In modern world, running a business is both easier and harder when there are more opportunities and challenges for companies. To make it clearer, business nowadays can take advantage of the development of science like social media to communicate or build up its social image in order to be success in market. However, because of that development of social media, many companies, especially the small ones may feel confused about what they need to do when every company almost has the same opportunities, how can they prevail others?
The answer is in the article “Social media for small business, where to start”. Via the conversation with Amber MacArthor- Social media expert and author of Power Friending: Demystifying Social Media to Grow Your Business, the suggestion is that firstly, business should ‘put the plan in the place’ (MacArthor 2011), this means the company has to decide which social media tool which it likes to utilise. Secondly, as same as Kermond believes in “Brand miss conversation“, the expert advices companies to use social media such as facebook or twitter to listen what customers think about them, then manage its reputation. Thirdly, ‘creating a compelling content’ (MacArthor 2011).
However, what is a compelling content and how to create it are the problems worth discussing. MacArthor (2011) suggests that there are 3things which companies should avoid:
- · Shouting
- · Being offensive
- · Getting too comfortable
Then, she cites that it is necessary for companies to growing their communication among communities like letting customers fell free and to be respect when joining to the company’s community. After the community does grow, business has to know how to control the interactions, keep up with following the company’s social network every day.
In my opinion, I think that MacArthor’s tips are useful guidelines for every business. There is an undeniable fact that the beginning is always the hardest step when doing business, when companies might be confused about how to develop marketing campaign by online activities. Moreover, as far as I am concerned, I totally agree that making conversations on company social media is quite important but one thing event more critical is the way how to get people get involved to its network, not just “follow”. According to Le Pla 2010: ‘It’s all very well to have 5000fans on your facebook page but I’d rather have 1000 fans who are really involved’.
However, there are still some issues which companies should take into account before creating their facebooks or twitters. To start with, the theories are always different from reality. In the real world, what companies may face is more complicated than what MacArthor analysed and just following these tips may not enough with them. For example, if the competitors of the company are really stronger than it and they win more than 70% market share, creating and developing a good social network interactions do not seem to be enough. At that time, it may need a break thought in marketing strategy to appeal customers or instead of just focusing on its own reputation, listening to what its rival is being said is far more important.
To sum up, MacArthor’s advices are good hints for companies in general but being successful by social network cannot only rely on these. Just keep in mind that they just help business to start and what is next is a mystery which no one but its own business has to figure out, so a sensible online marketing campaign is the one which based on reality situation to develop.
Reference
Le pla, R 2010, ‘THE BUSINESS CASE FOR social media. (cover story)’, NZ Business, 24, 3, pp. 26-29, Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 September 2011.
Clare Kermond 2011, Brands miss conversation, The age, viewed 17 September 2011
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: companies' hints, facebook, small business, social media, where to start
