Reflection 2: 6 'Must Have' Tips for Businesses Getting Involved in Social Media

6 'Must Have' Tips for Businesses Getting Involved in Social Media

Social media is a rapidly evolving landscape, and big businesses must keep up if they are to succeed. According to professor of marketing Andreas Kaplan, "Social media allows for businesses to engage in timely and direct end-consumer communication at relatively low cost and higher efficiency than can be achieved with more traditional communication methods" (Kaplan 2010). Yet despite this big area in cyberspace with vast outreach and huge user base, some companies still are uncomfortable or awkward in their integration with social media. This has a lot to do with its democratization associated with these social platforms. Media scholar Jan Kietzmann argues that with the advent of social media “the power has been taken from those in marketing and public relations by the individuals and communities that create, share, and consume blogs, tweets, Facebook entries, movies, pictures, and so forth” (Kietzmann 2011). Concerns over ease of access of information, consumer comments, conflicts of interest, and previous failures by companies accounts for much of the fear or ineffectiveness of some businesses with regards to social media use. With numerous embarrassing “social media fails” by businesses, these apprehensions are not without reason. Despite this, it is still critical for businesses to get involved with social media if they are to survive in this rapidly evolving marketplace. Here are 6 tips for getting businesses looking to get more involved in social media while avoiding historic blunders.

1.)  Choose the dominant medium carefully

The plethora of potential social media platforms available may be overwhelming, especially considering how new platforms are continuously emerging and constantly being developed. When allocating company resources, it is vitally important to narrow the search to the right platforms. Larger companies may have more resources to expand to several platforms, but no company can be involved in all of them and maintain any useful level of activity, so it’s usually best to pick just one dominant medium. Because each medium has its own character and set of users, the specific medium of choice depends on the type of target consumer and also the nature of the company itself. It is important to keep in mind that “each social media application attracts a certain group of people and firms should be active wherever their customers are present” (Kaplan 2010). Because this involves knowing the audience as well as the platforms, there is a certain amount of market research that needs to be done in this regard.

2.)  Ensure online activity aligns with the platform

Companies must stay congruent and avoid sending contradictory messages within media and across different channels of communication. In addition to this, it is important that your company message does not fundamentally clash with the innate personality of the medium. For example, YouTube provides a high degree of media richness and emotional engagement with the consumers, but isn’t a very good way to increase the company’s overall reach. On the other hand, startup companies might have better luck getting more followers on a platform like Instagram.

3.)  Be passionate

Take advantage of what your platform has to offer. As these platforms become more and more interconnected, they expand on Web 2.0 ideas of user-generated content and bring a high degree of interoperability, giving you access to a wider user base. It is important to connect with your consumers on an emotional level – most platforms have a limited degree of media richness, so it’s important that your passion shines through the screen. When Tesla Motors was criticized for a car fire that occurred after a collision, Elon Musk posted a lengthy entry on the company’s public blog defending the corporation. Musk included lots of statistical data and evidence in his argument that fires are much more common in conventional cars and usually much worse. Though stock prices initially fell, they quickly recovered after his blog post was shown on the news (Woodyard, 2013). When companies are on social media, they are expected to engage with the consumers on a deep level while exuding passion for their company.

4.)  Form a relationship with the consumers.

Being involved in social media is not just about talking at your customers - there is a sense of reciprocity. Social media platforms are designed to enhance communication, and it is critical to remember that this is a two way street. It is important to have employees “who have the ability to listen and who care about the chatter online, and those who can create content that is emotionally appropriate for the community” (Kietzmann 2011). Companies can’t just spew information and advertisements at customers – they have to promote discussion and listen to user’s comments, actively engaging the audience. In this way, the social media platform also serves as a though incubator where the company can learn, grow, and adapt more rapidly to the needs and wishes of the target consumers.

5.)  Be active but not too active

While it’s important to stay active, it’s equally important not to inundate social media users with too much information or blunt advertising. This isn’t just limited to business use of social media, either. One of the common stigmas on Instagram is that unless you’re famous, limit yourself to just one post a day as a maximum. This “rule” is by no means formal or written anywhere, but flooding your account with posts is a sure fire way to lose annoyed followers.

6.)  Always be cautious and honest

Everyone has probably seen an example of a subpar social media post or blunder by some company. There are numerous cases of several “social media fails.” For example, McDonald’s once tried a new #RonaldMcDonald hashtag on Twitter and had all of the responses bashing the new clown’s makeover as well as the food, worse than Rebecca Black after she released her single “Friday.” Also when LG mocked the iPhone for its #bendgate scandal, they sent the tweet from an iPhone without realizing it (Borison 2014). If something bad, embarrassing, or scandalous were to happen, it is important not to hide it (especially in this age where everything is tracked) but acknowledge it and apologize. When United airlines accidentally broke Dave Carroll’s guitar, he made a music video about it, costing United almost $200 million dollars in stock prices (Ayres, 2009). Had United released an apology video, things might have been very different.

Social media integration is a key aspect for any modern business that wants to be taken seriously. Efficient use of social media is challenging for firms, particularly those used to more traditional forms of communication. Armed with these 6 tips, you will be able to expand your business' potential through integration with social media.

References

Ayres, Chris. “Revenge is best served cold – on YouTube.” Times Online. 2009.

https://web.archive.org/web/20100531204013/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/chris_ayres/article6722407.ece

Borison, Rebecca. "The Top 10 Social Media Fails of 2014." Inc.com. Inc., 10 Dec. 2014.

http://www.inc.com/rebecca-borison/top-10-social-media-fails-2014.html

Kaplan, Andreas. “Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media.” Business Horizons 2010.

Kietzmann, et al. “Social Media? Get Serious! Understanding the Functional Building Blocks of Social Media.” Business Horizons 2011.

Woodyard, Chris. “Elon Musk defends Tesla after car fire.” USA Today. 2013.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/10/04/elon-musk-tesla-fire/2924423/

Image References

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