With the advent of social media, many companies have realized that they need to change their operational strategies to adapt. Social media affects the business of all sizes in several different ways.
Because of social media, companies need to personalize their brands, market their products in different ways, and communicate with customers in new ways.
Contents
About social media
Social media sites and applications allow users to create communities to share content, such as videos, personal messages, photos, ideas, and other information about themselves.
Most forms of social media accept individual users as well as organizations such as companies and non-profit groups. A company’s social media profile may contain links to its website, contact information, and pictures of products or services the business offers.
Marketing
Companies must constantly find new ways to implement their marketing strategies through social media. Prior to the development of social media, companies relied on flyers sent via email, TV advertising, and word of mouth.
While these marketing tactics are still useful, companies can now use social media to immediately inform consumers about sales, the arrival of new products, and exclusive offers. Consumers can connect with their favorite retailers online to stay informed of developments.
Communication
Social media also affects how many retail companies communicate with their customers. Instead of calling the store, writing a letter, or sending an email, many customers prefer to communicate with a company using its social media profile. Customers can send private messages to the business, or they can publish information publicly. Customers use social media to provide both positive and negative feedback on products or customer service.
If a customer’s post is negative and this information is shared online, it may affect the opinions of other consumers connected to the company’s profile. It is important for small businesses, in particular, to be aware of ratings and other details online. Responding quickly to Facebook or Twitter, for example, to solve a customer’s problem can actually promote loyalty and improve the company’s reputation.
Branding
Social media influences how customers perceive a company’s brand. Before social media became popular, most customers considered companies to be impersonal businesses. But the opening of social media has given rise to a new level of dialogue between a company and its consumers.
The type of consumers who connect with a company using social media affects how other potential consumers perceive the company’s brand. For example, if a company that sells sports items mainly joins consumers in their 20s, other consumers are more likely to associate the brand with that particular age demographic.
