Examining the Pros and Cons of Social Media Marketing

There is no doubt that social media marketing has become the most influential marketing method used by businesses and individuals in all industries. This article is a brief overview of the potential advantages and disadvantages of social media as a marketing tool. If you’re just starting this strategy for your business, don’t be intimidated by other accounts with millions of followers. Reaching those goals is relatively simple, especially if you jumpstart your account with a viral post or by using services like SubscriberZ. They can significantly speed up the initial phase of your account growth. 

Advantage: Larger Audiences

With the click of a button, businesses are able to reach millions of people if they post the right content. This is especially true for content that “goes viral.” Being able to influence the consumer perceptions (and perhaps their purchasing decisions) of a large audience is one of the primary objectives of marketing to achieve the goal of increased profits.

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Disadvantage: Internet Trolls and Negative Feedback

Any social media account or post that garners sufficient attention is bound to have a few internet trolls (people who intentionally post negative comments in hopes of upsetting someone) in the comment section. This is bad for two reasons. Firstly, consumers reading the comments might be influenced by the negativity. Secondly, accurate market research using responses on social media is difficult because a significant portion is insincere (the trolls). 

Advantage: A Direction Connection With The Target Market

Due to the nature of social media, businesses are able to directly respond to a target audience. Questions, comments, and opinions can be posted in the comment sections (or using hashtags) and the business can easily reply to them. This is important in creating a bond between the business and the consumer, and building brand loyalty.

Disadvantage: Nothing On The Internet Is Ever Deleted

Social media marketing is a very tricky field to master. In the past, public relations teams and press releases could easily be forgotten after some time, and there would only be a few copies of a badly received press release. Nowadays, anything that goes on social media stays forever. Think of how many people have recently been shamed for posts they made five or ten years ago? Even if a post is deleted; if it causes enough backlash, someone is bound to create a copy of the post and it stays in circulation or resurfaces after a long time. This has given rise to “politically correct” culture, where businesses (and people) avoid offending anyone at all costs.

As you can see, there are advantages of getting on social media, and like anything else in business, there are disadvantages. If you want to market your business on social media it is important to be careful with what you post and strategize beforehand. It is a powerful tool to use and influence a large audience, but it can backfire if not done correctly. Nonetheless, it is the preferred marketing strategy of most businesses these days.