Can Social Media Company really help businesses?

[Grenelle]

[Eric]

Considering how many use them, and subsequently how jaded people are to that type of marketing, it's only going to help a little if at all.

It seems I can't open a newspaper without seeing some random ad stating: "Check us out on Facebook!"

[Leaira Hathaway]

Not at all. It is just hurting them by taking their money for advertising, all of which has proven to be ineffective. Otherwise Facebook stock wouldn't be going down the toilet. Hardly anyone clicks on the ads while on Facebook. That's a proven fact.

I also know many people who have canceled their Facebook accounts because they were annoyed about every page being cluttered with advertising.

[Ahmed]

Social media is more than just a buzzword. There are opportunities and measureable results that it offers that can be extremely beneficial to companies of all sizes. While Facebook and Twitter may be included it’s more than that.

Many times people get so caught up in the tools that little time is spent talking and strategizing and about what social media can actually do. Tools are great if you know how to use them, but at some point the tools need to have purpose. It’s where there is no purpose that abuse becomes the end results.

I often hear small to mid-size companies ask to help implement social media strategies into their overall marketing plan with a skewed outlook of what social media is and what its benefits are. However, if you know what social media isn’t, than it’s a lot easier to grasp what it can do.

If you have a good product, a detailed business plan, and customer service policies in place and willing to invest time, here are a few things that social media can do for your business.

Benefits that Social Media Could Provide

Gives you the opportunity to begin listening to what others are saying about your company online.
Allow you to have one-to-one communication with your consumers.
It can be used to gather feedback about new products.
It personalizes your corporation/brand
Provides channels to produce and distribute exclusive content that can be shared which in return extends the voice of your brand.
Can be used to share exclusive information and offers to your loyalists.
It’s an extension to your public relations strategies
Provides platforms to build communities for your brand enthusiasts around your product and company.
Offers opportunities that will bring exposure to your company.
Provides potential opportunities for word-of-mouth buzz about your company and products.

While I know that this isn’t the end all list of benefits, it is a good place to begin thinking about the benefits that social media provides. Once you know what it can do, building strategies is your next course of action.