Social media seemingly is a beneficial marketing tool that many businesses use. When used successfully, social media marketing can help you to define your brand, develop loyal customers and even drive sales. However, as beneficial as social media can be for your business, it also has the potential to be disadvantageous and even damaging in some cases. These are some of the primary ways that social media can make or break your business.
The Content that You Publish
The content on your social media platforms is typically created and published by your company. You could potentially have good corporate information on LinkedIn, relevant posts on Facebook and more. However, the content that you publish may not always be as positive as you may have intended. For example, some of your well-intentioned comments may be taken the wrong way by your customers. You could even unintentionally commit slander, which could be a public relations nightmare for your business.
The Comments of Others
With most social media platforms, your followers and others may be able to post their own comments on your profile page (this Xyngular profile is a good example), and these are comments that all of your followers and even the general public could potentially see. When comments are positive, such as those that talk about how great your products are, these comments can bolster your image. They essentially are unsolicited testimonies, and the posters’ comments may be viewed by your own contacts as well as by the posters’ contact in some cases. On the other hand, comments regarding products that break easily or that talk about poor customer service can be detrimental to your business. You cannot control what others say about you on social media platforms, so this is a risk that you take.
The Development of Your Brand
You may think that you have complete control over how your business is branded through social media, but this may not be the case. Because social media is a direct way to communicate with customers in real-time, it makes sense to view this as a positive attribute of social media marketing. However, if your posts are viewed negatively, this can be a detriment to your brand. For example, your marketing material could come off as being negative, condescending or even racist in some cases. These images can be difficult to turn around. They may even be publicized by the media, which can make them even more difficult for your business to overcome.
The Ability to Expand Your Reach
Through social media platforms, you may create exceptional content that your followers share. When information is shared many times over, you enjoy the profound benefit of going viral. This is essentially free publicity that you otherwise may not have been able to afford. It can boost sales and help you to take your business to the next level in terms of growth and profitability. You may think that viral content is always positive, but this is not the case. For example, if you create a post with good intentions that is taken the wrong way, a negative connotation about your company may be expanded well beyond your typical marketing reach.
Social media marketing can be beneficial when it is well-controlled and strategically created. However, it can get out of hand very quickly if you make hasty or poorly thought out messages. It is easy to make rapid decisions about social media marketing, but it may be a better idea to always ask multiple people in your office to review and approve of material before it is posted through any social media platform. By taking this important step, you can more confidently create and publish material for all of your social media profiles.