As someone who falls under the category of “millennial”, technology has been a huge factor in my life from the very beginning. However, the presence of social media is something that I can remember developing throughout my teenage years, into something that has impacted almost every aspect of my life – including my relationships and interactions, and the way I interact with the world of business and marketing.
There are definitely pros and cons to the impact that social media has had on businesses – both from consumer and owner perspectives.
From the consumer perspective, one of the good things that has come from the growth of the digital age is the fact that businesses are forced to be held more accountable for the quality of their product, and of their customer service. If a customer has a bad experience with a company for any reason, they can have significant influence over the future success of the business by simply posting something that publically denounces them on a major social media platform.
On the other hand, this provides companies with the ability to provide organized customer service very quickly by responding to posts that an unhappy customer may leave. This easy and direct way of dealing with upset customers gives businesses the ability to formally apologize and rebuild their relationship with the client, as well as giving them the image of a brand that truly cares about their customers.
Social media has also given everyone a fair chance at using digital marketing to convert leads into loyal customers. Previously, a business needed to have a rather large marketing budget in order to turn heads. Now with Facebook ad targeting, post insights, and sponsored posts available on almost every platform at a very decent price, almost any small business owner can create an organized marketing campaign and can transcend geographical borders to target customers in other places, without needing a huge budget.
However, this also creates a bit of difficulty for business owners because competition is way higher now than it has ever been. Creativity, innovation, and strategy are required to make sure your brand stands out among the rest. The cool thing for the consumer is that this leaves them completely in charge. They have the power to guarantee success for a small business, while reducing business for big money corporations.
Social media and the digital age have profoundly impacted the way we interact with the business world, both as consumers and as owners. It is a constant climb to the top, and there is something new to learn about new features every day. The thing is, I think it’s come to even out the playing ground, and give the deserving underdogs a chance to rise to fame.
Sarah Rose Birge is a Content Editor and Community Manager with Mijo! Brands, a leading creative digital marketing agency with offices in CDMX and Puerto Vallarta, visit us at www.mijobrands.com or contact us.