Social Media Marketing – Advantages and Disadvantages

This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of social media marketing. It covers topics such as cost-effectiveness, better customer satisfaction, increased inbound traffic, time-consuming, slow returns on investments, and social media frequently changing. The article also provides case studies of Woolworths, Wesfarmers, Aldi, Coles, Westpac, and Optus.

Running head: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
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1SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Introduction:
Web-based social network showcasing is a type of web advertising that uses long
extent of easy-going communication sites as promoting equipment. Nowadays people are
prone to working on internet. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Youtube are the
various web networking platforms that are used by the population widely. Social media
marketing is form of marketing through internet which involves formation, creation and
sharing of the matter in internet on social media in order to achieve marketing goals and
branding. Web based social network marketing is a powerful way for all size of businesses to
achieve the consumer and its prospects. The activities undertaken refer to posting text, image
updates, videos and many other contents that has audience engagement, even there are
options for paid social media advertising, these are the activities that takes place in social
media marketing. The objective of social media marketing is to deliver stuff that clients will
impart to their social network to enable a business to expand brand exposure and widen client
reach.
Advantages:
1st body paragraph-Cost Effective:
According to Alharbie (2015), social media marketing is conceivably the savviest
method of promoting any item.
The making of a new profile and marking in is free for pretty much every web-based life.
The media that normally charge, the sum is minute contrasted with the overall returns. Saving
money on commercial costs guarantee more noteworthy returns and investments. Social
media marketing is quite a cheaper procedure of marketing compared to any other marketing
strategies whereas it has great returns. A business be it small or large regardless of its size can

2SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
go for this marketing procedure. The businesses which are of smaller sizes can easily
establish its brand name though this marketing pattern as nowadays internet as in social
media is there with more or less with every human being. In a very cheaper amount or at no
cost at all through social media a business can reach to each and every individual.
As seen I n the case of Woolworths.
Woolsworth found buyers are savvier and more educated than any other time in recent
memory. As a result of internet-based life's expanding impact, individuals utilize such
channels to settle on intelligent purchasing choices by enquiring about items and making or
perusing proposals at no cost at all neither the business has to invest for this. Thus posting in
Facebook helped Woolsworth to enhance its business. Moreover, retargeting even utilized on
individuals who have acquired on the site or application once. So, without further investment
the company gained enhancement. This is why it is opting social media marketing proved
beneficial.
Thus it is advantageous to use social media marketing.
2nd body paragraph-Better customer satisfaction:
As per Godey et al. (2016), it is the human instinct to attract attention. Thus
providing attention gives satisfaction.
The activity of setting up social media marketing enables one to react to explicit client at any
given moment. Clients do truly acknowledge when they realize they will get personalized
response when they post remarks on a page, instead of getting any robotized message in
response. It demonstrates that the particular business is mindful and minding. This puts an

3SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
advertiser at a bit of leeway position since more clients will be pulled in. The presence in
social media marketing not only highlights the business in the internet but also grabs attention
of the consumers, the business can reach to each an individual customer look after their needs
and demands, thus can make changes as per consumer needs and can set priorities to fulfil
their demands and give them satisfaction. In the same way staying connected with each and
individual customer leads the organization to know the grievances and complains of the
customers, which paves the business to rectify what’s wrong as well as to maintain a healthy
bond with the consumer and provide them product or service satisfaction.
As seen in the case of Wesfarmers.
Wesfarmers connectivity with customers in facebook and twitter not only helped the
organization to maintain its consumer satisfaction but at the same time it became way easier
for the consumers to be in touch with the organization which automatically generates faith
and satisfaction in the customers for the business as the business can provide attention to each
and every customer. This is how it helped the organization to enhance its business.
Thus it is advantageous to use social media marketing.
3rd body paragraph-Increased inbound traffic:
According to Kelly et al. (2015), it is very easy to grab more inbound traffic to the
company’s website through social media marketing.
Marketing through social media is brilliant way to provide supplement to the search
engines in a limited effort. The presence of the social media marketing stage increases
inbound traffic, that is, individuals can discover the item or products easily. Without it,

4SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
individuals will go looking through the product by name or site address. This is constraining
particularly for the people who are yet to recognize the brand. Each piece of content that is
being posted to the social media profile of the organization brings out another fresh
opportunity to attract new customers to the site. In order to get the maximum inbound traffic
possible, it is important that the organization’s profile gets regularly published with contents
that is engaging and valuable to the target audience. The more quality content is been posted
in the profile the more people gets attracted. Social media is a blend of various kinds of
individuals with various backgrounds and practices.
As seen in the case of Aldi.
Aldi found that with different individuals comes different necessities and different
perspectives. Syndicating the content on whatever number platforms as could be expected
under the circumstances enables these people to naturally reach out to the business. The
people who are aware with the brand are likely to search and get the product without social
media but social media provided a gateway to the people who are unaware of the brand, now
has reached the organization easily, thus increases the inbound traffic of the organization,
enhances the business.
Thus it is advantageous to use social media marketing.
Disadvantages:
4th body paragraph-Time consuming:

5SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
As per Saravanakumar and SuganthaLakshmi (2012), having a social media account
to promote the item is a smart thought that can help in supporting the business while
spreading the items data over a vast geological zone may consume much time.
People may intentionally disregard the social media page since they might be interested on
different websites. To make them to acknowledge and share the posts that is been posted in
the organizations social media page may require significant time as reaching to each
individual who are not much aware of the brand name is tough, so as to make the customer
bond as people won’t be easily trying the products of which they have limited idea, thus
response will be much slower until it gains peoples trust and people tend to acknowledge it.
Consequently, resources such as money and time must be designated to guarantee frequent
visit and distribution of tasteful posts.
As seen in the case of Coles.
Coles, didn’t consider before putting resources into online networking and advertising
methodology, firmly consider about the impact of this framework on the business. Time is
very precious resource, thus prior to invest in social media marketing the business must be
aware of the fact that this is a time-consuming marketing strategy which needs continuous
effort in updating and providing tasteful content to draw attention of targeted audience, and to
convert them to a customer. Coles lacked this and thus this strategy is taking it a long time to
gain the market.
Thus it is disadvantageous to use social media marketing.
5th body paragraph-Slow returns on investments:

6SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
As said by Whiting and Deshpande (2014), in Social media marketing none can ever
expect returns overnight, this is a long-term investment.
If any business is looking for quick results or overnight returns then social media
marketing is not for them, they must implement the traditional ways of marketing as those are
considerably less time taking. Though social media marketing is cost effective but yet if any
monetary investment has been made in this platform then the organization has to wait for the
return. Time has its own money value, and so a qualified personnel who is necessary for the
business to maintain its social media platform to manage the traffic, to enhance the account,
make regular updates and draw consumer attention, thus the amount and time deployed in the
social media may platform for marketing may not necessarily come out with a huge return.
The return on every resource invested on social media marketing is very slow.
As seen in the case of Westpac.
Westpac faced the conditions wherein the company at times face a delay in the returns
of the investment that it places. The company that have been implementing the web network
social marketing strategy tend to be exposed to the competitors on the basis of the complaints
and the feedbacks that are provided by the client, but this doesn’t take place. The social
media further exposes the company to the competitors who are capable of studying the
business methods implemented by the company through the activities on the social media.
Thus raising the competition made Coles to have slower return of its investment.
Thus it is disadvantageous to use social media marketing.

7SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
6th body paragraph- Social media is frequently changing
According to Erdoğmuş and Cicek (2012) it was found that social media platforms
are frequently changing, thus the approach towards marketing in social media has to change
and update itself frequently.
Online networking stages will in general change all around habitually. Maybe, it is a
standout amongst the most genuine inconveniences of advertising via web-based networking
media stages. If one had set online networking advertising system a year ago and working as
indicated by that. It is preferred not to do so. Huge numbers of the things which the business
had considered previously, might have changed in course of time. So one need to refresh it to
be in accordance with the adjustments in online networking. Twitter's going to 280 characters
was an incredible change a year ago. Numerous organizations exclusively use Twitter for
their showcasing as their clients for the most part utilize that web based life. The individuals
who couldn't refresh their approach would have been kept to 140 characters. This is just a
straightforward model. Such a significant number of changes happen via web-based
networking media in all respects often.
As seen in the case of Optus.
In the event that one Optus who was unable to adapt up to the changes, simply fell behind.
Thus updating along with the network and following its changes are most important, holding
back or unable to do so due to any reason may lead Optus to fall of social media marketing of
the business.

8SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Thus it is disadvantageous to use social media marketing.
Conclusion
Thus, aforesaid above discussion, it might clearly be stated that the social media
marketing tends to provide a greater number of advantages as compared to the disadvantages
of the company. The presence in social media marketing highlights the business in the
internet as well as grabs attention of the consumers, the business can reach to each an
individual customer look after their needs and demands, thus can make changes as per
consumer needs and can set priorities to fulfil their demands and give them satisfaction. This
might further help in the development of the concerned company in the given markets
thereby leading to a greater competitive advantage of the given company.

9SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
References
Alharbie, A., 2015. Business growth thru social media marketing. International Journal of
Innovation and Applied Studies, 13(4), p.873.
Godey, B., Manthiou, A., Pederzoli, D., Rokka, J., Aiello, G., Donvito, R. and Singh, R.,
2016. Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands: Influence on brand equity and
consumer behavior. Journal of business research, 69(12), pp.5833-5841.
Kelly, B., Vandevijvere, S., Freeman, B. and Jenkin, G., 2015. New media but same old
tricks: food marketing to children in the digital age. Current obesity reports, 4(1), pp.37-45.
Saravanakumar, M. and SuganthaLakshmi, T., 2012. Social media marketing. Life Science
Journal, 9(4), pp.4444-4451.
Whiting, A. and Deshpande, A., 2014. Social Media Marketing: A Myth or a
Necessity. Journal of Applied Business & Economics, 16(5).
Erdoğmuş, İ.E. and Cicek, M., 2012. The impact of social media marketing on brand
loyalty. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 58, pp.1353-1360.