02 Apr 6 reasons why social media is good for your company’s health
In recent years, much has been documented about the negative effect of social media on individuals.
The poor reputation of this very modern pastime continues to grow and there is little sign that this will change.
However, the effects of social media for business is a completely different subject.
It has its pros and cons, but reading about an event on LinkedIn is a world away from seeing holiday snaps of an old school friend you haven’t seen since 1999 posting on Instagram.
Social media, and the web, now gives people more access to information than they’ve ever had before in an instant.
This is well worth noting:
“The amount of digital information increases tenfold every five years. Moreover, there are now many more people who interact with information. Between 1990 and 2005 more than 1 billion people worldwide entered the middle class. As they get richer they become more literate, which fuels information growth.” – The Economist
1) Social media gives us all an equal voice
There are no editors when you publish via your social profile, (outside of each platform’s terms of use) – so you can write anything and almost anyone has the chance to view it.
It is a world different from the days of relying purely on whether an Editor would publish your comments or opinions.
2) Social media is revolutionising business
Social media has given us many more opportunities.
It used to be only the companies that were able to purchase pricy ads got their message out there, now, any sized company can jump into a conversation on any social network.
As an example, our agency got its biggest client to date via a message on Twitter!
3) More accountability
Consumers are increasingly seeing who they’re paying their money to and getting to see the human faces.
With more access to each company and its employees, and more ways to share such insights – both positive and negative – companies need to be much more careful in what they say and do because everything is now public and easier to access.
4) Consumer insight
Brands are also now able to tailor their products and services to what people really need and are looking for. It is undeniable that the more a brand interacts with its consumers on social networks, the more they can learn how to target consumers with precision.
5) It’s educating us
Now, you can learn how to do almost anything you seek via videos, podcasts etc. on the internet. It’s demystifying much of what once seemed the work of magicians.
6) It’s delivering the news now
Information comes at us so quickly now. From a business perspective, this gives us all a great opportunity to pounce and be seen as having our fingers on the pulse.
Of course, there are negative impacts of social media for business too. Reputations can be ruined through errant fingers on a keyboard etc. The fake news issue is also an issue in business as well. It is not without its issues, just like most things in life.
However, we believe that social media is very much part of the PR for pretty much any company in the modern world. Companies not fully engaging are missing huge opportunities.
If you would like to discuss social media for business or how we can help raise the profile of your business, then get in touch with us today. We’d be delighted to chat!
