The Impact Of Only Using Social Media As A Marketing Tool

Question

Critical thinking of only using social media in marketing.

Answer

Since its development, social media is now seen as an essential tool in how people now interact with each other. From a business point of view, it is a major contributor to how organisations interact with customers and potential customers as well. Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin represent a huge opportunity for businesses to build upon and establish a brand image. One of the key advantages that drives organisations to use social media marketing is the overall cost for upkeep, as this tends to be a lot more cost efficient than traditional methods. However, solely relying on social media as a marketing tool for organisations, can not only limit coverage of a target market, it can also prove to be dangerous for a brand if a message has been communicated incorrectly, or a customer submits complaints or bad reviews. Such information can be distributed quickly, which then can be seen by millions of people worldwide. It can be then extremely difficult for a business to restore customer confidence in their products or services, if the reputation of a brand has been damaged, which can ultimately result in a severe loss of sales. There are many marketing tools in which an organisation can consider as alternative methods, in order to communicate their brand and offer sales promotions, which include traditional methods such as TV and radio advertising, billboards and leaflets. Celebrity endorsements can furthermore be especially effective within marketing a brand, as it can help people remember ads, stand out from others and even give off the image that the product can contribute to superstar status. Organisations will however have to carefully consider which celebrity can best portray a brand image they’d like to represent to their target markets.

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