Social networks are not only a tool for individuals who want to meet their friends or former study or work colleagues in a virtual way, they also work very well for companies and all types of businesses.
However, if a business owner or an entrepreneur, no matter how small, wants to position his brand using the networks, he must know …
The advantages and disadvantages of social networks
Well, as in any communication medium, it is necessary to know the advantages and disadvantages of social networks that can act against or in favor of the trademark.
In principle, depending on the type of company or business, it is important to choose the most convenient type of social network, but this will depend on several factors, since it is not only the area in question but also the country where the company operates, since while in some Countries a social network like Linkedin works perfectly for businessmen and professionals, in others another social network works.
Facebook: Facebook is a social network used by only some companies in the United States, but in Spain it is the social network chosen by both professionals and companies, especially when it comes to education, therefore a company dedicated to education in Spain should choose Facebook to grow your business and get traffic.
Twitter: Twitter also works in Spain as a network of professionals
Linkedin: It is a social network widely used both in Spain and in the United States for both companies and professionals who are not dedicated to education.
Pinterest: Pinterest, is the social network widely used in the United States but it is not so popular in Spain. However, it is a good option to attract traffic to a company’s website.
Instagram: It is a social network mostly used by professionals as part of a positive intercommunication on a human level.
Google+: It is a social network widely used by companies and professionals who seek to attract traffic, make themselves known and obtain some economic profit through online sales.
Advantages of social networks
Once the social network has been chosen according to the country where the business operates, expectations and objective, its advantages are:
- If you want to create or establish your personal brand, you need to have a presence on social networks, since it is the best place for you to create your resume.
In fact, in a social network like Linkedin, large, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs carry out their search for personnel.
Dog in addition to Linkedin, you should create your profile on Google+ and Twitter if you want to create your personal brand, whether you are a professional or an entrepreneur.
- If you need to spread your content, there is no other better way than social networks and the best of all is that this broadcast will only take a few hours and you will immediately spread your content. However, depending on the content, you must choose whether one social network or another is better.
- As an entrepreneur or business owner and even as a professional you can seek to improve your reputation and in this sense social networks are the best online tool, because if you achieve a good image of your personal or commercial brand on social networks you will get more sales.
- You just need to apply a good social media marketing strategy and you will attract more customers and improve your reputation.
However, sometimes it can be counterproductive because if you make a lot of mistakes, mismanage yourself, the reputation can go down and then a bad reputation will play against you.
- As a professional or company you are looking for loyalty, because in social networks you can get thousands of followers, you will find your loyal followers, you will create a wide community with quality followers that will give rise to a greater number of followers and sales.
- Today most users make inquiries on social networks, as it has become the main channel of communication both to hire a service and to make a sale and it is for this reason that professionals and businessmen seek to generate an image positive of your brand based on how social media drives your business.
That is to say that in social networks customer service can be carried out in a professional way by a person who can carry out good management.
- If you want to attract traffic to your website or blog, use social networks as a source, since in most cases the highest percentage of website traffic comes from social networks.
Disadvantages of social media
However, social networks also have some disadvantages such as:
- Regardless of the social network you choose for your professional profile or business profile, you should optimize your privacy settings, as it is the main thing before you start publishing content.
- Spend some time reading the rules of the social network, because if you accept without reading you will violate rules that can cause you to close your account.
- Pay attention to the images that you publish, since both for your personal or business profile, the images must be very careful because they will cease to be private to be public, so pay them due attention.
- You should know that in social networks there is identity theft, that is, adults pose as young people to establish communication with young people with the sole objective of committing criminal acts, which is known as groming.
- Social media can become additive. In fact, today young people spend more hours on their social networks than in establishing real social relationships, for this reason most companies prohibit the use of the internet and only enable some web pages for commercial use during working hours.
- Social networks can put your safety at risk if you publish the days that you will take vacations and therefore your house will be empty, because you will be inviting thieves to enter your house comfortably because there is nothing to prevent them.
- Social networks can offer you applications that may contain malware or malicious code, therefore before installing any application make sure that it has a good reputation and that you download it from its official site.
You have already learned what are the advantages and disadvantages of social networks, therefore you know that the main thing, regardless of the social network where you create your profile is that you change the privacy settings that the default social network gives you, because only in this way will you take advantage of all the advantages of social networks.