I tried to avoid another topic of “Social Media” marketing. But as a student living in the 21st century in which technology and social media dominates, it is the topic that I could relate the most with.
And I could see other students feeling the same as well as I peruse through their blog posts, such as Erin Baird’s about the power of social media linking music fans with their favourite artists.
It is true that social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, is emerging as one of the most effective means to market and communicate. As Erin mentioned, it plays a significant role in changing the way we approach and share things, such as music, and enable an effective customer relationship management. It also stands as a tool to reinforce and remind the brand image to followers.
However, there is no doubt about the negative consequences as well. For example, “Twitter Disasters” are very common. Companies, executives, or employees encounter an unintended crisis or cause negative attitudes toward their brand from tweets of only ~140 characters.
For example, this article from LinkedIn lists top 5 corporate Twitter Disasters in 2012. A notable one is a post from Fashion retailer CelebBoutique.
It spiraled negative reactions as this was soon after the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Apparently, the PR department was unaware of the tragic event. That’s the scariest thing about social media. It allows a viral spread of news and if you lag behind, you are at your own loss.
Celebrities also use social media to interact with their fans which commonly boosts their image, but many have created “anti-fans” through insensitive tweets. I have seen this very frequently in Korea in which people really like to criticize celebrities and social media makes it more easy.
Nonetheless, I agree with Erin in her point about the benefits of social media. It definitely outweighs the disadvantages, and I really appreciate it because it allows me to keep in touch with people and, well, with the whole world.
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