Social Media Marketing

1. Question #1 (60 points)
Jack Freeman is a young artist and his focus is sculpture. He has a small studio in Seattle and has managed to sell some of his work, but he is still struggling to break through. He has some connections to the artist community, including the local media.

Recently he has started thinking of expanding his activities and starting a business as an interior decorator consultant. He has a good eye and taste, and he believes that his training and experience as a sculptor can be helpful. He would like to concentrate on wealthy individuals who would like to redesign and decorate the interior of their homes in a new, postmodern style.

His problem is to connect with potential customers and to convince them that he is the right person for the task. How can he use social media to pursue his goal? Be specific not only in what media to use, but also on the key content, info, and style. Provide specific examples!

Question #2 (40 points)
One of the most critical questions for any company is which activities to conduct “in-house” and which ones to outsource. There is never a perfect answer, since the best selection in either category depends on the specific company, the industry, and the conditions of the economic, regulatory, and cultural environments. Outline how a company can use social media to select which activities to outsource and which ones to do in-house.

2.1 Identify the key methods/media/techniques and explain how they would be applied.

2.2 Explain the advantages and possible limitations and risks of each method/technique.

2.3 Not all companies are fit to use social media for such a complex process as the development of new products. What are the necessary conditions as well as the company’s capabilities that are necessary for the company to be able to use these techniques successfully in developing new products?

2.4 How would you assess the results of the activities you listed under 2.1?