There are quite a few advantages of social media communication. All companies should have at least a few social media accounts at this moment in time, not only for a status but for practical reasons. Otherwise they face some disadvantages in terms of customer attraction and customer retention.
It should be noted that the millennial use of technology is on the rise and the same is expected in the next decade. According to Statistica, it is estimated that there will be around 2.77 billion social media users worldwide in 2019, i.e. 45% increase in the past 5 years, 100% increase in the past 7 years.
But what are the benefits of communication via social media?
Constant increase of social network users around the globe
Reputation Building
It should be noted that whether you and your company are on social media or not, there are people already talking about you. It is therefore important to have a team of people that are always ready to respond to such important information as soon as there is anything coming up.
Not all information will be positive, and whenever there is any information that is false, be ready to quash it and restore faith in your brand. The most important thing even when addressing such is to always remain polite, and respond with all the kindness.
Crisis Addressing
Addressing a crisis is very important. There is no doubt that once in a while your company might fall on the wrong side of things. It is important to be aware of such developments and be ready to respond on time as in the case with Starbucks when the #BoycottStarbucks went viral. The company responded instantly.
This message was important in informing the customers that the company acknowledged the mistakes and addressed it and was working on ensuring that the same does not happen again in future.
Engagement
Social media helps both companies and consumers in addressing issues in timely manner. People know they no longer have to be patient like they used to, and they know the most effective way to get the answer they want is to complain publicly, by tweeting. This leads to pressurize companies, urging them to respond as quickly as possible and as politely as they can. In essence, social media helps companies improve their system as a whole in great deal.
Needless to mention, people don't just use social network to make complaints. Number of influencers such as YouTubers broadcast to recommend products, the impact of which can be huge, and benefits the company with a great increase in sales.
The platform can also be used by companies when informing customers about new brands the company has developed or intends to develop in its future growth.
Discounts and Promotions
Another one of advantages of social media communication is that, companies can inform its followers of promotions and discounts easily. They can ask the followers if they know of a particular service of product and run a competition. Prizes are awarded to randomly selected people who gave the correct answer. The prizes include their sample products, shopping vouchers or services, or even cash prizes in some occasions.
It's a great advantage as far as marketing is concerned, because these special opportunities are announced openly and can be exposed to anyone. Plus the fact that the users are able to share (or retweet) the announcements with their followers or networks.
Gauging Sentiments
Social media platform is where people are given an opportunity to speak their mind; what they think about brands and companies. It is important for the brands to follow such comments because it's the people who provide a picture of the company standing in the market. Companies are able to locate the competitors and the strategies they are using to gain a competitive edge.
Take an anti-aging supplements, for example. Even though a company was initially targeting female consumers over 40, if many younger customers or male customers express their opinions, it will mean something. By gathering the feedbacks appeared on social media platforms, companies are able to review the strategies and change the direction should they need to. This is one of the best advantages of social media communication, where companies can take the opportunity to improve on what it has implemented or what it intends to improve so that it stays ahead of the competition.
The largest social network in the world is Facebook. Sharing news and experiences, and connecting with people with similar interests is easy with Facebook.
Facebook has a huge range of features that make it an incredibly powerful tool for marketing and promoting your business. You can create a Page for your business, which allows you to share information about your products or services, post updates and special offers, and connect with customers and fans. Facebook Ads are also an effective way to reach out to potential customers, and you can target your ads to specific demographics and interests.
There are some downsides to using Facebook for business purposes though. The site’s algorithm changes can negatively impact reach, and organic reach is increasingly difficult to achieve. There is also the risk of offending customers or coming across as spammy if you overdo it with self-promotion. Overall, though, Facebook is an essential part of any social media marketing strategy.
Along with Facebook, Twitter is of course, one of the most popular social media networks, loved by people in all sorts of age groups including celebrities. Twitter allows you to share short messages, called tweets, with your followers. You can also follow other users and see their tweets in your timeline. Twitter is a great platform for sharing news, views, and ideas with others.
LinkedIn is a social media network that is focused on business networking. LinkedIn allows users to connect with other professionals in their field and share information about their work and businesses. LinkedIn also has a job search feature that allows users to find new opportunities.
Sharing photos and videos is the purpose of Instagram's social networking app from a smartphone.
Hashtags are one of the most important features of Instagram. They help users to find content that is relevant to their interests, and make it easy for other users to find content that they might be interested in. When you use a hashtag on Instagram, your content becomes searchable by anyone who is looking for that particular hashtag. For example, if you use the hashtag #foodporn, your content will be searchable by anyone who searches for that hashtag.
If you want to get the most out of Instagram, it’s important to use hashtags wisely. Here are some tips:
Use relevant hashtags: Hashtags should be relevant to the content of your photo or video. If you’re posting a photo of food, use food-related hashtags (e.g. #foodporn, #foodie, #nom).
Use popular hashtags: Popular hashtags are more likely to be seen by other users, and therefore more likely to get you likes and comments.
Use specific hashtags: Specific hashtags are more likely to get you targeted views from users who are interested in that particular topic. For example, if you use the hashtag #catsofinstagram, your content is more likely to be seen by people who are interested in cats.
Use unique hashtags: Unique hashtags make your content more visible, and help you to stand out from the crowd.
Use a mix of hashtags: A mix of popular, specific, and unique hashtags will help you to reach the widest audience possible.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a social media app that allows users to share photos and videos with friends. The app also includes features like filters and lenses, which allow users to change the way their photos and videos look. Snapchat is a popular app for sharing photos and videos with friends, and its filters and lenses make it a unique platform.
Pinterest is a social media network that allows users to share images and videos. Pinterest is a mindbogglingly beautiful platform for businesses to promote any types of products. Businesses can create boards where they can pin images and videos of their products and services. Users can follow these boards to see new pins from the businesses they are interested in.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a social media network that allows users to share short-form content and micro-blogs. It is one of the most popular social media networks, with over 555 million monthly users. Tumblr is known for its creative and unique user base, as well as a wide range of content types including text, images, videos, and more.
Vine
Vine is a social media network that allows users to share short, six-second video clips. Although the videos are short, they can be creative and engaging. Vine is a great platform for businesses to showcase their products or services in a fun and unique way.
AshemaKevin is a Freelance writer. He covers all topics revolving around business. You can follow him on X @ashemakevin
Author // Kevin Ashema
