Advantages and disadvantages of social media!

Ever found yourself wondering if social media marketing would work for your business?

Like any strategy, of course there is a lot of controversy, but the simple fact is: Social media should be integrated in every brands advertising plan, and if managed and maintained well, the opportunities the marketing method can bring your business are endless.

At Dreamsight, our team of social media and marketing experts are here to show you what benefits having a social networking presence can bring your business, as well as a few issues you may face along your company’s online journey…

Here are the major pros and cons of Social Media Marketing (SMM):

Advantages of Social Media Marketing

Some of the benefits of social media marketing can include:

Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing

Potential problems you should be conscious of are:

In the ever-evolving world we live in, a business’s ability to adapt and respond to changes and trends plays a big part in the overall success of the company.

Social media along with technology is part of globalisation, and has transformed the way billions of us live our lives; from immediate access to the internet to the ability to get in-touch with just about anyone around the world with just a few taps on a screen; it’s no wonder so many of us say we simply now can’t live without it.
Many brands have adapted to this big shift by converting their brick and mortar establishments to better efficient e-commerce companies, and they’ve never looked back.

But if you a own a business which centres on accumulating customers in a specific region, you may doubt that social media can in fact generate local leads through online marketing in a targeted fashion.

Thankfully, this isn’t at all true. Social media has many benefits for regionalized companies and can add a spring to your local businesses growth. Here’s how:

Social Media supports your businesses legitimacy

“Social media replaces nothing, but compliments everything.” –Neal Schauffer.

If you’re a small business owner, you’ll know that there’s nothing quite like the thrill of seeing a new customer set foot through your door; fresh business and transforming customers into long-haul partners are two essential elements of retaining business growth!

For all businesses, social media is the place to be.

When an existing or potential consumer wants to find out more about a company, a lot of the time, the first thing they’ll check is their social media accounts. From a customer’s eye, companies with an online social media presence are perceived as more credible, attentive and considerate when being compared to businesses unavailable on social sites.

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Social Media Projects your brand to a larger audience

Did you know there are now 2.46 billion social media users worldwide? Of course, only a fraction of those will be in your businesses region, but fortunately, there are tried, tested and mastered ways to focus on connecting your target (and local) audience solely.

Having a social presence has been proven by professionals to engage you to a greater market. It works so well that 89.2% of business owners say that they’ve noticed an increase in exposure since utilizing social platforms; so whether your company is a worldwide corporation or a small town business, the opportunities are endless.

Social media gives your business direct access to communicating and creating conversation online with both existing and prospective customers, providing the potential to turn those customers into a team of virtual sales.

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 Social Media Enhances customer service      

Be a part of your customer community by being available to them on social media.

Every customer who connects with your social accounts provides a golden opportunity for your brand to publicize your dependability and devotion to buyers. A company committed to customer service, who invests time into creating personal messages, will be perceived as a reliable, responsible and helpful brand, even if it is replying to customer criticism.

 By having a profile, you are giving your audience the ability to connect to your business both in and out of working hours, granting your company the chance to fulfil personalized and exceptional client service. By connecting with your market directly, you have the ability and insight to really uncover your consumers’ wants and needs; blossoming deep-rooted and continuous relationships between your company and customers.

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Social Media Increases website traffic

 

Nowadays technology makes having a user-friendly, well-developed website a fundamental component to any business with the occupation to progress. However, purely producing a website will never promise visitors; promotion is the key to boost site traffic.

What better way than to use social communications to do so?

Every additional platform you add to your marketing mix is yet another portal to your website, and each bit of content you share is a further chance to win over new customers! Sharing engaging articles, blogs, photos, videos and more on social networks will inspire your audience, and people that are interested in your posts will have the ability to reach your site organically.

Depending on your target audience and business goals, some social media mediums can be more effective than others and focusing on the most productive channels can give you a better chance of reaching your prospective customers. If you’re unsure of the sites your company should invest the most time in, it’s always useful to speak to an expert who can guide you on how to make the most out of your time with a solid social media strategy.

Want to learn more? Here are 14 tips how social media can drive more traffic to your website.

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Social Media provides Lead generation at a low cost

If you’re still trying to promote products and services solely on your site and face-to-face, luckily there is an easier surefire strategy that will help you connect to consumers and gain more site traffic.

By implementing social media into your marketing plan, you have the golden opportunity to reinforce your brand and increase brand recognition minus the ongoing need to update your site and the costs and time of meeting customers.

Fun fact: Did you know 89% of consumers search a company online before making the decision of a purchase?

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Social Media is Cost effective

“Attract. Engage. Convert.” –Nicholas Kalavas.

Social networking is great, even for businesses on a shoe string budget…

In the outbound past, to market a brand, businesses may have posted product based leaflets to regional citizens. But the technology of today has created a gateway to a whole new array of opportunities, using consumer-driven and content rich strategies.

Social media is one of the most cost-effective methods to convey content to budding buyers; every time you attract users with quality content through social media, you are opening your business to yet another chance for you to convert the engagement into a sale.

Creating a profile is completely free of charge for just about all social media channels. The cost-effectiveness makes investing in social media extremely worthwhile… Since you’re spending less money in comparison to other strategies, your Return on Investment (ROI) will be maximised.

Unlike sidebar, paid ads, your social media posts can be broadcasted by other users, and having your content shared by potential customer’s friends and family is far more valuable and trusted than them seeing an advert on the side of their screen.

 

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The relationship between Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and social media is very real. The two organic strategies are interlinked; both with the main intentions of building an attractive profile that naturally engages visitors. 

Research has proven that companies who commit to social media, while using mindfully selected keyword are boosting their opportunities of considerably enhancing their brand awareness.

Here are a few facts of how social media and SEO are connected:

      1. Google searches Twitter to browse for fresh content. Did you know, each second, around 6 THOUSAND tweets are tweeted on Twitter?And to put that into perspective: that is a massive 200 billion tweets a year!Google utilizes Twitter as a helping hand.Content that has produced a large amount of engagement on the social media channel can slice the time Google takes to locate your material.Aspects such as the time frame, number of retweets, likes and shares of your content are all contemplated when Google’s content finder funnels through Twitter.
      2. Social Media profiles rank in search engines. Type a business’s name into a search engine, and you’ll probably be presented with their website along with one or a few of their social media profiles.If your company manages to get your official site, as well as social media profiles, high in the search engine, your brand will take up a large amount of the results page; giving your business (in opposed to your competition) a higher chance of getting click throughs.TOP TIP: Ensure all of your social media profiles are linked with your website, so you can generate traffic by guiding your social network audience to your site.
      3. Local SEO depends on social media. Search engines are now the easiest road for consumers to take when looking to discover businesses nearby….Meaning local SEO is more important now, than ever before.According to Google: In comparison to non-local searches (7%), local searches have over twice the amount of conversions; 18% of online local searches result in a sale that same day!

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Social Media requires a strong social media strategy for optimal results

Everything begins with objectives and goals; whether you own a continental company or a start up business, setting a solid strategy is crucial to ensure your businesses digital marketing is set on the right track.

“Strategy is a fancy word for coming up with a long term plan and putting it into action” –Ellie Pidot

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Social media profiles have to be actively managed for real results

When it comes to an online presence, you really do get out what you put in; an active social media can open countless doors and arise opportunities for your business- the key is to update your profiles regularly, and engage with followers.

Having an inactive social media is one of the things that can seriously hinder your strategy’s success. If your business doesn’t maintain an active presence on your social media accounts, customers and target audience will essentially forget you exist. Frequently sharing content is by far the most effective way of leveraging the power of your following, and increase brand recognition.

Research conducted from Ballihoo discovered that 63% of consumers searching for local business online are more minded to use a company that has content on their social media pages.

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Social media leaves your business venerable to negative feedback

 

Social media users have the freedom to share whatever they want online (within the terms and conditions of the platform). This virtually means that if a customer isn’t satisfied, they can voice it….

Many companies who use social media as a means to market their brand have experienced negative feedback from clients, and although this can at the time defame your business, it provides you with the insight to your company’s areas of improvement and also gives you the opportunity to connect with the customer, fix the problem and re-mend your good name.

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Social media marketing takes up a lot of time

Keeping up an active social media presence can be very time intensive. Although setting up profiles will only take a maximum of 45 minutes, in order to obtain optimal results, a lot of time has to be invested in the maintenance and management. 

Small establishments can often hesitate on adding social media to their marketing mix because of the amount of time it requires; unlike large corporations, they may not have the facilities, resources or enough employees to support a solid strategy.

Even though people may consider time a disadvantage of social media marketing, devoting to answering queries, responding to reviews and feedback, as well as sharing valuable inspiring content can support your business in developing long-standing connections with customers.

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