In: Operations Management
What are the advantages and disadvantages for brands participating in social media? What is your experience with marketing in social media? Give an example of at least two platforms and how you interact with the companies that advertise to you through them.
Social media fall under the category of digital technology for marketing products to customers in the market by using the Internet. Facebook and Twitter are the main social media platforms that enable marketers to directly sell to their target customers. The benefits of social media marketing and its inconvenience are discussed here.
Social Media Marketing Advantages
Brand Loyalty
Marketers and consumers interact on social media platforms that create mutual relations between the company and its clients.
Small price
There are no costs of marketing on social media platforms compared to other forms of marketing. Vendors post their goods for free on platforms and such messages reach a wider audience worldwide.
Large hearing
Facebook and Twitter platforms have users around the world and customers are interested in their business activities and at times share such posts to family members and friends when they put their products on them.
Quick
Social media marketing as marketers is fast at its own time when they place marketing posts on social media platforms and customers can view such posts immediately after they've been posted in comparison with other forms of marketing, such as radio, magazines, and television.
Interaction:
Social media platforms enable clients to ask marketers' questions and the customer support department of the business company will answer their queries in a short time. This interaction allows marketers to detect customers ' needs, requirements, and expectations to produce a product that meets customer requirements.
Social media marketing disadvantages
It takes time
Marketers spend a lot of time posting their products on the internet because one needs the skills and expertise to post them on Facebook and Twitter effectively. It also takes a long time to get interesting messages online that appeal to customers.
Risk of advertising
When a marketer makes a mistake, it takes a short time to reach the world market. When such events occur, marketers have no influence on it, affecting their reputation and destroying the image of society.
Control Loss
When the image and reputation of the brand have been destroyed, marketers do not control the market and that gives their competitors the opportunity to exploit their weaknesses, which rival or substitute products for their customers on the market.
Social media is the way to go for all clients because it's more comfortable to buy the product of desire than brick and mortar, as you can always buy it without meeting the seller physically. Products sold via social media are also cheap as products sold via marketing channels. The main reason is that third parties, such as sales representatives and distributors, can not afford to earn a living in the form of fees, and may not be involved. Although social media marketing has countless benefits, consumers should be aware of scammers and fraudsters who use and steal from buyers. Personal information and bank accounts information should not be exchanged for any person because their information may be used for misuse. Facebook and Twitter are the most common platforms used to market social media. Companies like Target and Walmart put their products on these platforms, click these products when consumers develop an interest, and visit these companies' websites to learn how to order, fill their shipping regions and make payments using online methods. They also offer the following guidelines. These companies also have customer support on social media platforms that interact with users with immediate feedback and give customers product specifications.