Chapter - 7
Social Media Channels
Learning outcomes
In this chapter, you will learn:
•
The main social media channels
– social networking, bookmarking, social news, media sharing, microblogging, and online forum sites.•
A wide variety of platforms that fall under these many channels.
•
How to track and measure your social media marketing success.
•
The best ways to engage with audiences on social media.
Social media channels
• Social media has changed the world of marketing. Social media is all about the ways in which we create, connect and share content online, and can be used as an integral part of an online marketing campaign. This has changed the way in which they publish, both online and offline, as well as how they can sell advertising. For example, many newspapers now publish their content online as well as in their print publications.
• Social Media Channels means blogs, micro-blogs, wikis, social networks, social bookmarking services, user rating services and any other online collaboration, sharing or publishing platform, whether accessed through the web, a mobile device, text messaging, email or other existing or emerging communications platforms.
What Are the Benefits of Social Media?
Social media platforms allow people to access information in real-time, to connect, and to find niche communities. It has helped many individuals find common ground with others online, making the world seem more interconnected and within reach.
1. Social Networks
Examples: Facebook, LinkedIn
A social networking site is a social media site that allows you to connect with people who have similar interests and backgrounds. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are three of the most popular examples of a social network website.
These platforms allow us to connect with our friends, family, and even brands. Most social network sites let users share thoughts, upload photos and videos, and participate in groups of interest.
2. Bookmarking Sites
Examples: Pinterest, Flipboard, Diggs
Bookmarking sites allow users to save and organize links to any number of online resources and websites. A great feature of these sites is the ability for the users to
“tag” links, which makes them easier to search, and invariably, share with their followers. StumbleUpon is a popular example of a bookmarking site.
3. Social news
Examples: Digg
A social news site allows its users to post news links and other items to external articles. Users then proceed to vote on said items, and the items with the highest number of votes are most prominently displayed. A good example of a social news site is Reddit.
4. Media Sharing
Examples: Pinterest, YouTube, Vimeo
Media sharing websites allow users to share different types of media, with the two main ones being image sharing and video hosting sites.
Most of these sites also offer social features, like the ability to create profiles and the option of commenting on the uploaded images or videos. These platforms mostly encourage user-generated content where anyone can create, curate, and share the creativity that speaks about them or spark conversations.
As you might have guessed, YouTube still remains the most well-known media sharing site in the world.
5. Microblogging
Examples: Twitter, Facebook
These are just what they sound like, sites that allow the users to submit their short written entries, which can include links to product and service sites, as well as links to other social media sites. These are then posted on the ‘walls’ of everyone who has subscribed to that user’s account. The most commonly used microblogging website is Twitter.
6. Blog comments and forums
An online forum is a site that lets users engage in conversations by posting and responding to community messages. A blog comment site is the same thing except being a little more focused. The comments are usually centered around the specific subject of the attached blog. Google has a popular blogging site aptly titled, Blogger.
However, there are a seemingly endless number of blogging sites, particularly because so many of them are niche-based, unlike the universal appeal of general social media sites.
7. Social Review Sites
Examples: TripAdvisor, Yelp, FourSquare
What’s one of the first things you see when you are planning to buy a new product or try out a new restaurant? If you are anything like us, you will first head to the reviews.
Review sites like TripAdvisor and FourSquare show reviews from community members for all sorts of locations and experiences. This keeps people out of the dark and allows them to make better planning or decisions when it comes to choosing a restaurant for their date.
8. Community Blogs
Examples: Medium, Tumblr
Sometimes all you want to do is share that one message, and really not everyone on the internet wants to invest in running and maintaining a blog from a self- hosted website. This is where shared blogging platforms like Medium give people a space to express their thoughts and voice.
9. Sharing Economy Networks
Examples: Airbnb, Pantheon, Kickstarter
While it might not occur to you directly, but websites like Airbnb isn’t just to find holiday rentals or activities. These sharing economy networks bring people who have got something they want to share together with the people who need it.
What Are the Top Social Media Sites?
Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world with 2.96 billion users. Here are the figures for the most popular social media websites as of January 2023:
1. Facebook (2.96 billion users) 2. YouTube (2.51 billion users) 3. WhatsApp (2 billion users) 4. Instagram (2 billion users) 5. WeChat (1.31 billion users) 6. TikTok (1.05 billion users)
7. Facebook Messenger (931 million users) 8. Douyin (715 million users)
9. Telegram (700 million users) 10. Snapchat (635 million users)
What Is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is the process of using social media channels to connect with consumers and spread awareness about your business, product, or service. Businesses can use social media marketing to increase awareness, promote products and sales, share useful content, and drive website traffic. Every company’s social media
marketing strategy looks a bit different based on the channels they choose and the target audience they want to connect with.
10 Advantages & Disadvantages Of Social Media For Business
Advantages of social media for business
• Increases brand awareness
One of the benefits of social media for businesses is having brand awareness. A good SEO strategy can only cover search engines. If you want your presence felt where people are, you’ll have to jump into social media marketing.
• Improves brand reputation
Brand reputation is all about how users talk, feel, and think about a company. If customers like or dislike your products and services, you can bet that they’re talking about it online whether you have a social media presence or not.
By being present on social media platforms, you’re giving yourself a chance to control part of the narrative. Should you find an unfavorable conversation about your brand, you can jump right into it and make clarifications or make an apology.
• Builds an online community
Why should a business build an online community?
A CMX study asked brands that same question. And according to 86% of respondents, it’s because branded online communities will positively impact core business operations.
More specifically, online communities will allow businesses to get people to trust them more, provide better customer service, and gain insight that can help them improve their operations.
• Reduces marketing cost
Having a social media marketing strategy is great for businesses that want a more cost-efficient way of delivering its message. Most (if not all) social media platforms are free to use, even for businesses. In fact, social media sites have programs in place to encourage companies to sign up for a business account.
• Increases website traffic
Increasing your site traffic means having more eyes on your products. It’s a great way to make people understand what you have to offer.
• Promotes brand loyalty
Businesses like having social media profiles because it allows them to gain new followers. But marketers know that there’s more to social media than that. They know that one of the best benefits of social media is that it allows them to retain customers.
Retaining customers can get pretty expensive. But that cost is reduced when you use social media to connect with your followers. By communicating with customers regularly, you build a special relationship with them. You can use jokes, photos, or videos to make your brand relatable.
Disadvantages of social media for business
• Takes up resources
Yes, running social media accounts is free (unless you decide to run ads, of course). You won’t have to pay money to create posts, upload videos, or reply to comments.
But:
Maintaining social media accounts will take time and manpower. And the harsh reality is that not every business has the hours or the people they need to do it efficiently.
• Increases risks
You gain valuable information when you use social media. The customer feedback alone gives you enough information to improve your business based on what your customers need.
But there’s a catch:
All comments posted by your followers will be seen by everyone — the good and the bad. This isn’t a problem if all user posts and comments are positive. But they rarely are. You’ll definitely get messages from unsatisfied customers. And they might end up saying things that could turn new customers off.
Here are a couple of ways you can minimize your risks when using social media
• Take some time out — If you read something that you don’t agree with, don’t reply while you’re angry. Otherwise, you’ll end up saying something that’s only going to make the situation worse. Take a breather. Only reply after you’ve calmed down.
• Shut down negative comments — Once a user posts something negative about your
products or brand, try to address the issues right away. Find out what’s upsetting the users and address their problems head on. If you don’t, there’s a chance that other
users will also comment on similar experiences.
• Stop oversharing —Sometimes it’s better to be quiet about certain aspects of the business. Making premature announcements can be a cause of trouble, especially if
you don’t end up pushing through. On a related note, make it a point that you don’t share your personal information.
• Monitor who has access to your accounts — If someone on your team accidentally posts something they shouldn’t have, you’ll want to know which of your employees did it so you could take action right away. Limit the access to your social accounts to a few people. And make it a habit to change the password whenever someone leaves their position.
• Highlights mistakes
Social media users can be unforgiving when they see errors in posts. While you can get away with a typographical error here and there, expect to be on the receiving end of fierce criticism if you post something more controversial and divisive.
If you’re not versed in public relations, you could find yourself in a situation that’s bound to spiral out of control.
Is it that easy to make mistakes on social media? Yes, it is. Even big brands find themselves in hot water now and then.
