Social Media as a Business Strategy

Explanatory Synthesis

In our world where business is a must to pursue any career, we see an evolution of its strategies based on technology. In fact, businesses used to have a communication with their consumers through mail. It was a one sided communication and it was usually only informative: the business itself promotes its products or explains its new services. However, the consumer nowadays plays a major role in the business; he is part of the industry’s asset for the evolution of the company. Companies still use e-mails but they base their focus on two ways conversations and this through social media

First of all, social media is defined in different ways. Some see social media as an intermediate between companies and customers (Andzulis et.al, para.4). The easy access of social media has provided customers and companies a chat room of interest where people can talk and discuss their different points of view. Some examples of social media are Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, You Tube, Flicker, etc. Nevertheless, each social media has a function. For example, Facebook is a web page that can help friends to find and follow each other and to know about each other; in other words to refreshen their friendships whatever the social media is. Twitter is a web where you are more limited, you can share ideas and thoughts but you are restricted to 140 words only. All social media have a major role to link people together. In the article, “A Review Of Social Media Implications For the Sales Process” written by James Mick Andzulis, Nikolaos G. Panagopoulos, and Adam Rapp in the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management (year ) they defined the social media as “the technological component of the communication, transaction and relationship building functions of a business which leverages the network of customers and prospects to promote value co-creation.” (para.6). This communication between the company and the customer doesn’t only benefit the company by improving or by changing in the company based on its followers but it also help customers know the company, its credibility, and its reliability for future business together and may attract-with positive feedback-other customers.

Second, Social media has a communication service and has been a business strategy. In fact, social media improved the word-of-mouth (WOM) as the article “Social Media an Alternative Marketing Communication Model” written by Critina Castronovo and Lei Huang( year) explains. The word-of-mouth is the base of marketing, usually the consumers count on others’ evaluation of the product or the service. If the assessment turned to be positive, they will give the product a trial. However, with the improvement of the internet this intercommunication between customers is facilitated which gives this WOM a great importance. Therefore, companies are relying on improving their image on social media websites to improve their followers’ evaluation of the product. For example, Ford Motor Company has adopted social media to promote their newest car, the Ford Focus. For this they have chosen 40 people to try the new cars at a test track in Italy and then they put the videos on Facebook and Twitter, “The feedback from this approach is positive given the number of views and the tenor of comments from videos shot on the test drive.”(Andzulis et al., para.1). WOM has by this become a business strategy in all forms of businesses: sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations; “Social networking sites allow for viral marketing and WOM promotion to be just as effective – if not more effective – than traditional media outlets because of the high levels of consumer engagement associated with these alternate forms of Web- based media.”(Castronovoet al., para.8).

Finally, social media is a link between the business and anyone interested in it. By this, the business is not only managed by the employees, but it is being also managed by customers through social media. However, this consumer interference with the business has a negative effect on the business because customers or the business enemy can affect other customers’ choices on the business and lead to false evaluation.

References
Andzulis, J., Panagopoulos, N. G., & Rapp, A. (2012). A Review of Social Media and Implications for the Sales Process. Journal Of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 32(2), 305-316.
Castronovo, C., & Lei, H. (2012). Social Media in an Alternative Marketing Communication Model. Journal Of Marketing Development & Competitiveness, 6(1), 117-136.

References: Andzulis, J., Panagopoulos, N. G., & Rapp, A. (2012). A Review of Social Media and Implications for the Sales Process. Journal Of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 32(2), 305-316. Castronovo, C., & Lei, H. (2012). Social Media in an Alternative Marketing Communication Model. Journal Of Marketing Development & Competitiveness, 6(1), 117-136.