Uses And Advantages And Disadvantages Of Social Media

1. Industry Analysis:

1.1 What is Social Media?

Social Media is “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content”.

1.2 Social Media Marketing:

Social media marketing is a form of online advertisement that is based on social communities and social networks, and that due to the high growth rate of social communities most businesses have started to realise the potential of social media marketing in reaching the larger audience.

The advent of online communities has bridged the communication gap between brands and consumers by creating a two-way communication platform. This fact has encouraged the engagement of businesses

Ignoring such complainants does not lead to a solution while conversation and responsiveness do. By effectively utilising their social media presence businesses can build a very good rapport with their customers that enables them to alter any negative perception and build positive public relations almost in real time.

1.3 Advantages & Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing:

Advantages:

Too many businesses enter into social media because it 's 'the done thing ' - they feel they should have a presence purely because their competitors do. There are a number of real benefits to getting involved with social media, provided it is properly planned and executed.

Advantages:

 Compelling and relevant content will grab the attention of potential customers and increase brand visibility.

 An organization can respond almost instantly to industry developments and become heard in your field.

 It can be much cheaper than traditional advertising and promotional activities.

 Social content can indirectly boost links to website content by appearing in universal search results, improving search traffic and online sales.

 An organization can deliver improved customer service and respond effectively to

 Increased loyalty and advocacy from the customers an organization is connected with.

Disadvantages

 An organization will need to commit resources to manage its social media presence, responding to feedback and producing new content

 It can be difficult to quantify the return on investment and the value of one channel over another

 Ineffective use - for example, using the network to push for sales without engaging with customers, or failing to respond to negative feedback - may damage organization’s reputation.

 The wrong online brand strategy could put an organization at a viral social disadvantage and may even damage it’s reputation, i.e, when an organization makes a mistake offline, a few will know but when it makes a mistake in front of hundreds or thousands of online audience, most of them will know

1.4 Types of Social Media Platforms And Current Usage:

Social media tools are categorised based on their functionality, into various groups. These groups include blogs, message boards, podcasts, micro blogs, bookmarks, networks, communities etc. A few prominent examples of social media applications and their use are listed in the following