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Advantages and disadvantages of social media

Social media is a way that has allowed people to connect with great ease. It has brought innovation in terms of not only communication but also in terms of business and marketing related activities. Today more than 3.6 billion people use social media (Statistia.com, 2020), which I expected to increase to a baffling 4.6 billion by 2025. Hence such a vast number of users would mean that these social media platforms may have a positive as well as a negative influence on people. You, as a social media user, are bound to come across marginally offensive content, which shows the dark side of such platforms. Hence, just like a coin, we would discuss both sides of social media.

Advantages

It is a great source to start a business through e-commerce as it helps to save the cost of owning a shop, hiring employees, and the carrying cost of the product. In addition, it can also be used as a marketing tool because these platforms have numerous people with different interests. By making use of these platforms’ database companies can only target those people who have similar interests to the product, the company is trying to sell. Hence, social media bring a win-win situation for both parties when it comes to business.

Social media gives celebrities and influencers to have direct communication with their community without any script of guidelines. The raw contact helps to establish strong relationships with the audience, which helps to convert people into a fanbase. This also helps people get to know companies and celebrities better. With the raw one-to-one interaction provided by social media platforms, it allows getting direct feedback from the public regarding any product or service a person is trying to sell. This helps in providing better customer service ultimately. On top of this, the social media platform also helps to gauge your performance according to feedback, which allows companies and people to change their decisions for better sustainability.

Disadvantages

While social media is an excellent source for feedback, companies sometimes have to bear harsh words due to negligent services, which can immensely hinder the brand image of a person or a company. Since negative word of mouth spread much more quickly than does the positive word of mouth, it becomes a gamble for companies since they are risking their brand image in trade for their online presence.

Sometimes companies go through embarrassing moments by posting something on the internet without reflecting the impact it might bring. Many times companies and influencers go out of their line to mock a hater or to poke at a rival. These things can bring embarrassment since such things go viral instantly.

It is essential to always stay on top of the trend since social media is one place where anything or anyone can get famous given if the moment and the time are right. Hence many times, firms may need to delay their campaigns or even change their marketing strategy so that they could communicate their products to their potential customers in a much refined manner.

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