring cars catch my eye. With this said, I do not

necessarily pay attention to billboards on the conscious level: most of them stay in my

memory precisely because I do not even realize it.

In fact, being constantly exposed to certain advertisements, I cannot but get used to

them: I see them every day. In this respect, it is not fortuitous that some billboards are so

impressive – their effect is produced through the repetition of the image. The main point here

is that this image should not be boring. Otherwise, a billboard may even irritate potential

customers.

Color is crucial in the way a billboard is perceived: bright-colored advertisements

usually have more chances to catch on, then black-and-white, for example (33 Clever and

Creative Billboard Ads.). This is why the latter practically disappeared from the market. Yet,

the colors used in the advertisement should not be too gaudy. I specifically prefer soft colors

– ‘green', ‘blue', etc. They exert a soothing and calming effect on me.

Beyond that, a smart slogan may be really helpful in the process of the promotion of an

advertisement. While an image is central, words that are written on a billboard also matter. I

personally remember rhymes very well.

All in all, I counted 15 billboards on my way to work. Out of this number, only3-4

billboards are really good. My favorite billboard features a new car model – it is placed near
Billboards and Social Media Networking

my home and I can even see from the windows of my own room. In big neon letters, it is

written ‘Designed for Driving Pleasure'.

2. Social media are absolutely essential for advancing products and services in the

modern world. As a result, digital marketing was formed as both a theoretical and practical

approach to the advertisement. There are many strategies and tools pertaining to digital

marketing. The creation of social media networking sites can be considered as one of them.

On the one hand, social media sites are come up with for the purposes of

communication and entertainment. It has been rightly observed that "People don't go to

Social Media to be sold, they're there to be Social" (Social Media Training – 9 Tips To Grow

Your Network Marketing Business). On the other hand, social media can prove valuable in

marketing. These two functions of social media sites can be combined.

The name of a social media site is important. If I were to choose the name, I would

probably go in for Friends.com. I think that people nowadays are in need of extending their

circle of communication. People want to have more friends and the site should allow them to

do it. The main thing is to attract clients to the site with all available means. Boring messages

should be avoided. For example, it is recommended not to mention the name of the company

on a social media site, - people do not necessarily care about companies, they just want to

have a good time (Higdon, 2017). In this respect, one should divorce a social media site from

commercial purposes and advertise in a less obvious and intrusive way. The irony is that such

an approach is more likely to bring success than aggressive marketing. With this said,

advertising should be done indirectly – for example, some commercial messages can be

replaced on the background of the site.

Billboards and Social Media Networking

References

33 Clever and Creative Billboard Ads. (2019). Retrieved from

https://www.boredpanda.com/creative-billboard-ads/

Social Media Training – 9 Tips To Grow Your Network Marketing Business. (2019).

Retrieved from https://www.tanyaaliza.com/social-media-training-9-tips-to-grow-your-

network-marketing-business/

Higdon, R. (2017). 4 Effective Social Media Network Marketing Tips. Retrieved from

https://rayhigdon.com/4-effective-social-media-network-marketing-tips/