There are many advantages of using social media as part of a business’s customer relations efforts. Traditional media, such as newspaper ads, direct mail, telemarketing, etc., are being left behind, and more businesses are realizing that in our technologically savvy world, social media is the way to go.
1. Everything is more instant- the web is open 24/7, which means customers provide feedback and expect real-time results. Businesses can take advantage of this by providing quick responses to build credibility and customer service.
2. It’s the best way of advertising- businesses can really work on brand engagement by getting the company name on multiple networks. They can also do this creatively, which shows consumers that the business does have personality and is able to connect with their customers. Businesses can also advertise towards a target group, and the network of networks that social media creates allows the brand name to spread quickly.
3. It’s cheaper- most social media networks are free, unlike the price a business might have to pay to use TV or radio advertising. Time is money, and social media saves time for the business and customers. Businesses can listen to multiple customers’ opinions at once and customers can find information more easily (they don’t have to go through the process of finding a company in the yellow pages and taking the time to call them.)
4. Monitoring- Businesses can gather data more instantly (seeing how many likes your business page has on Facebook is simple and current.) By having measurement tools that are accurate to the second, businesses can quickly adapt to market trends, and they can also watch what the competition is doing.
Today’s world is upbeat and instant thanks to social media- businesses need to keep up with the pace set by these networking utilities in order to effectively reach their customers.
