Pros & Cons of Social Media Marketing

What it is and how it works!

Also known as SMM, social media marketing is very much a trending process today that involves the use of social media platforms to achieve marketing objects throughout the year. Normally what's involved with this process is the creating and publishing of content on social media channels relevant to the business with the purpose of building and expanding the brand on a long-term basis. One key term with SMM is customer engagement, which is also one of the main factors of social media marketing in the first place. Like anything else, there are 5 basic pillars to social media:

1. Developing a strategy that works for you.

2. Preparing and publishing content.

3. Listening to and engaging with your audience.

4. Monitoring analytics.

5. Developing advertising.

The pros of social media marketing in detail:

1. Reaching a larger audience! Major social media platforms give your business access to a large audience of people who can choose to follow your business and its progress. Also, unlike traditional media, there is no predetermined audience for social media, which gives you access to a virtually limitless demographic regarding age, gender, or social status. This means that you can, and usually will, reach your target audience as well as others who may be interested in your services, but not yet aware of them.

2. Connecting directly with your audience! SMM allows for direct connection with your audience, and because people choose to follow your accounts, it is easy to tell when they are interested in the services you have to offer. Understanding how the public perceives your brand puts you in a better position to re-strategize and adapt a new social media strategy that meets the needs of your audience. Connecting directly with your audience enables you to get to know them better and enables for:

   1. Deliver more relatable, personalized and valuable content.

   2. Resolve disputes faster and easier.

   3. Understand how your audience perceives your business.

3. Building brand loyalty! The greater the interaction and connection between your business and your customers, the more comfortable they can become with your brand. Providing consistent updates, quality content and exceptional customer service may help customers create an emotional connection to your company, which ultimately leads to brand loyalty.

4. Monitoring customer feedback! Social media is a quick way to share information with a large audience. People from across the world in any location or time zone can get access to your content immediately after it's published. They can also engage with this content in a variety of ways. As a brand, you can easily monitor customer feedback and quickly manage comments to answer customer questions or monitor brand perception.

5. Get access to many growth opportunities! You can sign up and create a business account on most social media platforms at no cost to you. You can also publish organic content and get access to a large pool of potential customers for free. This benefits your company because you may be able to get more advertising for less money or be able to allocate more of your marketing budget to other endeavors.

6. Grow your business at a higher rate! Social media can have a higher lead-to-close rate than traditional forms of marketing and advertising. Because of the personalized experience and the direct connection and communication between businesses and customers that social media offers, customers are likely to move faster through the sales funnel.

7. Get access to paid advertising! With social media marketing, you have the option of investing in paid advertisements to reach a larger audience and make more significant returns. Different social platforms have multiple options to engage in paid campaigns. Paid advertising allows people who may not follow your channels to see your content. This option also enables you to tailor your ads to target people who are looking for products and services similar to yours.

Like anything else, to be fully aware of a situation or process, it is best to be aware of the pros and cons. Some of the cons to SMM include:

1. Time-Consuming Practice - While publishing organic content on social media is free, creating content may take a lot of time, money, and effort, depending on the platform you are using and the type of content you want to share.

2. Non-Favorable Publicity - When searching the internet and social media channels for your business, you may find some negative reviews or comments. Although you can't control what people say about your business on social media, you can control how you respond to the comments. Try to answer promptly and professionally to improve your chances of retaining existing clients and to communicate to a newer market that you're a reliable brand.

3. Lengthy Result Manifestation - Social media enables quick communication with your audience but it might not manifest consistent results during the early stages of your active social media presence. You may engage in SMM for a long time before you seen an increase in engagements or a return on your investment. Keep in mind that the process could take longer than expected and continue to plan and follow the necessary steps to make it successful in the future.