Introduction
Modern technology has undergone numerous transformations, and today people enjoy a lot of benefits derived from the use of sophisticated technologies. Therefore, scientists continue to work hard to invent new ways of doing things and making life easier (Boykoff & Yulsman, 2013, p. 1). This has pushed nations and individuals to invest in research and studies that will help them to know what is supposed to be done to improve the existing technologies.
This essay describes how social networks have been used as communication channels for marketing various brands. Because of the effect that social networks have had on both business and society, as well as the constant changes that the realm of the social network is currently undergoing (Hancherick 2011, p. 16), the current structure of the events industry is bound to change from episodic to be available to the target audience throughout the entire year (IAEE 2013, p. 7), which Pinterest manifests with its recent tendency for such posts as “6 ways to live stream a wedding” (Roberts 2013, para. 1) or Spontly with their Open Studios (Sponly 2012, para. 1).
Definition
Social networks are virtual sites that enable users to share, view, collect or store information of different forms. The most commonly used social media include Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Yahoo messenger (Asabere 2012, p. 462). The use of social sites has become common in modern days due to the availability of electronic devices that can produce, store and send or receive data. Communication channels refer to the means information is passed from one party to another (Kaul 2012, p. 115).
Social Networks as a Communication Channel
Modern business and learning activities require efficient communication channels to enable users to achieve their objectives without struggling. Social networks have enabled people to establish new relationships and revive existing ones (Zahedi & Zahedi 2012, p. 1725;). People do not have to worry about communicating with their relatives or friends regardless of the distance between them (Mazman 2011, p. 133; Aduwa-Ogiegbaen & Iyamu 2005, p. 104). Business investors have embraced the use of modern technology to conduct research and know-how to market their products and services. Social networks have become important channels of communication between businesses and clients (Turner & Reinsch 2007, p. 38).
Advantages
The integration of social networks into the creation, design and organization of events has a huge potential, mainly because it opens a plethora of opportunities for avoiding a range of costs. Though the process of developing an online exhibition is also quite painstaking and may turn out quite expensive, depending on the technology and resources used in the process, maintaining the operation of the online channel, as well as the look of the exhibits, will be comparatively cheaper than organizing a corresponding event in real life (Issa-Salwe, Ahmed, Aloufi & Kabir 2010, p. 121).
More to the point, the fact that the exhibits will be open for viewing to millions of people, including those, who do not have an opportunity to visit the exhibition live, will also create the premises for expanding the business, which is a crucial and inevitable part of the development process for most companies in the age of global economy. With the arrangement of online events, which such sites as Pinterest are used to promote, companies benefit greatly and, as an addition to the overall profit, attract more investors (Michael & Howard 2012, p. 361).
Indeed, it is also crucial to bear in mind that such sites as Pinterest are frequented by not only curious users, but also other companies, which may pot potential partners and, thus, create a merger or arrange an acquisition (Lindgren & Packendorff 2009, p. 28). Moreover, online events, in the course of which, a company may introduce its vision, mission and key accomplishments, which is the key to impressing potential partners (Maritz 2010, p. 18).
Thus, events become more promotion oriented, and Pinterest contributes to it by announcing the events that are occurring or will take place (Burley 2009, p. 12), therefore, allowing a range of SMEs and individuals to advertise their products not only for a much lower price than the rest of advertisement strategies offer but also to a wider range of public and helping the target audience attend the events at practically any point of time, not to mention the fact that the audience may take part in these events even being hundreds of miles away from the actual venue (Moravcik, Skripcak, Petrik & Schreiber 2011, p. 482).
Disadvantages
It would be wrong to claim that the change towards streaming events instead of organizing them on an annual or monthly basis is a flawless idea. Quite on the contrary, there is a range of problems with creating an opportunity for streaming events constantly, as well as opening them for people to access these events whenever they want. First and most obvious, the value of such events drops. The freshness of an event gets very old very quickly, and the novelty wears out very fast (Konrad 2013, p. 311).
More to the point, with the promotion of online events as the key to the process of socializing and learning new information, the very point of the existence of some of the online networks will be questioned, Pinterest is the one to top the list. Indeed, when taking a closer look at the site, one will notice inevitable that announcements about various events make a lion share of the site content. As a result, with most of these events being transferred into the realm of the virtual world, Pinterest may cease to exist. In a very weird fashion, what the site promotes (indirectly, yet consistently) is bound to kill it sooner or later. A range of researchers also points at the obvious business-related problems, which the transfer of the venue for most events will trigger (Coman & Ronen 2009, p. 5678).
Conclusion
Social networks have taken the world by storm and are now the main channels of communication; as a result, social networks have redefined the meaning and the availability of events, providing an opportunity for every Internet user to access a specific event and get an idea of the message that the organizers are trying to get across, which Pinterest is a graphic example of. Thus, both the organizers and the users will be able to benefit; however, such a major change in the event industry presupposes that the very concept of an even should be made less festive and take fewer costs to organize (Abou-Moghli 2012, p. 6).
Organisations have realised the advantages of social networks, and thus every investor is keen on ensuring that the use of modern technology in communication has been utilised fully. Social networks have numerous advantages that make them suitable for communication between individuals or organisations. However, there is a need for nations to ensure that the process of introducing and using modern technology does not lead to problems like unemployment and class differentiation.
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