Social Media and Online Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses

This essay examines the profound impact of the internet and social media on small businesses. It explores how social media platforms, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, are transforming marketing strategies, brand reputation, and customer engagement. The paper highlights the challenges small businesses face in adopting these technologies, including resource limitations and the need for strategic objectives. It discusses the importance of social media in building brand recognition, promoting products, and fostering customer relationships, emphasizing the role of employee familiarity with social media. The essay references Reed's Law to illustrate the power of social networks and peer evaluations in shaping consumer behavior. It also addresses the concerns of small businesses in managing their online presence and adapting to the dynamic nature of the digital landscape. Ultimately, the essay argues that the effective integration of social media is crucial for the growth and sustainability of small businesses in the modern world.

Running head: INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
Introduction
Social media, for example Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have been adopted by
number of large business firms for promotion and promotional activities. However, small
businesses have shown certain degree of sluggishness to follow this unit especially due to
restricted resources to offer in grasping this new marketing media (Leyden, Link and Siegel
2014). Employees who have been used to apply information technology as well as social media
characterize a dormant resource which could facilitate small enterprises to integrate social media
into their advertising activities. Growing capacity of social media sites illustrates the way the
internet has altering where employers have stopped copying static data but are increasingly
uploading as well as sharing ideas and content related to product and services companies offer.
Thus, result to a explosion of social media along with other user-generated content sites
(Dwivedi, Kapoor and Chen 2015). The thesis statement of the essay is “Recent development of
social media and online marketing strategy are aiding small business firms in building brand
reputation and promotion of products and services.” The paper will argue that workers
acquainted to social media in their private lives could be drivers of accelerating acceptance of
social media by small business companies.
Discussion
Employers Integrating Social Media into their Businesses
Social media mainly entails two distinctive terms whereby the chief engages individuals
and human relations, while the second implies to the contemporary forms of communication
such as radio, television and undoubtedly the internet. However, while large business enterprises
comprises of the resources, skills, expertise and innovation to use web designers along with

2INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
marketing firms to establish united marketing communication strategy using social media, small
business enterprises mostly have been left out (Kasemsap 2014). Consequently, there has been
insignificant amount of study about the way small businesses are contending with social media.
Reports of Dahnil et al. (2014) have noted that almost one in five small business entrepreneurs
are assimilating social media into their actions primarily social networking sites like Facebook
and LinkedIn. While, study of author has claimed that majority of small businesses still give
superior priority on business official websites and using computer software rather than social
media. Although social media can be cost-effective, it still necessitates time and resources in the
process of knowledge and ultimately costs on media, which must strive for attention and
financial resources with the pressures of current operations.
Importance of Social Media in Small Business Firms
Sinkovics, Sinkovics and Yamin (2014) have claimed that the learning procedure
separately can be unapproachable or intimidating for small business possessors who have
invested in websites and software and realize that skill can modernize their business’s level of
efficiency and affordability. Social media involves entering into a realm of marketing and
promotion that may overpower with its exoticism and sense of indecision regarding the way to
acquire new buyers while challenging larger organizations which comprise of substantial amount
of resources. In anticipation of social media practices show utmost distinctiveness and lenience
to incorporate in a business, it will inevitably not become foremost choice of small business
owners and they will primarily rely on conventional word-of-mouth or local advertising
strategies. However, comprehensive studies of Hassan, Nadzim and Shiratuddin (2015) have
mentioned that with supreme participative approach of social media results to an immediate
result of collective action of community. Grasping this two-way connection call for small

3INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
business firms to adapt social media demands unaffected communication with the potential
consumer on the other end, a form of word-of-mouth statement with clienteles through the lens
of the advanced technology. Drawing relevance to these factors, small business firms must adapt
the reality that a dynamic presence has an implication to be crucial.
Reed’s Law relation to Role of Social Networking into Small Businesses
At this juncture, theory introduced by Red Law also known as ‘The Law of the Pack’ is a
mathematical understanding of influence of system. In the opinion of authors, the Reed’s Law
claims that the network cost tends to elevate when new people get into same network. Nowiński
and Rialp (2016) have stated that the excellence of a system upsurges greater than foregoing two
laws throughout the development of groups as well as groups by means of inter-connections
amongst them. Reeds law has substantially greater degree of exposure as it strengthens a new
layer of groups such as in social network sites which generates subgroups and groups. Study of
authors has cited examples of Reed’s Law like social media and the groups formed in the system.
Nevertheless, a downside of the lack of human fundamentals in computer networks leads to
presumption of unlimited number of senders and recipients along with thorough interaction
(Kasemsap 2014).
In recent times, community sites such as Trip Advisor inspire their clientele to appraise
their facilities which they have practiced intended for the advantage of other users who are
seeing their individual likely consumptions. These types of peer evaluations are considered to be
highly reliant in traditional promotional strategies. Reports of Leyden, Link and Siegel (2014)
have mentioned that in the UK customers’ buying decision is highly linked to comments they
read on social media by other buyers. Such a trend is significantly transforming the association

4INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
between businesses and their clients, specifically information which can be negative or positive
and is displayed in global forum. Moreover, Panagiotopoulos, Bigdeli and Sams (2014) have
pointed out that modern fail to expect to regulate their promotion message while concurrently
permitting a distinct opinion to their employees as well as clienteles by means of a blog or other
online forum. Furthermore, unconstructive feedback cannot be unseen deprived of revealing the
commercial to responsibilities of suppression which can disrupt the reliability of the business.
Dwivedi, Kapoor and Chen (2015) have cited the example of General Motors and the way the
company able to distinguish its vocal criticizers from situations on the business blog and in
reaction requested these critics to review actions executed in the factory. The company proved
the way the issues critics have raised have been strategically addressed. Consequently, most of
the critics have changed their perceptions into dynamic and enthusiastic fanatics of the
trademark. On the contrary, number of contemporary business firms uses their personal
experimental method to attain improved outcome result. This has to certain degree increased the
level of complexity to acquire new clients. Furthermore, incorporating social networking sites
into business operations is the undertaking of establishing distinct objective and significant many
businesses have engaged themselves to domain of social media every year. However, small
business firms who uphold their presence in e-commerce sector efficiently are reasonably low, as
number of those businesses promotes the social media operation lacking strong strategic aim.
Increasing demand of Social Networking Sites in Promoting Services
On the other hand, Leyden, Link and Siegel (2014) have mentioned that social media
such as Facebook in recent times have been promoting social currency to such a degree that
individuals share information related to the brand with others in the society as part of social
lives. Additionally, Facebook plays imperative role in marketing and establishing linkage with

5INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
clients. Considering these factors, Nowiński and Rialp (2016) have claimed that there are
numerous avenues that small business firms are losing because of lack of understanding in using
social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn as vital means of marketing. Facebook offers
substantial rate of avenues for small business firms to market to consumers and facilitate them in
establishing rapport and deliver commercial interrelationships. However, small businesses still
conflict in order to access their customers. Therefore, with least number of small businesses
beginning to operate e-commerce business such as incorporating social networking sites like
Facebook towards advertising, there is still witnessed an essential need of e-commerce
knowledge towards these small businesses enterprises to appreciate the importance of
incorporating social networking sites such as Facebook towards promoting their products and
services. Furthermore, as per He et al. (2017), conventionally in marketing their firms; small and
medium enterprises show significant dependence on their private contact system. Additionally,
monetary structures tend to favour large business firms. Nonetheless current financial system is
distinguished by associations, network and information, thus supporting very few number of
small business enterprises. However, instead of relying only on their personal contact system,
small businesses have faith in on the networks of clienteles as well. According to Leyden et al.
(2014), these customers can be reached by means of different social media tools for example
Facebook and gather competence to acquire potential customers by simply visiting their site on
Facebook or LinkedIn.
Businesses seek to profit from social media marketing
On the other hand, Agrawal, Catalini and Goldfarb (2015) have advocated that if
businesses seek to profit from social media marketing, the primary phase in the progression must
be to strategically establish purposes for the promotion, as establishing objective is a serious

6INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
stage in any type of statement and promotion planning procedure. Furthermore, it has been found
that any marketing promotion regardless of comprehensive aim cannot be evaluated and
assessed. However, if market researchers are unable to evaluate the performance of small
business firms, it can be considered a waste of an effort.
Conclusion
Social media in current times develop as most effectual tool for small business
industrialists. Thus small business firms have begun using social media platform for promoting
their services and products and increase brand recognition and create fan pages for the followers
which will appreciate the suggestions, opinions and criticisms of customers which aid in
improving the business. Social media can aid small business firms to expand their businesses by
employing extensive variety of weak connections. However, there are number of subjects
concerning with social media which is experienced by the small business related to technologies
which are so forceful and comprises of strong recommendation for businesses as to the way to
apply them and they unveil social media promotion regardless to clear objectives.

7INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
References
Agrawal, A., Catalini, C. and Goldfarb, A., 2015. Crowdfunding: Geography, social networks,
and the timing of investment decisions. Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 24(2),
pp.253-274.
Dahnil, M.I., Marzuki, K.M., Langgat, J. and Fabeil, N.F., 2014. Factors influencing SMEs
adoption of social media marketing. Procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 148, pp.119-126.
Dwivedi, Y.K., Kapoor, K.K. and Chen, H., 2015. Social media marketing and advertising. The
Marketing Review, 15(3), pp.289-309.
Hassan, S., Nadzim, S.Z.A. and Shiratuddin, N., 2015. Strategic use of social media for small
business based on the AIDA model. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 172, pp.262-269.
He, W., Wang, F.K., Chen, Y. and Zha, S., 2017. An exploratory investigation of social media
adoption by small businesses. Information Technology and Management, 18(2), pp.149-160.
Kasemsap, K., 2014. The role of social networking in global business environments. In Impact of
emerging digital technologies on leadership in global business (pp. 183-201). IGI Global.
Leyden, D.P., Link, A.N. and Siegel, D.S., 2014. A theoretical analysis of the role of social
networks in entrepreneurship. Research Policy, 43(7), pp.1157-1163.
Leyden, D.P., Link, A.N. and Siegel, D.S., 2014. A theoretical analysis of the role of social
networks in entrepreneurship. Research Policy, 43(7), pp.1157-1163.
Nowiński, W. and Rialp, A., 2016. The impact of social networks on perceptions of international
opportunities. Journal of Small Business Management, 54(2), pp.445-461.

8INTERNET CONCERN IN MODERN WORLD
Panagiotopoulos, P., Bigdeli, A.Z. and Sams, S., 2014. Citizen–government collaboration on
social media: The case of Twitter in the 2011 riots in England. Government information
quarterly, 31(3), pp.349-357.
Paniagua, J. and Sapena, J., 2014. Business performance and social media: Love or
hate?. Business horizons, 57(6), pp.719-728.
Sinkovics, N., Sinkovics, R.R. and Yamin, M., 2014. The role of social value creation in
business model formulation at the bottom of the pyramid–implications for MNEs?. International
Business Review, 23(4), pp.692-707.