Organizational Uses of Social Media

Social media has become such a huge part of society.  All ages are learning to participate in our online world. So much of our communication now is conducted through screens where we can use pictures, emojis, and words to express what we are trying to say.  It is such a good idea for companies to engage on social media platforms.  By engaging online, they are expanding their group of customers to many more than just the people who come into their stores.

Companies can and are using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to post pictures of what they are selling.  This can be found commonly with clothing companies.  There are several small boutiques that really relish on Instagram.  One that I particularly love is called Practically Whole Sale and that page can be found here.  I know the owner personally and I have seen the way she has used social media to promote her business.  She uses Snapchat and Instagram to make videos of her talking about how excited she is about the new clothing she orders.  It has really worked for her because within only a few weeks of the owner engaging on Instagram, she had thousands of followers. This obviously brought in a lot more business and now her boutique is really growing.

Another important aspect of companies getting their own social media accounts is the customer service and customer interaction.  When you move from in-person purchases to online shopping it is really hard to get that connecting between the companies and their customers.  It is important for the company owners to let their customers know that they care.  If a customer or potential customer is reaching out to the company with questions or comments, the organization should respond with haste.  I found an interesting article talking about the role social media has with organizations and that can be found here.  One thing that I liked from this article was how they talked about the organizations needing to respond quickly to people on their social media platforms.  The internet is quick-paced and people are constantly on their accounts.  It really makes companies look good when they respond quickly and efficiently.

Overall, I think that it is extremely smart for organizations to use the resources available to them.  Social Media is free and popular.  I do not see any reason why companies wouldn't want to start advertising and growing their business on the internet where everyone is.