The Influence of Social Media Marketing on Business and Consumers

This essay explores the multifaceted world of social media marketing, examining its profound influence on businesses and consumers. It begins by defining social media marketing and highlighting its increasing importance, particularly for brand awareness and customer engagement. The essay then delves into the advantages, such as cost-effective marketing strategies and the ability to reach a broad audience, as exemplified by companies like Woolworths. However, it also addresses the negative impacts, specifically the potential for unhealthy food marketing to children. The essay further discusses the impact of social media marketing on brand equity, consumer behavior, and the importance of positive word-of-mouth. It concludes by emphasizing the role of social media in facilitating business growth through low-cost marketing techniques and the importance of adapting to the evolving digital landscape. The essay also references several academic sources to support its claims, providing a comprehensive overview of the topic.

Running head: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Social Media Marketing
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Social media marketing refers to usage of social media platforms along with the
websites that helps in the promotion of the product or the service. The social media platforms
have data analytics tools that helps companies in tracking progress and the success of a
company.The influence of the social media marketing in my opinion has increased in the
present age and the business in the present age use the social media so that they can serve
needs of the customers. Social media marketing is a positive tool for business. The companies
can address a large number of stakeholders by taking recourse to social media marketing that
includes customers along with the potential employees (Sajid 2016). Social media marketing
helps in managing the marketing campaign along with the governance of a company that
helps in the establishment of the social media “culture” along with the tone of a firm. This
essay discusses about the advantages that are offered with help of social media marketing like
the brand awareness, low cost marketing and the positive word of the mouth.The essay also
throws light on the disadvantages in relation to the social media marketing like how it proves
to be bad for the formation of the food habits in the children.
Social media marketing can be instrumental in increasing the brand awareness of a
company. The digital marketing methods can play a crucial role in increasing the visibility of
a company. According to Godey et al.(2016), the implementation of the social media
strategies can increase the brand recognition of a company and it can help a business in
engaging themselves with broad audience of the customers. The profiles over the platform of
social media can help the business in interacting in an effective manner with the
customers.According to the article, “Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands:
Influence on brand equity and consumer behaviour”, the employees along with the business
partners can share the page that can increase the popularity of the company within the
market.It can play a crucial role in building the reputation of a brand. The social media pages
can help in benefitting a brand that can increase the presence of a company in the market.

2SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Woolworths has the best social media platform that has helped the company in earning a
large amount of revenue in the market. The company has more than that of 20 social media
channels which operates in around 12 countries. The evidence of the success of social media
marketing for Woolworths can be seen in the fact that the company has been able to make a
profit of around $ 1.5 billion with the help of the social media marketing strategies
(Woolworthsgroup.com.au 2019). It can hence be said that social media marketing can help
in augmenting brand awareness in relation to a company.
Social media marketing acts as the right platform that helps the people in finding the
information that helps in developing preferences in relation to a product.It has been found
that in the hotel industry the ratings provided by the customer have a string effect on the
preferences of the customer. Study that has been published reveal the fact that 81 % of the
teenage girls makes use of friends along with the peers for getting information. Evidence of it
can be found in the fact that 45 % of the people ask for opinions over the platform of the
social media (Tuten and Solomon 2017). This is effective used by the business that helps in
increasing their profits in recent age. The social media plays an important role in influencing
the brand equity that helps in spreading the influence of a company in the market (Sajid
2016). The recommendations that are provided over the platform of the social media proves
to be profitable for the companies.Social Media Marketing helps in finding the relevant
information that helps in serving the customers.
The social media marketing of the food products have a bad effect on the health of the
children.According to Kelly et al.(2015), the food marketing that is carried out by the
companies makes the children fall prey to the unhealthy health practices. The marketing of
the foods can pave the path for the poor diet along with the energy imbalance of the children.
The advertisements over the platform of the social media causes the children to develop the
faulty eating habits that can cause harm to the health of the consumers. The new media helps

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in facilitating the peer endorsement that can harm the health of the people in the modern age.
It has been found that childhood obesity epidemic has emerged to become a public health
problem in the present age owing to the influence of social media marketing. Evidence of it
can be found in the fact that 28 % of the children along with the adolescents within Australia
suffer on account of the fact that they are overweight. The social media marketing that helps
in the promotion of the wrong kind of the food habits harms the health of a large number of
people in Australia.
The disadvantages of social media marketing is that it exposes a company to that of
the competitors that can put pressure on the business of a company. This can pose risk to the
future of a business. The social media marketing needs the qualified personnel that can play
an integral role in managing the accounts. The business has to make investments so that it can
help in the process of marketing of a company.
Social media marketing in the event of being used in a careful manner can pave the
path for that of positive word of the mouth that is of grave importance in the present age.
There are conflicting along with the confusing advertising campaign in the present age and
social media can play a significant role in creating a positive impression in the
market.According to Whiting and Deshpande(2014), the millennials have stated the fact that
they are influenced by that of word-of-the mouth marketing that helps in the creation of a
positive impression in the market. Social media has helped in advancing business along with
its product within the market. It has been found that customers that are gained with the help
of social media marketing can help in increasing the profits that are made by a store by
around 29 %. It has been found that the other generations also get influenced by the aspect of
the social media marketing. The video contests that take place over Youtube allows the
customers in showing pride in the products of a company (Godey et al. 2016).It provides
opportunity to the organizations to post the promotion codes along with the coupons that

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helps in driving the customers in the store of a company.The social networks act as a good
place that polls the customers regarding their likes along with the dislikes. This can help in
building a community of the people who value the similar kind of products along with the
services. The companies can express their pride over the platform of the social media that
proves to be profitable for a company.
The social media marketing can help the companies in creating the online presence in
a cost that is low.According to Alharbie (2015), a company in the event of not having the
adequate amount of funding can be useful inmarketing the product in front of the public.It
can help in attracting the targeted audience that can serve the interests of the people in the
present age. Social media marketing does not need the high cost of the advertising that helps
in serving the people in the modern age. The video can be created at an extremely low cost
and this helps in boosting the growth of business in the modern age. The infographics can
also be created at that of a low cost that can help in serving the reputation of a business. The
content can be promoted over the platform of the Linked In that can helps in increasing the
dominance of a company within the market. The e-mail marketing can also be used
conveniently in the present age that can help a business in collaborating with that of the other
business in the modern age of technology (Whiting and Deshpande 2014).The small business
can make use of social media marketing that can help them in saving money on the aspect of
marketing. The articles along with the images that are chosen can help in attracting the target
audience. The increasing use of the hashtags on the platform of social media can help in the
development of a business in the competitive environment of the present age.
It can hence be stated that social media marketing has many benefits that can help in
overriding its negative effect on the people. Social media marketing takes recourse to social
media platforms that promotes products or the service. They have data analytics tools that
helps a company in tracking its progress. Social media can play a crucial role in augmenting

5SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
brand awareness in relation to a company. The methods of digital marketing can be
instrumental in increasing visibility in relation to products of a company.The significance of
social media marketing is that social media is useful for the people as they can find the
information that aids the people in developing the preferences. Ratings which are provided by
consumers in the recent age helps the consumers in making the important choices in the
present age. This has been found in the hotel industry that depends on the aspect of the
customer feedback. The food products that are marketed on the platform of the social media
have a negative effect on the health of the children. This makes the children succumb to that
of the unhealthy practices that has a detrimental effect on the health of the children. Social
media marketing helps the business in the creation of online presence in the low cost. A
company that does not have the right amount of funding can still make a presence within the
market with the help of social media marketing. It can be recommended that social media
marketing can make use of automation that can help them in the delivery of a consistent
performance. The automation software should be used that can help in the effective
marketing of products of a company.

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References
Alharbie, A., 2015. Business growth thru social media marketing. International Journal of
Innovation and Applied Studies, 13(4), p.873. Available at:
https://search.proquest.com/openview/f8e86f364ead3487d4006a36d3f2fb44/1?pq-
origsite=gscholar&cbl=2031961
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.
Sajid, S.I., 2016. Social media and its role in marketing. Available
at :Repository.embuni.ac.ke (2019). Available at:
http://repository.embuni.ac.ke/handle/123456789/810 [Accessed 31 May 2019].
Tuten, T.L. and Solomon, M.R., 2017. Social media marketing. Sage. Available at :
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+M.R.,
+2017.+Social+media+marketing&ots=tPd4yT3knK&sig=Vnm7Xz0EHOfY0kkBKPSlNX9
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Whiting, A. and Deshpande, A., 2014. Social Media Marketing: A Myth or a
Necessity. Journal of Applied Business & Economics, 16(5). Available
at :http://digitalcommons.www.na-businesspress.com/JABE/DeshpandeA_Web16_5_.pdf

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Woolworthsgroup.com.au (2019). Woolworths Group: Quality Brands and Trusted Retailing.
[online] Woolworthsgroup.com.au. Available at: https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/
[Accessed 31 May 2019].