These day, I do believe it is hard for any company to ignore social media. I do think it takes quite a bit of planning before a company joins social media because of all the negativity that can come from a wrong move, wrong wording, etc. Free speech is a great thing, but it can really hurt a company. I used to think that social media was free, but you want to pay someone with good experience good money to manage the company's social media. I wish this article gave some real examples of what has happened to companies in the past because of these 5 mistakes mentioned.
As an aspiring Entrepreneur, social media is undoubtedly going to be useful for me in the future. But beyond advertising your product, I find that this article articulates what business should use of social networking for; as a tool to create interaction between you and your customers. This can be good or bad depending on how ethically you run your business, as this article points out as well.
In all honesty though, I'm not a fan of social media. As an average dude who doesn't own a business, or has any desire to share with other people what I ate this morning, I almost yearn for the age that social media wasn't apart of the marketing or "friend making" equation. I'm all about face-to-face interaction.
This article brings up a good point, that a business needs to have a strong social media program that gives them a positive image or else the only image people can find out there on the web may be a negative one. Unhappy people do to try get their voices heard more than happy people do, I've noticed this myself at my own job as a server. We are supposed to get the guests to fill out online surveys about their experience in the restaurant. It is always the unhappy people that would rather leave their opinion than the ones that leave happy.
Also, the ending section under Nothing Is Free talks about a good social media package requiring content, stories, and business intelligence. This made me think about the speaker we had in class from Burns and McDonnell he said the same thing. He talked about having an interesting mix of information to relay via social media including industry news, company news or promotions, and other interesting things like awesome engineering feats that people within their target market would be interested in.
One aspect that social media doesn't gain enough credit for is the monitoring abilities it gives companies. Just by tweeting about a restaurant I just moved in near (without tagging anything), I received a follow from that specific location. While social media does allow companies promotion, equally important is that it lets companies be aware of what's being said about them online and gives them a chance to respond. Prior to this article, I hadn't really considered the specifics of how a company sets goals for social media use, how to achieve them, and why. That stated purpose can provide a lot of clarity and focus to help success. As long as companies are able to approach this with the same professionalism they do in any other environment, social media's advantages far outweigh its potential downfalls.
Interesting points! I like that they brought up the idea that social media is not advertising. Using it as a source of dialogue between business and consumer can be a very effective tool.
I think this article has great information when it comes to companies using social media. It's very true that even if a company isn't "doing social media" people are talking about that company using social media whether they're using it or not. And when it comes to how to use social media, I think it's a great idea for a company to have a plan, such as the facebook example. You want your page to get so many likes, but what will you do and how will you use facebook after you get those likes? Also, I think it's really important for companies to understand that they will have some issues with social media and sometimes they may post something that may offend someone. It's important that they handle it the same way they would in person. This article give some great information for companies that are new to social media.
The main point I took away from this article is the fact that social media is not advertising, it's a conversation. I think that most of the articles I've read about simply how to gain followers on social media as a business don't emphasize this point at all. Until reading this article, it'd be easy to just view social media as a way to advertise a product or company, but the social part is what is truly crucial. It gives businesses the ability to hear directly from a larger set of consumers and, with the right amount of research, creates better marketing plan opportunities.
I was especially interested it the third mistake. I think business owners, especially small business owners, do not fully understand how to use social media. They assume it's all about how many "likes" "shares" or "re-tweets" a post can get. By setting high objectives for these things, many business owners assume their job is done. However, without a specific plan to obtain these things, social media will not produce results.
I would add my own Social Media Mistake; Don't Feed the Trolls. It's important for companies to properly use social media in marketing. But, I've noticed that sometimes they can get sucked into "wars" with trolls. Trolls are individuals whose sole purpose is to piss people off on the internet. I have noticed that companies have gotten better at not being sucked into every little contraversy. Some stories have a very short shelflife.
this artical makes a good point many people dont use or even know how to use a social media website. but recently i have come across a business that does all the work for you it can make weekly posts and guide you through the process. so even though people might not use social media right there are many tools to help educate people so they can better themselves
This article did a good job of stating some key mistakes that are impoirtant to companies regarding social media. Although social media is a pretty new tool in our world, companies who correctly use it have acieved great results. I pretty much agree with all of the five points that the article stated.
The article's point that i see is the most important and true is that companies cannot ignore their presence in social media. It really is a mistake because rather they put material themselves or not, people have a voice that social media exposes to the whole world. It is very important that companies use social media themselves so that not only can they help influence public opinion, but to get the most out of it, which could bring very good rewards.
I feel that this article hit a lot of strong points, and honestly ties in well what the the guest speaker from Berns and Mac was talking about. Integrating social media into your business is no longer just a good idea, but a necessity. I work at retail company who, over the past three or four years, has really hit the social media corner hard. They offer prizes and special contest to users who "tag" themselves or other objects on instagram. They've even had tie-ins with tv shows who released special promo material after the company got so many likes on Facebook.
Everyday the market becomes more and more connected and so do the consumers. Avoiding social media - as a business - is a poor idea. While you are not on there, interacting with customers, they are talking about your business. Referrals are one of the most powerful ways to build sales and negative talk about your business is a sure way to kill it.
Some people can get confused on the social media aspect and what it all entails, but im glad to see that its been stated it is NOT advertising! A lot of businesses feed into the trend of social media because they feel that its best for their company, but in reality it could hurt their businesses if not done properly.
I have always had the dream of opening my own restaraunt, and part of the public outreach to gain more customers would include spending a lot of time on social media. A local restaraunt in my hometown had a pretty cool relationship with people in the town by using twitter to offer discounts, which was what originally gave me the ideas I have for my own place one day. I think using social media to engage with people in a positive way is a great tool that businesses would be ignorant to not use. The article suggested that people will always be trolling you on the internet and saying something not so positive about your establishment, I think it is great to recognize that it will NEVER go away and to learn how to deal with the issue. It is important to stay on top of what people think of your business online. Just imagine what Ben and Jerry would have been able to do with the local townspeople had they had the help of social media!
I agree with a comment above, as well as what was stated in the article. "Social media is not advertising, it's a dialogue." You can not just expect to post whatever you want and not expect it to not have an impact (positive/negative) on anyone. In direct relation, free speech, is tied into that for just those reasons mentioned above. "You can't shut people up," if you start a dialogue on a social media site, especially if you are the one responsible for kicking off the debate/conversation!
I totally agree that many companies today have unrealistic expectations about social media. Companies cannot simply just "go and do" social media by sending some tech-savvy college grad to update Facebook pages and twitter feeds. Just like any other objective in the workplace, companies must do sufficient research and set sufficient expectations. Also, they must create objectives that can be measured and analyzed as they progress towards their social media goals.
Companies often times forget that free speech is a part of social media and that social media can actually harm them. There are two sides to social media- the consumer and the company. Social media is a double edged sword in that it can work to help and/or hurt you depending on what your customers are saying online.
Overall, I thought this was a great article that brought attention to things that companies don't think about when planning social media. Thanks for sharing!
I disagree with the statement that social media is NOT advertising. Used correctly, social media can be as effective at advertising as a TV commercial. Just seeing a picture of a Big Mac makes me want one.
This article brings up some good points because many companies make many of these mistakes. Some companies even avoid social media, and like the article says, even if you aren't on social media accounts, you still have a presence whether you know it or not. Social media is a good way to interact with your consumers but it is important to remember that people can and will say anything that they want to so its important to deal with criticism the right way.
This article is demonstrating some very important elements that a lot of businesses are overlooking. Whether a business likes it or not they are involved in social media. The worst thing a business can do is not be involved with what is being posted over social media. In society today people are more likely to post a bad experience with a company than a good one. Angry consumers have social media at their fingertips and within minutes of being dissatisfied can have a post up sharing the experience. Once the post is made it is spread like wild fire over the internet. This is why businesses should take these issues head on and deal with them in a serious manner.
I think social media is creating new jobs in the workplace that are relevant to generation y graduates. As the article says, social media needs to be monitored very closely, with a team of people articulating a plan and making sure to respond quickly when it comes to tasks such as damage control. The social media boom happened at a time when many current students and graduates were growing up, so it definitely gives them a good advantage at getting social media jobs compared to older generations.
Social Media is definitely the most prevalent way of communicating and influencing an audience. I agree that business can't afford to ignore it or think that the "one time a month" posting will do anything substantial for their company. I found it interesting and very true that even those companies who do not want to be in the social media world, can't help but be involved, because of the nature of people's loud opinions, reviews, and sometimes praise. It is most beneficial to engage this form of networking and communication to get the attention of this generation and to make yourself known in what can feel like a more personal way. Social media can definitely be a platform to be used to "win the hearts" of consumers and followers alike, but weather or not a company does win hearts, it is seen, heard, and judged regardless.
I like the points about "ignoring the social media" and "free speech". I do agree that in todays society it is nearly impossible for a company to not be using social media. Its everywhere, and most everyone is doing it. Even though its not considered advertising, it does give the consumers a chance to dialogue and give feedback with the companies. Which is a very important element when it comes to consumers, because they want to be heard.
The element of free speech is an interesting one, because people are very bold sometimes, and will tell you exactly what they think and how they think you should fix it. I agree with the article that the best way to "fix" this, is to just take the comments in stride. Don't ignore the negative comments, just find a way to shine light on what was done correctly, or what was fixed due to the negative comment.
The main thing i got from this article is that companies seem to be having a tougher time on whether to conform or not. All the other companies have so why not us? Well these companies want to obviously be different and hope that the feedback they receive on social media sites won't all be negative. For these companies to determine that they must not ignore social media and know that it's inevitable from getting away from social media in this new age. Mistakes will be made but companies should really see that these mistakes will continue to happen if they really ignore social media and what people have to say about the company and their products.
This article is really good, but I was surprised that companies still ignore social media. I don't think this is the worst mistake. Deleting comments and failing to honor a warranty can be the most damaging. Once you upset someone enough they can bring others on the band wagon to try and ruin your reputation. I believe company can use social media for advertising as long as they hide the way they are advertising something or just not posting continuously about their product.
I think the article made some good points. Social media is a great tool, but simply being on social media isn't enough for a business. They have to know what to post and when in order to be effective. For the individual social media is a fun and enjoyable activity, but to companies social media is becoming another job that they need to do in order to keep their business going.
I love how they said social media is not advertising. Many business fall into this trap. I also agree with not deleting bad reviews or ignoring certain customer care requests. What I would like to see is them stating that there are times where deleting posts can be appropriate. An example would be somebody from FL stating that they hated a companies cleaning service and how there were items missing in the home when the fact of the matter is your business is only servicing MO. This happens all the time, but consumers don't do their research. They look at the post and immediately have a negative feeling towards this company. Of course, this falls in line with the article stating not to ignore posts!
My favorite part about this was the one about free speech, I see this a lot on Reddit. Its great, companys shouldnt try to ignore bad stuff it will just come back around and hurt them.
28 comments:
These day, I do believe it is hard for any company to ignore social media. I do think it takes quite a bit of planning before a company joins social media because of all the negativity that can come from a wrong move, wrong wording, etc. Free speech is a great thing, but it can really hurt a company. I used to think that social media was free, but you want to pay someone with good experience good money to manage the company's social media. I wish this article gave some real examples of what has happened to companies in the past because of these 5 mistakes mentioned.
As an aspiring Entrepreneur, social media is undoubtedly going to be useful for me in the future. But beyond advertising your product, I find that this article articulates what business should use of social networking for; as a tool to create interaction between you and your customers. This can be good or bad depending on how ethically you run your business, as this article points out as well.
In all honesty though, I'm not a fan of social media. As an average dude who doesn't own a business, or has any desire to share with other people what I ate this morning, I almost yearn for the age that social media wasn't apart of the marketing or "friend making" equation. I'm all about face-to-face interaction.
This article brings up a good point, that a business needs to have a strong social media program that gives them a positive image or else the only image people can find out there on the web may be a negative one. Unhappy people do to try get their voices heard more than happy people do, I've noticed this myself at my own job as a server. We are supposed to get the guests to fill out online surveys about their experience in the restaurant. It is always the unhappy people that would rather leave their opinion than the ones that leave happy.
Also, the ending section under Nothing Is Free talks about a good social media package requiring content, stories, and business intelligence. This made me think about the speaker we had in class from Burns and McDonnell he said the same thing. He talked about having an interesting mix of information to relay via social media including industry news, company news or promotions, and other interesting things like awesome engineering feats that people within their target market would be interested in.
One aspect that social media doesn't gain enough credit for is the monitoring abilities it gives companies. Just by tweeting about a restaurant I just moved in near (without tagging anything), I received a follow from that specific location. While social media does allow companies promotion, equally important is that it lets companies be aware of what's being said about them online and gives them a chance to respond.
Prior to this article, I hadn't really considered the specifics of how a company sets goals for social media use, how to achieve them, and why. That stated purpose can provide a lot of clarity and focus to help success.
As long as companies are able to approach this with the same professionalism they do in any other environment, social media's advantages far outweigh its potential downfalls.
Interesting points! I like that they brought up the idea that social media is not advertising. Using it as a source of dialogue between business and consumer can be a very effective tool.
I think this article has great information when it comes to companies using social media. It's very true that even if a company isn't "doing social media" people are talking about that company using social media whether they're using it or not. And when it comes to how to use social media, I think it's a great idea for a company to have a plan, such as the facebook example. You want your page to get so many likes, but what will you do and how will you use facebook after you get those likes? Also, I think it's really important for companies to understand that they will have some issues with social media and sometimes they may post something that may offend someone. It's important that they handle it the same way they would in person. This article give some great information for companies that are new to social media.
The main point I took away from this article is the fact that social media is not advertising, it's a conversation. I think that most of the articles I've read about simply how to gain followers on social media as a business don't emphasize this point at all. Until reading this article, it'd be easy to just view social media as a way to advertise a product or company, but the social part is what is truly crucial. It gives businesses the ability to hear directly from a larger set of consumers and, with the right amount of research, creates better marketing plan opportunities.
I was especially interested it the third mistake. I think business owners, especially small business owners, do not fully understand how to use social media. They assume it's all about how many "likes" "shares" or "re-tweets" a post can get. By setting high objectives for these things, many business owners assume their job is done. However, without a specific plan to obtain these things, social media will not produce results.
I would add my own Social Media Mistake; Don't Feed the Trolls. It's important for companies to properly use social media in marketing. But, I've noticed that sometimes they can get sucked into "wars" with trolls. Trolls are individuals whose sole purpose is to piss people off on the internet. I have noticed that companies have gotten better at not being sucked into every little contraversy. Some stories have a very short shelflife.
this artical makes a good point many people dont use or even know how to use a social media website. but recently i have come across a business that does all the work for you it can make weekly posts and guide you through the process. so even though people might not use social media right there are many tools to help educate people so they can better themselves
This article did a good job of stating some key mistakes that are impoirtant to companies regarding social media. Although social media is a pretty new tool in our world, companies who correctly use it have acieved great results. I pretty much agree with all of the five points that the article stated.
The article's point that i see is the most important and true is that companies cannot ignore their presence in social media. It really is a mistake because rather they put material themselves or not, people have a voice that social media exposes to the whole world. It is very important that companies use social media themselves so that not only can they help influence public opinion, but to get the most out of it, which could bring very good rewards.
I feel that this article hit a lot of strong points, and honestly ties in well what the the guest speaker from Berns and Mac was talking about. Integrating social media into your business is no longer just a good idea, but a necessity. I work at retail company who, over the past three or four years, has really hit the social media corner hard. They offer prizes and special contest to users who "tag" themselves or other objects on instagram. They've even had tie-ins with tv shows who released special promo material after the company got so many likes on Facebook.
Everyday the market becomes more and more connected and so do the consumers. Avoiding social media - as a business - is a poor idea. While you are not on there, interacting with customers, they are talking about your business. Referrals are one of the most powerful ways to build sales and negative talk about your business is a sure way to kill it.
Some people can get confused on the social media aspect and what it all entails, but im glad to see that its been stated it is NOT advertising! A lot of businesses feed into the trend of social media because they feel that its best for their company, but in reality it could hurt their businesses if not done properly.
I have always had the dream of opening my own restaraunt, and part of the public outreach to gain more customers would include spending a lot of time on social media. A local restaraunt in my hometown had a pretty cool relationship with people in the town by using twitter to offer discounts, which was what originally gave me the ideas I have for my own place one day. I think using social media to engage with people in a positive way is a great tool that businesses would be ignorant to not use. The article suggested that people will always be trolling you on the internet and saying something not so positive about your establishment, I think it is great to recognize that it will NEVER go away and to learn how to deal with the issue. It is important to stay on top of what people think of your business online. Just imagine what Ben and Jerry would have been able to do with the local townspeople had they had the help of social media!
I agree with a comment above, as well as what was stated in the article. "Social media is not advertising, it's a dialogue." You can not just expect to post whatever you want and not expect it to not have an impact (positive/negative) on anyone. In direct relation, free speech, is tied into that for just those reasons mentioned above. "You can't shut people up," if you start a dialogue on a social media site, especially if you are the one responsible for kicking off the debate/conversation!
I totally agree that many companies today have unrealistic expectations about social media. Companies cannot simply just "go and do" social media by sending some tech-savvy college grad to update Facebook pages and twitter feeds. Just like any other objective in the workplace, companies must do sufficient research and set sufficient expectations. Also, they must create objectives that can be measured and analyzed as they progress towards their social media goals.
Companies often times forget that free speech is a part of social media and that social media can actually harm them. There are two sides to social media- the consumer and the company. Social media is a double edged sword in that it can work to help and/or hurt you depending on what your customers are saying online.
Overall, I thought this was a great article that brought attention to things that companies don't think about when planning social media. Thanks for sharing!
I disagree with the statement that social media is NOT advertising. Used correctly, social media can be as effective at advertising as a TV commercial. Just seeing a picture of a Big Mac makes me want one.
This article brings up some good points because many companies make many of these mistakes. Some companies even avoid social media, and like the article says, even if you aren't on social media accounts, you still have a presence whether you know it or not. Social media is a good way to interact with your consumers but it is important to remember that people can and will say anything that they want to so its important to deal with criticism the right way.
This article is demonstrating some very important elements that a lot of businesses are overlooking. Whether a business likes it or not they are involved in social media. The worst thing a business can do is not be involved with what is being posted over social media. In society today people are more likely to post a bad experience with a company than a good one. Angry consumers have social media at their fingertips and within minutes of being dissatisfied can have a post up sharing the experience. Once the post is made it is spread like wild fire over the internet. This is why businesses should take these issues head on and deal with them in a serious manner.
I think social media is creating new jobs in the workplace that are relevant to generation y graduates. As the article says, social media needs to be monitored very closely, with a team of people articulating a plan and making sure to respond quickly when it comes to tasks such as damage control. The social media boom happened at a time when many current students and graduates were growing up, so it definitely gives them a good advantage at getting social media jobs compared to older generations.
Social Media is definitely the most prevalent way of communicating and influencing an audience. I agree that business can't afford to ignore it or think that the "one time a month" posting will do anything substantial for their company. I found it interesting and very true that even those companies who do not want to be in the social media world, can't help but be involved, because of the nature of people's loud opinions, reviews, and sometimes praise. It is most beneficial to engage this form of networking and communication to get the attention of this generation and to make yourself known in what can feel like a more personal way. Social media can definitely be a platform to be used to "win the hearts" of consumers and followers alike, but weather or not a company does win hearts, it is seen, heard, and judged regardless.
I like the points about "ignoring the social media" and "free speech". I do agree that in todays society it is nearly impossible for a company to not be using social media. Its everywhere, and most everyone is doing it. Even though its not considered advertising, it does give the consumers a chance to dialogue and give feedback with the companies. Which is a very important element when it comes to consumers, because they want to be heard.
The element of free speech is an interesting one, because people are very bold sometimes, and will tell you exactly what they think and how they think you should fix it. I agree with the article that the best way to "fix" this, is to just take the comments in stride. Don't ignore the negative comments, just find a way to shine light on what was done correctly, or what was fixed due to the negative comment.
The main thing i got from this article is that companies seem to be having a tougher time on whether to conform or not. All the other companies have so why not us? Well these companies want to obviously be different and hope that the feedback they receive on social media sites won't all be negative. For these companies to determine that they must not ignore social media and know that it's inevitable from getting away from social media in this new age. Mistakes will be made but companies should really see that these mistakes will continue to happen if they really ignore social media and what people have to say about the company and their products.
Chelsea Brewer said....
This article is really good, but I was surprised that companies still ignore social media. I don't think this is the worst mistake. Deleting comments and failing to honor a warranty can be the most damaging. Once you upset someone enough they can bring others on the band wagon to try and ruin your reputation. I believe company can use social media for advertising as long as they hide the way they are advertising something or just not posting continuously about their product.
I think the article made some good points. Social media is a great tool, but simply being on social media isn't enough for a business. They have to know what to post and when in order to be effective. For the individual social media is a fun and enjoyable activity, but to companies social media is becoming another job that they need to do in order to keep their business going.
I love how they said social media is not advertising. Many business fall into this trap. I also agree with not deleting bad reviews or ignoring certain customer care requests. What I would like to see is them stating that there are times where deleting posts can be appropriate. An example would be somebody from FL stating that they hated a companies cleaning service and how there were items missing in the home when the fact of the matter is your business is only servicing MO. This happens all the time, but consumers don't do their research. They look at the post and immediately have a negative feeling towards this company. Of course, this falls in line with the article stating not to ignore posts!
My favorite part about this was the one about free speech, I see this a lot on Reddit. Its great, companys shouldnt try to ignore bad stuff it will just come back around and hurt them.
Post a Comment