Unit 3: Social media marketing fundamentals
International and Social Media Marketing notes · PTU syllabus (MBA 925-18)
On this page
- Unit summary
- Evolution from traditional to modern marketing
- Social media channels and models
- Benefits and applications of social media marketing
- The social media marketing framework
- Digital consumer behaviour and the customer decision journey
- The social media marketing mix and planning
- Key terms
- Quick revision
- Important questions
Unit summary
Social media has changed how brands and customers talk to each other. This unit covers the evolution from traditional to modern marketing, social media channels and models, their benefits and applications, the social media marketing framework, digital consumer behaviour, and the social media marketing mix and planning.
After this unit you can
- Trace the evolution from traditional to social media marketing
- Explain social media channels, models, benefits and applications
- Apply a social media marketing framework
- Explain digital consumer behaviour and plan a social media mix
PTU syllabus topics
- Evolution from traditional to modern marketing
- social media channels and models
- benefits and applications
- social media marketing framework
- digital consumer behaviour
- social media marketing mix and planning
Listen
Monitor conversations
Plan
Goals, audience, platforms
Create
Content mix
Engage
Respond and build community
Measure
Reach, engagement, ROI
Topic 1
Evolution from traditional to modern marketing
- 1Marketing 1.0
Product-centric — mass production and mass media
- 2Marketing 2.0
Customer-centric — segmentation and positioning
- 3Marketing 3.0
Human-centric — values and purpose
- 4Marketing 4.0
Traditional to digital — connectivity and advocacy
- 5Marketing 5.0
Technology for humanity — AI, data, immersive tech (Kotler)
Communication
One-way, mass broadcast
Two-way, personalised, real time
Targeting
Demographic, broad
Behavioural, contextual, precise
Measurement
Delayed, estimated
Instant, granular
Cost
High fixed costs
Scalable, pay for results
Customer role
Passive audience
Co-creator and advocate
Topic 2
Social media channels and models
Social networks
Facebook, LinkedIn
Media sharing
Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest
Microblogging
X, Threads
Messaging
WhatsApp, Telegram
Short video
Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Moj, Josh
Communities and forums
Reddit, Quora
Review platforms
Google reviews, TripAdvisor, Zomato
- Models: owned (brand pages), paid (ads), earned (shares, mentions); zones of social media (Tuten and Solomon): social community, social publishing, social entertainment, social commerce.
- Note: TikTok has been banned in India since 2020.
Topic 3
Benefits and applications of social media marketing
- Benefits: brand awareness at low cost, two-way engagement, precise targeting, customer insights and social listening, customer service, word-of-mouth amplification, direct sales.
- Applications: product launches, community building, influencer campaigns, recruitment and employer branding, crisis communication, customer support, market research.
Topic 4
The social media marketing framework
- 1
Listen
Social listening to understand audience and conversations
- 2
Set objectives
Awareness, engagement, leads, sales, service
- 3
Define audience and personas
- 4
Choose platforms
- 5
Create content and engagement plan
- 6
Execute and moderate
- 7
Measure and optimise
- POST method (Forrester): people, objectives, strategy, technology.
Topic 5
Digital consumer behaviour and the customer decision journey
- 1. Initial consideration set:
- 2. Active evaluation: Information gathering, reviews, comparison
- 3. Moment of purchase:
- 4. Post-purchase experience:
- 5. Loyalty loop: Repeat purchase, advocacy
- Zero moment of truth (Google): the online research moment before purchase; 5As (Kotler): aware, appeal, ask, act, advocate.
- Digital consumers: mobile-first, research-heavy, review-reliant, short attention spans, expect personalisation and instant service; vernacular content matters in India.
Topic 6
The social media marketing mix and planning
Content
Formats, themes, storytelling
Channels
Platforms chosen by audience fit
Community
Engagement, moderation, user-generated content
Paid amplification
Boosted posts, ads, influencers
Measurement
KPIs and analytics
- Social media plan: audit of current presence, goals and KPIs, audience personas, competitor benchmarking, platform strategy, content calendar, budget, governance and crisis guidelines, review cycle.
Key terms
- Social media marketing
- Using social platforms to achieve marketing goals
- Social listening
- Monitoring online conversations about a brand
- Earned media
- Exposure from shares and mentions
- POST method
- People, objectives, strategy, technology
- Content calendar
- Schedule of planned posts
Quick revision
- Evolution: traditional → digital → social; Marketing 4.0 and 5.0.
- Channels and models; four zones of social media.
- Benefits and applications.
- Framework: listen, objectives, audience, platforms, content, execute, measure; POST.
- Digital consumer journey; social media mix and plan.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Name four types of social media channels.
- Q2.What are the four zones of social media?
- Q3.State three benefits of social media marketing.
- Q4.What is social listening?
- Q5.Explain the POST method.
- Q6.What does a social media plan contain?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Trace the evolution from traditional to social media marketing.
- Q2.Explain social media channels, models and applications.
- Q3.Explain the social media marketing framework.
- Q4.Discuss digital consumer behaviour and social media marketing planning.
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