week 1

A1 Social media websites

Developments in social media affect the way in which esports organisations promote products and services:

Social media websites are constantly evolving and new features are introduced regularly in August 2022 facebook introduced a feature that allowed integration of cross platform posting between itself and Instagram. Things like adding stickers on reels grabbed the attention of others on the other platforms.

Facebook added insights to "Reels" that enabled its users to better understand how well-posted content was performing.

The continual development of features in social media is driven very much by the user's and audience's desires. Platforms will always want to keep their uniqueness however they always have a close eye on their competitors for features that extended their functionality

The developments of social media platforms further enable the Esports sector to utilise these exciting features and functions to present, promote and discuss updates to games, game and merchandise that is available to its audiences in a fast and impactful way.

What are the features, structure and target audience of different social media websites, e.g. Facebook®, Twitter®, Instagram®, Reddit®, YouTube®?

Facebook:

Features: News feed, profile pages, groups, events, messaging, photo and video sharing, live streaming, marketplace, advertising platform.
Structure: Primarily a social networking site with a focus on connecting friends, family, and acquaintances. Also used by businesses and organizations for marketing and customer engagement.
Target audience: People of all ages, but most popular among adults aged 25-54.
Statistical data source: Statista (https://www.statista.com/topics/751/facebook/)

Twitter:

Features: Short-form messaging, hashtags, retweets, likes, direct messaging, video and photo sharing.
Structure: Microblogging platform that allows users to share thoughts, ideas, news, and opinions in real-time. Tweets are limited to 280 characters.
Target audience: People of all ages, but most popular among adults aged 18-29.
Statistical data source: Hootsuite (https://www.hootsuite.com/pages/digital-in-2021)

Instagram:

Features: Photo and video sharing, stories, reels, IGTV, direct messaging, hashtags, filters, and editing tools.
Structure: Visual-centric platform that focuses on sharing photos and videos. It is popular among influencers, celebrities, and businesses that want to showcase their products or services.
Target audience: Primarily used by younger generations, with the majority of users aged 18-34.
Statistical data source: Oberlo (https://www.oberlo.com/blog/instagram-statistics)

Reddit:

Features: Communities (subreddits), upvotes and downvotes, discussions, links, and media sharing.
Structure: Discussion forum that allows users to submit content and vote on its popularity. It is organized into subreddits based on different topics and interests.
Target audience: People of all ages, but most popular among adults aged 18-29.
Statistical data source: Pew Research Center (https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/04/07/social-media-use-in-2021/)

YouTube:

Features: Video sharing, comments, subscriptions, playlists, live streaming, and advertising platform.
Structure: Video-sharing platform that allows users to upload and watch videos on a variety of topics, including music, gaming, education, and entertainment.
Target audience: People of all ages, but most popular among younger generations aged 18-24. It is also popular among content creators and businesses that want to reach a wider audience through video marketing.
Statistical data source: Google (https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/youtube-insights-data-trends-stats/)

How esports organisations can use social media websites to support their business aims and needs

Creating an image or brand: Esports organizations can use social media platforms to showcase their personality and create a unique brand image. For example, FaZe Clan uses Instagram to share photos and videos of their esports players, gaming content, and lifestyle shots that reflect their edgy and youthful brand image. They also use Twitter to engage with fans and promote their merchandise and events.
Promoting products and services: Social media platforms provide a cost-effective way for esports organizations to promote their products and services. For example, Team Liquid uses Twitter and Facebook to promote their merchandise, share special offers, and provide updates on upcoming events. They also use Instagram to showcase their esports players and create engaging content around their brand.
Communicating with customers: Social media platforms allow esports organizations to communicate directly with their fans and customers. For example, Cloud9 uses Twitter to engage with fans, share news and updates, and respond to inquiries and feedback. They also use Instagram to showcase their esports players and create content that resonates with their fanbase.
Providing customer service: Social media platforms also provide a convenient way for esports organizations to offer customer service. For example, G2 Esports uses Twitter to respond to inquiries, resolve issues, and provide support to their fans and customers. They also use Instagram to showcase their brand and engage with fans on a more personal level.
Resolving queries and managing issues: Social media platforms enable esports organizations to monitor their online reputation and respond quickly to any negative comments or issues. For example, TSM (Team SoloMid) uses Twitter to respond to inquiries, resolve issues, and address any concerns raised by their fans and customers. They also use Instagram to showcase their esports players and create engaging content that reinforces their brand image.

Features of social media websites tailored to organisational needs, including:

Advertising

Social media websites offer a variety of features that can be tailored to meet the needs of organisations. One such feature is advertising, which can be a powerful tool for reaching new customers and promoting products and services. Here are some examples of social media advertising features, along with sources where you can learn more:

Targeted advertising: Social media platforms allow organizations to target specific audiences based on factors such as age, location, interests, and behaviors. This can help ensure that ads are seen by people who are more likely to be interested in the product or service being advertised. For example, Facebook allows advertisers to create custom audiences based on data such as email addresses, website visitors, and app users.
Sponsored content: Social media platforms also allow organizations to sponsor content such as posts, videos, and stories. This can help increase the visibility of the content and reach a larger audience. For example, Instagram allows businesses to promote their posts to users who do not follow their account.
Ad formats: Social media platforms offer a variety of ad formats, including images, videos, carousels, and stories. This allows organizations to choose the format that best suits their advertising goals and the type of content they want to promote. For example, Twitter offers promoted tweets that appear in users' timelines and can include images, videos, or links.

Sources:

Facebook for Business: https://www.facebook.com/business/ads
Instagram for Business: https://business.instagram.com/advertising/
Twitter Ads: https://ads.twitter.com/
LinkedIn Advertising: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/ads

These sources provide more information on social media advertising and the specific features available on each platform. By leveraging these features, organizations can create targeted and effective advertising campaigns on social media.

Website and mobile device integration

Social media websites can be a valuable tool for organizations to connect with their audience and promote their brand. When it comes to esports, there are several features of social media websites that can be particularly useful for organizations in this industry. Here are some examples:

Live Streaming Integration: Many esports events are broadcasted live on platforms like Twitch or YouTube. Integrating these live streams into an organization's website or mobile app can provide a seamless viewing experience for fans, and keep them engaged with the brand.
Social Sharing: Esports organizations can encourage fans to share their content on social media by incorporating social sharing buttons on their website or app. This can help to increase the reach of the organization's content and attract new followers.
Community Features: Building a sense of community is important in the esports industry. Social media websites can provide features like forums, chat rooms, and social groups that allow fans to connect with each other and with the organization. Examples of social media platforms that provide community features include Reddit, Discord, and Facebook Groups.
Mobile App Integration: With the increasing use of mobile devices, it's important for organizations to have a mobile app that complements their website. Social media websites like Twitter and Instagram have mobile apps that can be integrated with an organization's own mobile app to provide a more seamless user experience.
Analytics: Social media platforms provide analytics tools that can help organizations track the performance of their content and campaigns. By analyzing engagement metrics like likes, shares, and comments, organizations can gain insights into what content resonates with their audience and adjust their strategy accordingly.

Examples of esports organisations that utilise these social media features include:

Team Liquid: The esports organization has a website that integrates their Twitch channel, as well as social sharing buttons for Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. They also have a mobile app that provides access to their content and community features.
FaZe Clan: The esports organization has a website that integrates their YouTube channel, as well as social sharing buttons for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They also have a mobile app that provides access to their content and community features.
Cloud9: The esports organization has a website that integrates their Twitch channel, as well as social sharing buttons for Twitter, Facebook, and Discord. They also have a mobile app that provides access to their content and community features.

Relationship with search engine optimisation (SEO)

Social media websites can have a significant impact on an organization's search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Here are some features of social media websites that can be tailored to organizational needs to improve their SEO efforts in the esports industry:

Hashtags: Hashtags are a powerful tool for organizing and categorizing content on social media platforms. By including relevant hashtags in their posts, esports organizations can increase their visibility and improve their SEO efforts. For example, a team may use hashtags like #esports, #gaming, or #videogames to make it easier for users to find their content.
Social Signals: Social signals are the engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments, etc.) that are generated by social media activity. Search engines like Google consider social signals as a ranking factor in their algorithms. By producing high-quality content that generates engagement, esports organizations can improve their SEO rankings.
Link Building: Social media platforms can also be used to build links to an organization's website. By sharing links to their website on social media, esports organizations can drive traffic to their site and improve their SEO rankings.
Multimedia Content: Social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube are ideal for sharing multimedia content, including images and videos. By creating high-quality multimedia content that is relevant to their audience, esports organizations can improve their SEO efforts by driving engagement and backlinks.

Examples of esports organisations that utilise these social media features for SEO purposes include:

G2 Esports: The esports organization has a strong social media presence on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. They regularly use hashtags in their posts and produce high-quality multimedia content to generate engagement and drive traffic to their website.
Team SoloMid (TSM): The esports organization has a website that is optimized for SEO and utilizes social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to generate engagement and drive traffic. They also use hashtags and link-building strategies to improve their SEO efforts.
100 Thieves: The esports organization has a strong social media presence on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. They regularly produce high-quality multimedia content that generates engagement and backlinks, improving their SEO rankings.

Profile on the sites, describing the esports organisation to visitors

Social media profiles are an important part of any esports organization's marketing strategy. They allow organisations to connect with fans, promote their teams and players, and generate excitement for upcoming events.

A well-crafted social media profile should include the following elements:

A clear and concise bio: The bio should briefly explain what the organization does and what it stands for. It should also include a link to the organisation's website.
High-quality photos and videos: Photos and videos are a great way to showcase the organisation's teams and players. They can also be used to capture the excitement of esports events.
Regular updates: Organisations should post new content to their social media profiles on a regular basis. This could include news about the organization, its teams, and its players, as well as highlights from recent events.
Engagement: Organisations should encourage their fans to interact with them on social media. This could be done by asking questions, running contests, or simply responding to comments and messages.

Esports organisations can use social media profiles to connect with fans, promote their teams and players, and generate excitement for upcoming events. Some additional options for possible inclusion within social media profiles could be the use of:

Use relevant hashtags: Hashtags are a great way to get content seen by more people. When relevant hashtags are used, posts will show up in searches for those hashtags.
Run contests and giveaways: Contests and giveaways are a great way to engage fans and grow a following. When contests or giveaways are done organisations should be sure to promote it on all of their social media channels.
Collaborate with other organisations: Collaborating with other organisations is a great way to reach a new audience. When an organisation collaborates with another organisation, it should ensure that they promote the collaboration on both social media channels.

By following these tips, you can use social media profiles to effectively market your esports organization.

Usage data indicating the profile of followers and effectiveness of posts, e.g. Facebook® Insights, Twitter® Analytics and Google AnalyticsTM

Social media usage data is a valuable tool for understanding a company's or organisation's followers and the effectiveness of their posts. By tracking metrics like reach, engagement, and demographics, companies or organisations can get a better sense of what content resonates with their audience and what they can do to improve their reach.

Here are a few examples of how you can use social media usage data:

Track your reach: Reach is the number of people who see your content. This is an important metric to track because it shows how many people are exposed to thier brand. You can track reach on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Analytics.
Track your engagement: Engagement is the number of people interacting with their content. This includes likes, shares, comments, and clicks. Engagement is a good indicator of how well a company's or organisation's content resonates with thier audience. Engagement can be tracked on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Analytics.
Track your demographics: Demographics are the age, gender, location, and interests of your followers. This information can help companies or organisations target their content more effectively. Tracking of demographics can be done on Facebook and Twitter.

By tracking these metrics, companies or organisations can get a better sense of followers and the effectiveness of their posts. This information can help them improve their social media strategy and reach more people.

Companies or organisations are able to then extend their use of social media by using the below based on the information and data that they gather from above:

Set goals: Before you start tracking your data, set some goals for yourself. What do you want to achieve with your social media marketing? Once you know your goals, you can track the data that is most relevant to them.
Track over time: It's important to track your data over time so you can see how your performance is changing. This will help you identify trends and make adjustments to your strategy as needed.
Compare yourself to your competitors: It's also helpful to compare your data to your competitors. This will give you a benchmark to measure your performance against.

Audience profiles (age, gender, income) of social media websites.

A2 Organisational use of social media for esports purposes

• Posting different content formats, e.g. text, images, video, links, polls, quizzes.

The use of different posting content in social media is very important to the overall success of a channel. Providing a variety of different types of content on a social media platform can engage different users of different ages and genders and backgrounds. The content formats that are available to social media platforms are things such as text, Images, Videos, Links, Polls, and quizzes. When used correctly these types of content can provide opportunities to capture new members from those in your target audiences that were not already subscribed or part of your following

• Content focus and meaning, e.g. information, promotion, humour, special offers and customer service.

• Developing an audience and encouraging people to follow or ‘like’ the esports organisation through the creation and use of engaging content.

• Keywords and their use in posted content.

Image taken from: https://blog.kissmetrics.com

Further Information can be found using the following link https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-do-keyword-research-ht

What do Google use?
What is Keyword research?
What is a longtail keyword?
Give an example of a longtail keyword?

Try and find the least amount of results based on search criteria.

What were the most searched for thing on the internet this year (Please keep it clean)

Developing contacts by following and linking to relevant esports organisations and individuals, and sharing content posted by others.

Creating links through social media is a powerful thing. Organisations are able to open potential opportunities for competitions, collaborations and shared communities in driving up their fan bases in a specific genre or format. An example is Team Liquid a global esports organisation that has teams competing in a variety of games, including League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. They have developed strong relationships with other esports organisations, such as Fnatic and G2 Esports. These relationships have allowed them to collaborate on events and tournaments, as well as to share resources and expertise

Direct and indirect advertising.

	Direct Advertising	Indirect Advertising
Definition	Advertising that targets a specific audience with a clear call to action, such as "Buy now" or "Sign up today". Can be more effective at generating leads and sales.	Advertising that indirectly promotes a product or brand through content that is not primarily focused on selling. Can be more effective at building brand awareness and engagement
Goal	To encourage immediate action from the audience, leading to more direct conversions.	To build brand awareness and engagement with the audience, leading to more long-term conversions.
Cost	Can be more expensive than indirect advertising.	Can be less expensive than direct advertising
Examples (UK)	- Gfinity: Gfinity is a UK-based esports organization that hosts esports tournaments and events. They use direct advertising on social media to promote their tournaments and events. For example, they might run ads that target people who have expressed interest in esports on social media. . - Fnatic's sponsored posts for their merchandising products on Instagram.	- Red Bull Esports' social media posts featuring sponsored players and teams. - Coca-Cola's social media campaign that promotes gaming culture and community-building.
Examples (Global)	- ESL's Facebook ads promoting their online gaming platform. - Activision's sponsored tweets for their latest esports game releases.	- Intel's social media campaign that promotes their partnership with esports leagues. - Nike's Twitch streams that feature esports athletes wearing their products.

Links to commercial information, e.g. esports organisation’s website, e-commerce websites.

Organisations can also make their social media platform point towards their own websites which may provide further opportunities to direct and drive up sales in things like merchandise, or to promote sponsor content. It must be pointed out that a large number of teams and organisations are supported by large corporate entities that invest significant amounts of investment to teams, this will always come with a responsibility to promote and display their logos and potentially merchandise to those that follow.

A great example is Corsair's recent announcement on LinkedIn of a deal with Alpine as shown below.

Relationship between the social media website and the esports organisation’s website, e.g. using:

o social media buttons on the esports organisation’s website

o esports organisation’s website links within social media posts

o social media news feeds on the esports organisation’s website.

A3 Risks and issues

Negative comments on social media sites and damage to reputation.

From time to time companies may find that they gain negative comments about their services and or products. This is all part of a business, however, this is a good thing!, Why? well think about when you made a purchase last online, did you look at the reviews? would you make a purchase from a company that has a number of negative reviews? would you purchase from a company that has all positive?

On average most people will go with sites that have some negative and mostly positive, the key is to how the company responded to the negative. In life we know that accidents happen, losses in the post, damaged in transit, incorrect sizes to that what was expected. All of these can happen and upset customers enough for them to make a comment on companies social media, the key here, is how you can respond. Customers and potential customers will look to how a company responds to these. So a comment back to the customer via the social media platform, in response to the complaint demonstrates a company that will listen and acts. The response to negative comments can actually lead to a company gaining a good reputation.

Further information on how to deal with Social Media and Upset customers http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/10-ways-to-deal-with-upset-customers-using-social-media/

It is worth considering also your own personal reputation on comments made by you or about you, these can lead to your reputation and potential standing being used against you as an employee.

In groups of no larger than 3, discuss the ways in which the previous link suggests how to deal with upset customers and compare these against each other and review which ones you think are better than others.

Time constraints on social media interaction, return on time investment.

The use of Social Media as a business presence is not achieved quickly and will take time for the network to spread over the web, usually, most companies will have a social media champion or role that requires a member of staff to update and keep accurate the social media channels. In some companies, these have even been opened up to work experience people. A recent example (June 2017) a student took over the control of Southern Trains Twitter Channel, and it went Viral that he was looking after it, and the questions came pouring in.

To see the questions that came up use the following link EDDIE TWITTER

This use of free labour can be useful to small and medium organisations as they may not be able to have any positive improvement on sales, therefore it could cost the company more than their investment.

Return on investment is a consideration that all companies small to large will consider on any project or venture, this is where the company will review the returns/ money coming in against the expenditure/ money going out to ascertain whether the investment in the project of venture is profitable or not and whether to cancel it or continue, companies will check this over a period of 6 to 12 months to get sufficient data.

Unforeseen consequences of posted content.

There may be times when companies post comments on their social media platforms that can be intended to have humorous or witty meanings behind them, however, the written word can be taken in different ways and could have the potential to provoke and upset those that read it.

The potential for inappropriate posts to happen is easy and can be very damaging to a company's reputation and or image. Because of the nature of social media being a large-scale network, this negativity can be spread very quickly and become viral within minutes.

The article is taken from https://www.entrepreneur.com

Sometimes you almost wish for the company's sake that its account was hacked. Such was the case when MTV Australia sent out an astonishing offensive tweet, asking "Where are the English subtitles?" while America Ferrera and Eva Longoria were on stage at the Golden Globes.

MTV didn’t need a translator to figure out an apology was in order. Still, the crowd wasn’t satisfied and another apology was issued.

Increased vulnerability to cyber criminals.

Assignment Support

For distinction standard, learners will produce a comprehensive, well-balanced evaluation of how an esports organisation uses social media to support its business requirements, making realistic and well-explained business-related observations on the benefits and disadvantages while considering its target customers or audience. Learners will provide real-life, relevant examples of how esports organisations have used social media effectively and how some esports organisations have not managed the risks involved effectively. Learners must articulate their arguments fluently and their views concisely, providing an evaluation that makes reasoned, valid judgements. The evidence will demonstrate high-quality written/oral communication using accurate and fluent technical vocabulary that supports a well-structured and considered response that clearly connects chains of reasoning.

For merit standard, learners will present a reasoned and well-explained assessment of a range of different ways in which an esports organisation can use social media to interact with the target audience for its products and/or services. The assessment will be balanced and supported by clear examples. Learners will focus their comments on the esports organisation’s business uses of the social media sites. The evidence must be technically accurate and demonstrate good-quality written or oral communication.

For pass standard, learners will provide detailed information, supported by real-life examples, covering all the ways in which esports organisations can use social media to support their business requirements (as listed in the unit content). They will research the different audience profiles for the main social media sites and explain how the different sites appeal to different audiences. Learners will relate this to how different esports organisations can use social media. The evidence may have some inaccuracies and include a limited range of examples.

Last Updated
2023-05-04 09:15:25

Links to Learning Outcomes		Links to Assessment criteria
Learning aim A: Explore the impact of social media on the ways in which esports organisations promote their products and service		A.P1 Explain the different ways in which an esports organisation can use social media to promote products or services to a target audience. A.P2 Explain the audience profiles of different social media websites. A.M1 Assess the different ways in which an esports organisation can use social media to promote products or services to a target audience. A.D1 Evaluate the use of an esports organisation’s use of social media to interact with customers and promote products or services to a target audience.

Links to Learning Outcomes

Links to Assessment criteria

Learning aim A: Explore the impact of social media on the ways in which esports organisations promote their products and service

A.P1 Explain the different ways in which an esports organisation can use social media to promote products or services to a target audience.

A.P2 Explain the audience profiles of different social media websites.

A.M1 Assess the different ways in which an esports organisation can use social media to promote products or services to a target audience.

A.D1 Evaluate the use of an esports organisation’s use of social media to interact with customers and promote products or services to a target audience.

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How 2's Coverage

Anonymous Assessment - Learners assess an anonymous piece of work containing deliberate mistakes against given success criteria.

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