Social Media Monitoring Pros and Cons

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Benefits of social media monitoring
Drawbacks of social media monitoring
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The emergence of the internet has significantly transformed the business environment. One of the ways through which this has occurred relates to the ease with which businesses can undertake marketing communication. Integration of effective marketing communication is one of the elements that contribute towards business success.

There are various mediums of communication which organizations can integrate in an effort to attain a high competitive advantage. One these entails integrating emerging marketing communication channels such the internet.

Businesses can easily undertake their marketing promotion through the internet. Integration of social media in their marketing communication has enhanced the ease with which businesses connect with their audiences. However, businesses can also experience marketing attacks through the social media.

One of the ways in which marketing attacks may occur is through social networking. Currently, social media has made it possible for real time communication amongst total strangers to occur. Additionally, social networking has enabled individuals to add user-generated contents for example feedbacks, comments and ratings through their own page.

This presents a number of challenges and opportunities to organizations. One of the major challenges relates to the fact that social media can break companies through the comments posted by various individuals. In order to prevent this, it is imperative for organizations to undertake social media monitoring.

Schwerdtfeger (23) defines social media monitoring as basically a process which entails listening and actively being involved in a conversation through social media.

This means that individuals are able to contribute their own insights and comments with regard to a particular issue being discussed. Social media monitoring provides organizations with an opportunity to address negative comments regarding the organization which might be posted on the social media.

Similarly, social media monitoring can enable organizations to appreciate positive comments. According to Porterfield, Khare and Vahl (561), social media monitoring is an important component of a firms marketing strategy.

However, there are a number of drawbacks associated with social media monitoring. The objective of this memo is to analyze the benefits that organizations can achieve by integrating the concept of social media monitoring in their operation. The memo also evaluates the drawbacks associated with social media monitoring.

There are numerous benefits that organizations can achieve by undertaking social media monitoring. One of these relates to the fact that it provides organizations with a comprehensive understanding on what social media users are saying regarding the organization and its products.

Additionally, social media monitoring also provides individual entrepreneurs and organizations with an opportunity to participate in a discussion regarding a particular issue associated with their businesses. The resultant effect is that business management teams are able understand the community views regarding their firms operation.

Conversations on particular issues undertaken through various social mediums such as Twitter, Blogs, Wikis, You Tube, news sites and Facebook can be a great source of business intelligence. This arises from the fact that one can be able to follow conversations on the various social mediums.

For example, if one posts a negative comment regarding the business or its products, it is possible to respond quickly and fix it before the business image is negatively affected. Additionally, social media monitoring also enables businesses to correct any misinformation on a particular issue which may be posted against the business.

Undertaking social media monitoring can be an effective strategy that organizations can incorporate when dealing with certain crisis that might negatively affect the organizations (Sellnow, Ulmer & Seeger 58). Social media is an effective channel of communication during crisis compared to traditional channels.

This arises from the fact that social media provides a platform through which the organization can use to update stakeholders regarding the crisis. Continuous monitoring of the stakeholders comment through social media can enable organizations to successfully dispel the crisis.

By monitoring the social media, organizations have an opportunity to identify possible problems which might arise in the future thus addressing them appropriately. For example, the organizations may be able to identify customer complaints and negative comments posted and address them before they become big problems.

Examples of such social networking websites include Twitter, Facebook, You Tube and epinion.com which give product users an opportunity to post comments, provide full reviews and rate products. Additionally, there is also a gap with regard to social media which enables individuals to create fake profiles related to particular organization.

As a result, fake messages which are intended at harming the organization can be posted. Considering these challenges, the importance of social media monitoring cannot be underestimated. Sellnow et al (58) is of the opinion that social media monitoring enable organizations to be always prepared and to anticipate possible crisis. Additionally, monitoring keeps organizations to remain connected with their stakeholders.

Social media monitoring is not only beneficial by enhancing communication between organizations and their prospective customers. However, it also enables entrepreneurs to track conversations being undertaken by industry thought leaders, business partners and competitors. For example, a social media monitoring can enable a particular organization to predict and follow sales trends.

One of the social media tools which make this to be possible is Twitter. It is possible for organizations to track Tweets using certain keywords. This illustrates the fact that social media monitoring can play an important role in evaluating the performance of the organization against its competitors and the entire industry.

Therefore, social media monitoring can be a hub of information. The intelligence generated by undertaking social media monitoring can also enable management teams to make effective decisions. This significantly improves the entrepreneurs understanding of the industry trends.

Social media monitoring also provides businesses with an opportunity to monitor various keywords which may be complementary to the firms operation. According to Porterfield, Khare and Vahl (564), monitoring is keyword based. This means that it is paramount for businesses to take into consideration the right words.

Some of the keywords that they should take into consideration include the name of the business, product names, names of top 3 industry competitors, name of business partners and niche keywords. Keyword monitoring may provide organizations with an opportunity to undertake product development.

Monitoring the various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and You Tube may give entrepreneurs ideas and insights on possible partnership. Additionally, social media monitoring may also provide organizations and entrepreneurs with an opportunity to identify possible product development opportunities.

This arises from the fact that social media monitoring provides organizations with a wide range of market data. For example, firms management teams are able to understand the customers needs, confusion and frustration regarding the firms products and services. This arises from the fact that the social media gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to be on top of its customers minds.

Social media monitoring also provides entrepreneurs with an opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of group dynamics and customer behaviors. For example, the entrepreneurs are able to understand how individuals interact with one another.

Undertaking social media monitoring may also have negative impacts on an organizations. One of the major drawbacks that organizations may experience as a result of social media monitoring relates to the fact that the firms management teams may overreact to a particular negative comment posted on the social media by the public.

By reacting to the negative comments, organizations may fail to notice that the customers are may not be aware of the negative publicity regarding the company. This means that most of the customers may become aware of the negative posts regarding the organization through its reaction.

Another possible drawback of social media monitoring may arise in the event that the organization has not clarified to its employees on who should communicate to the public regarding various company issues. As a result, some employees may post negative comments resulting into subsequent retraction. The resultant effect is that the public may become confused.

Conclusion

Considering the dynamic nature of the business environment, it is critical for organizations to integrate effective communication with its stakeholders such as the customers.

One of the ways through which organizations can achieve this is by incorporating emerging social communication networks such as the social media. To be effective in utilizing social media as a channel of communication, it is critical for organizations to undertake social media monitoring.

The above analysis indicates that there are numerous benefits that organizations can achieve by undertaking social media monitoring. For example, through social media monitoring, firms management teams are able to understand what the public is saying regarding the organization and its products.

Considering the fact that social media provides organizations with an opportunity to communicate with various stakeholders on real-time basis, firms management teams can be able to address negative comments regarding the firm posted on the social media. The resultant effect is that organizations are able to address possible crisis that they may face. This contributes to development of a strong connection with the stakeholders.

Social media monitoring can also be a source of business intelligence. This arises from the fact that organizations are able to understand what the customers, the competitors and industry leaders are saying about the firm. This plays a significant role in improving organizations decision making process.

Through social media monitoring, it is possible for organizations to undertake product development. For example, an organization may identify an opportunity which it can exploit by undertaking brand extension.

However, one of the major drawbacks associated with social media monitoring relates to the risk that organizations may overreact to a particular negative comment posted on the social media. Despite this challenge, social media monitoring is an important element that organizations should take into consideration. This arises from the fact that it results into development of a high competitive advantage with regard to market communication.

Works Cited

Porterfield, Army, Khare, Phyllis and Vahl Andrea. Facebook marketing all in one for dummies. New York: John Wiley, 2011. Web.

Schwerdtfeger, Patrick. Marketing shortcuts for the self-employed: Leverage resources, establish online e credibility and crush your competition. New York: John Wiley. 2011. Web.

Sellnow, Timothy, Ulmer, Robert and Seeger, Matthew. Effective crisis communication moving from crisis to opportunity. New York: Thousand Oaks. 2010. Web.

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Introduction

Benefits of social media monitoring

Drawbacks of social media monitoring

Conclusion

Works Cited

Related