Since its inception, social media has evolved rapidly over the years. Currently, it is no longer used just for fun and entertainment but is an advantage for businesses, small and large, to access diverse demographics. Statistics show that since 2013, the percentage of marketers within organizations with over 100 employees expected to use social media increased from 86.2% to 91.9% in 2021. And this is just in the US. Additionally, you will find small businesses from all around the world on various platforms. But aside from the visibility, experts say that social media plays a role in business operations.
There are many ways to improve operations, each solution’s effectiveness ranging on a spectrum. For example, AnyLogic Simulation is an advanced solution that helps businesses visualize optimization opportunities. There’s so much more to social media, and below are a few other ways social media drives the improvement of business processes.
1. Create content that promotes transparency within and outside the organization
Transparency is a requirement for processes like communication, customer relations, etc., and social media plays a vital role here. Transparency via social media content looks like forums, blog posts, and other interactive channels outside the organization. This content should give an outsider a clear picture of your company, including its values and offerings. These initiatives foster a community-building approach to dealing with existing or even new customers. It also enables two-way conversations between client and company. Within the company, transparency enhances the employees’ experience. It involves allowing your workers to be vocal about their concerns and any processing issues. In general, social media makes passing information easier, facilitating various processes and making them more manageable.
2. Create feedback channels
It is much easier to gather data for business market research through social media than before. Feedback is essential for decision-making, products development, or enhancement. Indeed, experts say what your customer says about you can make or break your business. Many social media platforms provide analytic information that you can use to monitor customer behaviour. Aside from that, features like polls, Q&A sessions, etc., can bring the information you need to improve your processes. Your customers constitute a part of your marketing strategies as they are likely to refer others depending on their experience. And so it is beneficial to take their contributions and act upon them.
3. Monitor competitors’ activities
What your competitors are doing can affect your standing in your industry, so monitoring their activities is crucial. Social media brings a lot of such information to your fingertips. Some platforms like Instagram have algorithms that monitor your activity and show you more of what you search or follow. Therefore, you will have information on your industry trends without stress. With the information you gather on your competitors’ marketing message, growth, model, etc., you can evaluate and tweak yours to stay relevant. This gives you a competitive advantage, and the best part about this strategy is how cost-effective it is.
4. Recruit employees or freelancers
These days it is not uncommon to see job listings on the internet. According to Glassdoor, 70% of job seekers use various social media platforms. LinkedIn is one of the popular ones. However, other platforms that are considered informal such as Twitter and Instagram, are also useful. Therefore, as a business looking to fill vacant positions in your company, it is not a bad idea to use social media. One advantage is that you get to evaluate your potential employees based on their social media activities. And even though you may not have a completely accurate assessment of their personality, you may have an idea. Aside from in-house employees, many freelancers also use social media for marketing themselves and their services. So even before you bring them on board, you will know if they are a good fit or not. Again this strategy is cost-effective.
Social media has many perks that businesses can benefit from. It is accessible, cost-effective, and easy to use. Many businesses, especially the small ones, have used social media to build a loyal following, causing them to scale within a short time. That said, there is a science to it, and if you want the best results, you would have to take things seriously. Fortunately, you can hire a social media manager with experience in the field to help. On the other hand, if you don’t have the budget, you can also leverage some free information available on the internet and manage things yourself.
Matt Hoffer is a crypto enthusiast and gamer. When he's not de-constructing the blockchain, you can find him chilling with some lemonade in the shade or playing a round of golf.
