Advertising in Social Media from a Psychological Perspective

Abstract With the advent of the internet our society found another avenue of connection and what was once only deemed a virtual experience has become a mainstay of our reality. Social media has become ubiquitous in our daily lives. As social media grew, so too did our sense of social responsibility. While we are struggling to redefine ourselves as a society, advertisers have been keen to exploit this new landscape to maximize profit. Our digital lives are bombarded with a collage of messages that are intended to motivate behavior in a way that benefits someone else\u27s agenda. As a means of resolving this conflict, we examine the psychology of advertisement used by firms to market with and in social media. Though it all may seem innocent, an understanding of the psychology that is used by large corporate firms demonstrates that advertisers have learned to employ social sciences in social media to large effect. By sketching the psychological theories used by advertisers we gain a broader sense of how the science of psychology has been used in the digital marketplace. Additionally, we equip ourselves in our journey to become informed, responsible consumers. Finally, we gain a better sense of how to frame our own messages as we seek to compete in our new digital world. Keywords: psychology, advertising, social medi