The Pros and Cons of Social Media
Some consider social media a curse while others see it as a blessing. No matter how you feel about it, social media has taken over.
The Good
Social media can spread information faster than other forms of communication and can lead to face to face interaction. In the globalized world we are living in, the ability to connect people all over the world makes social media an important tool for business owners.
Social media is still growing. For example, Facebook reported and increase a of 13 percent in daily and monthly active users as of March 2018 compared to a year earlier. For more information about Facebook’s 2018 1st Quarter results click here.
Corporations and small businesses often use social media to benefit themselves and consumers. Benefits for the consumer can include special promotions, product information, technical support, and customer service
The Bad
While social media can be a great tool to get a message out, it also has the potential to be a huge waste of time. According to one study, about two thirds of employees in the U.S. check social media while at work.
Constant changes the social media platforms are performing including site and privacy law changes, can make it difficult for business owners to keep up with various sites. This leads to another problem, as social media is constantly changing consumers expect the content on social media sites to constantly changed as well.
With so many people now using social media it can become difficult for businesses and corporations to get “through the clutter”.
Some Social media sites’ advertising practices may constitute an invasion of privacy.
The Ugly
One thing business owners as well as consumers should keep in mind is that posts cannot be entirely deleted.
While collecting consumer feedback customers may leave negative comments that could potentially hurt business owners. Fake News, or simply false facts, can also be potentially harmful to corporations and businesses.
The public and and viral nature of social media can hurt children who may not fully grasp that concept and post things they may regret later on. And Unfortunately, social media has opened the door to “cyber bullying” presenting today’s children with new challenges.
Finding The Right Platform
Not all social media platforms are worth investing the time and resources in to develop. Research all of the platforms and determine which ones would best help to reach your overall business goals.
If you would like to learn more about how social media can help you business, call Planetguide for your online marketing assessment at 504-888-5384.
