week 7 assignment english
aliia_2
ALICIAHARRISWK_6_PPT_ASSIGNMENT.pptPresentation
- To present a concise overview of the benefits of social media to businesses
- To present examples of social media platforms that can be used by companies
- To present some worrying aspects of social media use by companies
- To propose ways through which such concerns can be addressed
- To present an example of a real-world organization that has greatly benefited from the use of social media
The advent of a vast array of technological advancements has, for the most part, been a welcome development in the society. While technology has had a positive influence on various societal processes, businesses have arguably been the greatest beneficiaries of the continued advancements in the world of technology. In particular, the emergence of social media has been of great value to organizations that have embraced the idea (Saravana & Sugantha, 2012). As elaborated in this presentation, social media can be of immense importance to businesses. While there are a number of concerns that typically arise due to the use of social media in the workplace, such worries can be dealt with through the implementation of particular measures.
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- Vital for gaining valuable customer insights
- Helps in amplifying brand awareness and loyalty
- Represents a cheap approach to promoting one’ business and distributing content
- Aids in providing rich customer experiences
The embracement of social media can be advantageous to businesses in numerous diverse ways. Regarding the attainment of valuable customer insights, the generation of a massive quantity of data regarding one’s customers by social media (in real time) can enable organizations to attain an enhanced comprehension of what their customers prefer, who they really are, as well as how they feel about one’s brand (De Vries, Gensler, & Leeflang, 2012). Further, having a presence on social media can enable one’s customers to locate and connect with them with relative ease, which has the potential to improve the retention of customers and brand loyalty. Additionally, advertising on social media tends to be cheaper in comparison with other platforms yet it enables organizations to reach millions of social media users daily. Moreover, social media use can aid organizations to offer great customer service, with a great proportion of social media users currently said to prefer heading to social media for customer service.
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- Represents a vital tool for finding out what one’s rivals are doing
- Vital for building relationships
- Enables the dissemination of geo-target content
- Enables organizations to share content in a swifter and easier manner
Furthermore, through the use of social media, organizations can have a look at the moves that their competitors are making. In this way, they can come up with strategies to counter their rivals moves. Additionally, social media can enable businesses to enrich their relationships with their customers through the creation of dialogue. Indeed, traditional advertising is unable to create such critical dialogue (Saravana & Sugantha, 2012). When it comes to geo-targeting, social media can enable businesses to disseminate particular messages to a specific target on the basis of their location. As such, the right type of content can be communicated to one’s target audience. Lastly, with the arrival of social media, organizations are now able to share content regarding their businesses in a swifter and easier manner, something that marketers always found challenging a while back.
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- Social networks: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
- Media sharing networks: Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube
Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are used by millions of individuals with the intention of connecting with one another and brands. These platforms can aid organizations in conducting market research, creating brand awareness, build relationships, provide satisfying customer service, and much more (Sashi, 2012). On the other hand, media sharing networks such as Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube are also vital for leading generation, building brand awareness, audience engagement, as well as the achievement of several other social marketing objectives.
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- Discussion forums: Quora, reddit
- Networks that deal with bookmarking and the curation of content: Pinterest
Discussion forums are typically used with an eye on finding, discussing, and sharing news, information, as well as opinion. Concisely, discussion forums can be used by organizations to conduct market research. As such, vital information can be gleaned by organizations from such forums to make a wide range of decisions (Sashi, 2012). On the other hand, bookmarking and content curation networks are usually used with a view to discovering, saving, sharing, and discussing new and trending content and media. In a few words, these networks can be of great value by improving customer engagement, driving brand awareness, as well as increasing website traffic.
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- Primarily attracts present brand users
- Time intensive
- Perception of social media marketing as being intrusive
First off, the use of social media primarily attracts present brand users, with a great deal of effort typically called for if an organization is to acquire new customers. Further, given the fact that social media is interactive, the realization of successful, two-way conversations more often than not requires a lot of commitment (Nadaraja & Yazdanifard, 2013). As such, if an organization is unable to allocate significant portions of their time toward social media endeavors, they may not be able to accomplish the benefits of these technologies. Further, a vast proportion of ardent users of social media believes that the use of information attained from social network members is an act that intrudes on their privacy. With confidentiality controversy continuing to swirl, the likelihood of social media marketing endeavors being met by negative reactions remain high.
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- Limited benefits in case an organization has an ambiguous media strategy
- Need for additional resources to manage one’s online presence
- Likelihood of unwanted or improper conduct on one’s site
What is more, in case an organization fails to develop a clear strategy regarding the use of social media and social media marketing, they may fail to realize the full benefits of social media to businesses. In addition, having a presence on social media requires an individual to be tasked with the responsibility of monitoring each and every network, responding to comments, answering questions, as well as posting product information that is perceived by customers to be of great value. Thus, organizations that do not have social media managers cannot be successful in such endeavors (Nadaraja & Yazdanifard, 2013). Finally, unwanted or improper conduct on an organization’s site is real possibility in the realm of social media, which can harm an organization’s reputation.
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- Adoption of a comprehensive plan to address the downsides of social media
The secret to enjoying the full benefits of social media lies in the development of a comprehensive plan that covers each and every aspect of social media use. In this way, the various concerns that typically emerge as a result of the embracement of these vital technological advancements can be significantly mitigated. In particular, organizations should hire individuals who are trained in the management of social media networks (Sashi, 2012). Without a doubt, such individuals can use their expertise to ensure the efficient administration of such networks with a view to diminishing the chances of unsavory situations cropping up.
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- Exploited the power of recommendations to amplify the value of its brand on social media
“Going to Uber it home tonight” has ended up becoming one of the most popular phrases in the world of business thanks to the power of social media. In fact, Uber did not come up with the phrase. Rather, the company offered incentives to riders in exchange of its brand being shared on social media (Laurell & Sandström, 2016). As a result, a vast number of riders went on to share their Uber codes just so they could land free rides home. With studies affirming that more than eighty percent of customers tend to make purchase decisions on the basis of the recommendations of the friends, Uber managed to exploit this notion to increase the popularity of its brand.
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- Overall, the advantages of social media to businesses outweigh the disadvantages by far
- Despite the existence of certain concerns that come with the use of social media by companies, the adoption of comprehensive plans to address such matters can mitigate such apprehensions
The value of social media to businesses can no longer be doubted. Numerous organizations have demonstrated that the employment of the most effective strategies has the potential to translate into positive results. Concisely, social media represents a vital opportunity that all companies should exploit. On a warning note, businesses should be mindful of the concerns that come with having a presence on social media if they are to enjoy the full beneficial impacts of these ingenious technological innovations.
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- De Vries, L., Gensler, S., & Leeflang, P. S. (2012). Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social media marketing. Journal of interactive marketing, 26(2), 83-91.
- Laurell, C., & Sandström, C. (2016). Analysing Uber in social media—disruptive technology or institutional disruption?. International Journal of Innovation Management, 20(05), 1640013.
- Nadaraja, R., & Yazdanifard, R. (2013). Social media marketing: advantages and disadvantages. Social Media Marketing, 1-10.
- Saravanakumar, M., & SuganthaLakshmi, T. (2012). Social media marketing. Life Science Journal, 9(4), 4444-4451.
- Sashi, C. M. (2012). Customer engagement, buyer-seller relationships, and social media. Management decision, 50(2), 253-272.
