Based on the Amazon Case Study below;

1. Amazon uses different social media platforms in different ways, such as using Facebook for promotions and Twitter for content marketing. Why do you think the company has done this?

Amazon Strengthening its Social Media in an International Context Raechel Johns, University of Canberra History Amazon opened its virtual doors in July 1995 with a few staff members on board, shipping boxes of books from a two-car garage. Today, it is one of the world's largest online retailers, selling a wide variety of products from books to crockery, clothing, jewellery, prams and dishwashers. Because customer relationship management and information management support Amazon's business practices, it makes sense that Amazon has transitioned towards the use of social media. However, this evolution was not done as quickly as customers and business commentators expected. The Use of Social Media It is widely acknowledged that organisations can prosper through the use of social media; however, key questions remain unanswered. What allows an organisation to use social media effectively? How can a retailer, such as Amazon, use social media effectively? A few years ago, business commentators were stating that Amazon was a laggard in the social media space because didn't use social media to engage with its customers and the public. The solution to a social media strategy varies, but it is important to consider what users are looking for. Users of social media want to build relationships with brands, and so seek back- and-forth communication. While Amazon was highly regarded for providing this type of community on its own site, it was criticised for not having a strong online presence on the big social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Online, Amazon.com followed the pages of Amazon-based sites or employees and rarely responded to customer queries; unless the query was sales-related (such as regarding the company's 'wishlist', feature), most customer queries appeared to be met with silence. This was certainly the case with the Twitter-based criticism of Amazon during #amazonfail' when the company removed hundreds of gay and lesbian titles from its sales rating system in 2009. Amazon reported that it was not just the gay and lesbian titles, but many health- and sexual-related titles that were removed, due to a programming error. Programming error or not, the criticism commenced based on the removal of the books and resulted in disapproval of Amazon's silence during the incident. The organisation was slow to respond, resulting in more public speculation about the matter. When Amazon finally did respond, it indicated the incident had affected listings globally and had been a programming issue. Improving Amazon's Social Media Offering The following year, Amazon seriously addressed social media concerns, and by 2011 Amazon.com had enhanced its social media presence. It had changed its focus to be more about building and strengthening relationships with customers. After hiring a Director of Social Media and enhancing its own site for links with existing social media pages such as Twitter and Facebook, Amazon prepared itself for more interaction with mobile devices, including tablets. Amazon has long had a customer review option, but, again, enhancing customer reviews and rankings of products and allowing customers to add products to their wishlists from other sites has increased the usability of the Amazon.com website. Customers can now connect their Amazon.com accounts to their Facebook pages to increase recommendations of products from friends. When they are connected in this way, they can receive gift suggestions for friends and recommendations based on their similarities with friends. Amazon is more likely to respond to customer enquiries on their social media pages, but has also found a community of users having a conversation with one another. Another way of linking users' Facebook and Twitter pages to their Amazon.com accounts is through their eBook readers. Readers can highlight passages of a book and these quotes or paragraphs can be shared on the reader's Facebook or Twitter page. Enhancing the Customer Relationship Amazon.com's cross-promotion is seen as a beneficial way of using social media. For example, at the bottom of each item you look at on the site, Amazon tells you what other customers viewing this item also viewed or bought. The company's targeted emails also enhance the customer relationship with Amazon. By 2011, criticism of Amazon's lack of involvement with outside social media pages had turned to praise at how the company was using social media sites to connect to customers and connect those customers back to Amazon.com. By 2018, Amazon's Facebook page had over 28.7 million likes and 27 million followers. The company's responses to Facebook comments are now fast, polite and often address the commenter by their first name, giving the communication a more human touch. Customers with Facebook-connected accounts will see product reviews written by fellow Facebook friends in their Facebook feeds. In this way, Amazon is effectively using the Facebook platform to connect like-minded Amazon customers to one another and drive them to the website. * While Amazon's Facebook activity is often promotional in nature, its use of Twitter focuses on content marketing in an effort to foster an engaged community. Twitter posts will often promote content on Amazon's blog, discuss additional services offered by the company or cover innovation within the broader online retailing industry. In 2018 Amazon's Twitter following had reached 2.8 million, with over 27 000 tweets. * Amazon is also using Pinterest as an extension of its online store, promoting bespoke lines including Handmade at Amazon and Amazon Home Services. Pinterest posts are focused solely on driving purchases. * In recognition of the value of consumer insights, Amazon is also harnessing a new, shoppable social media channel. Called Amazon Spark, this online community is owned by Amazon and resembles Instagram's image-based feed. Launching in 2017, Amazon Spark encourages users to post stories, ideas and images of Amazon products they love, which will then translate directly into purchases with a tap of a button. By connecting people with similar interests, Amazon is generating consumer data that go beyond search and buying patterns. Understanding of their consumer's interests and aspirations can be used to inform future targeted advertising campaigns. * Despite Amazon's growing success within the social media landscape, the company also needs to maintain awareness of the risks and challenges that can arise. One such challenge is coming from Amazon reviewer groups on Facebook. Garnering honest reviews has always been central to Amazon's strategy, and reviews play a fundamental role in the overall customer experience. Facebook groups, however, are emerging as a place where merchants can solicit reviews and five-star ratings for their products on Amazon. Paid reviews are now strictly prohibited on the Amazon site, a decision put in place after the company discovered that paid reviews were fostering consumer distrust and damaging the integrity of the reviewing system. Despite this policy, instances of fraudulent reviews driven by external social media groups are increasing and are difficult to regulate. * An International Presence Amazon is a household name internationally, but it offers a different marketing mix in different countries. Some products are not available globally, due to international restrictions relating to trade, distribution and pricing. The company's social media pages, however, are accessible worldwide. As Amazon becomes more successful in its use of social media, it is essential to consider the potential impact of these pages on an international audience