Social media was once reserved for interaction with friends and family. When Facebook and Twitter first came out no one could have imagined the impact that it would have on marketing and directly reaching consumers.
Companies have a direct line now to answering customer complaints, sometimes before the transaction is even complete, as well receiving compliments. Here are some advantages and disadvantages to using social media to promote your business.
Advantages to using social media
Find out what your customers really think about you – The idea of filling out a compliment card at a restaurant or going online to fill out a lengthy form is foreign to most people today. With social media, a customer can report a pleasant experience with a brand on social media and other’s can see the positive feedback. Free promotion!
Reach your customers quickly – When a company has a last minute sale or wants to offer up a promotion, social media can act as a free medium to reach customers. Chipotle offers $2 burritos on Halloween to people dressed in a costume. There were no costly commercials on TV or billboards, just posts to their social media, which burrito lovers shared with their friends and got the word out for free.
Brand recognition – Through social media campaigns, companies can get their brand out there and remain relevant to consumers. Through Facebook and Twitter, brands can roll out a new logo or start a hash tag pertaining to their product.
Disadvantages of using social media
Word travels quickly – If I find a hair in my food or my server picks their nose before serving me my food, I can snap a picture and share my terrible experience with the world. While these situations can’t completely destroy a company, it is important that they are handled quickly and not just dismissed.
Trying too hard to stay current – Current events and pop culture are easy topics to have commentary on. Companies often try, sometimes too hard, to put in their two cents. Commenting on the Academy Awards or the Super Bowl is an easy way to show your company is with it, but missing the mark is sometimes embarrassing, ex: JC Penny’s tweet pretending to be drunk before the Super Bowl to sell gloves.
Woops, wrong account – This happens pretty often and provides a laugh for everyone except for a company’s PR department. The social media person has both their personal account and the official work account hooked up to their phone and they accidently tweet something controversial from the company’s account. Be careful and make sure you aren’t tweeting about your wild Saturday from the corporate Twitter account.
The reality of using social media
Social media is an absolute necessity to any company that wants their brand to stay relevant and recognized by consumers. Unfortunately it is a double-edged sword and while not all interactions are pleasant, how you deal with them as a company can really effect customer perception.
Companies that delete negative feedback or don’t respond in a timely manner definitely give costumers a bad impression of the brand. Be sure to have someone checking it constantly and be sure they know how to respond to any feedback that comes their way. Social media can be a great marketing tool if used correctly.