Social media has grown into something akin to a monster over the past 20 years, becoming a platform for politics, hatred, and anger, a place to vent frustration, spread lies, and misinformation. Social media is powerful, a money-making machine for shareholders, vloggers, influencers, and brands.
However, social media is also a tool to sell products, spread good news, and celebrate life in general.
By producing eye-catching content and using such tools as Instagram Stories and the Facebook Market Place, anyone from the humble start-up to well-known brands can compete against one another on an even playing field.
Previously, small companies would struggle online with a low advertising budget. Still, today they are more likely to survive than they would on the high street, as social media platforms have helped them spread the word about their offerings.
People tend to be more influenced by what they read on social media than through casual conversations or what they watch on TV. It has become a monster, but what kind of monster is it? Good or bad?
Let us look at social media and its uses, whether good, bad, or ugly.
Sharing Information
Gossip has been with us since the days when we first learned to talk. People have shared information, valuable or invaluable, for fun or to be serious, good or bad, to help define who they are and to keep in touch with their audience.
As human beings, we crave attention and what better way to get that attention than on social media. It works for people, and it works for brands. It’s easy to access and post a comment to a worldwide audience at the stroke of a keyboard.
All of this has allowed social networks to grow and evolve. To feed their users appetites and to leave them demanding more. Social media has helped to shape our politics, our social issues, and views, reach out to family and friends far and wide and even make new friendships and relationships. It has introduced us to new products, new brands, new music, films and the famous and all of this has played a part in its ever-growing power.
Social Media Is Impactive
Did you know that nearly a quarter of the population is on social media? That is one hell of an audience for the brand, small business, politicians, the media, and attention seekers. The impact of a post can reach far and wide as it can build up a person or company or tear them apart. Any misdemeanour by a celebrity can reach millions of people through a single post or the simple use of a hashtag and can destroy their career in a matter of hours. Twitter spreads a news story faster than the established media.
Which Leads Us Onto News
Social media seems to be winning the war against traditional media. More and more people are turning to social media to find out what is happening in the world. Since the start of the internet, it has become easier for people to access news stories, unlike years before when you had to buy a newspaper to find out what was happening in the world or wait until the news came on the TV. With the advent of social media, anyone can be a journalist, break a news story with a simple tweet or post, or make or break a person or brand. Social media has helped make people more aware of what is happening in the world.
Marketing and Social Media
Social media has also become the go-to tool for marketers. The rise of digital marketing has been unstoppable, and brands or businesses without a social media presence are being left further behind. As we stated earlier, small businesses can compete with the big boys as they can more or less reach the same audience through digital marketing. With more digital companies springing up, pricing has become very competitive. At Smoking Chilli, we have marketing packages to suit all budgets.
There is an endless world of possibilities when it comes to reaching your target market on social media. It is very uncommon for people not to check their social media pages at least once a day. It is used for education, communication, and decision-making.
Social media is impactive, helpful, informative but can also be destructive and affect mental health.
We have seen celebrities such as Jesy Nelson of Little Mix who succumbed to the daily pressure of being in the public eye and open to abuse on social media affected by mental health issues. We have seen our footballers suffer racist abuse because of a penalty miss. Yes, social media is powerful for various reasons, for good, but there are issues.
So don’t be put off by social media. If it is treated well and with respect, it will return the favour. For small businesses, social media can be very impactful and helpful and put you in touch with your audience. It is an excellent marketing tool for targeting audiences related to your business.
If you need help with your business, social media, or digital marketing, drop us a line, and we will discuss how we can help your business grow.
