It’s no secret that we live in an age where social media has completely revolutionised our day to day lives. There is now no easier way to communicate with people, or to share details of our lives with friends and acquaintances, wherever they are in the world. Although there is a lot about the negative impacts of social media in the press right now, it’s rarely picked up on the way that it’s changed lives for the better. Social media has entirely revolutionised the way that companies in particular conduct their business, and here is a little bit about how.
Accessibility
Because of social media, we now have immediate access to a wealth of news and information that could be helpful to us. No matter where you are, as long as you have internet access, you have the immediate option to go online and find out more information. Twitter is particularly relevant here, as so much business information is actually conducted over Twitter.
It’s also extremely helpful for expanding sources of content as a whole. So much is blogged and written about now and is then curated and shared worldwide that the volume of content that’s actually available to us is maximised all of the time. Basically, there is no shortage of viewpoints available on the web to us nowadays.
Because of all of this easily accessible information, companies can actually conduct their business, and use social media as a strategic research method. Before social media and the worldwide web, if you wanted to know about your business competitors, you’d have to get out there, meet them and do your research. Now by simply finding their social media accounts, you can find out everything there is to know about them, and either use them as inspiration, let them show you what not to do, or make sure you fill in the gaps in which they lack. It’s also been statistically proven now that up to one third of employers conduct the initial stages of their recruitment using social media. Of course, CV’s and interviews follow suit, but if you look at the number of job advertisements on Facebook, you’ll sharp realise how employers use these platforms to conduct their business, for not only their ease, but for applicants too.
It Makes it Easier to Connect to Others
Similarly, social media also makes it a lot easier for us to connect to others, whether it’s to conduct business or simply maintain business-friendly relationships. One of the key aspects to maintaining a successful business, is to market your business effectively and keep a good relationship with your clients, and because of social media, this is all the more easy.
However, it’s not only social media that does this. The entire prowess of the internet being readily available has made communication between businesses and friends alike so much more accessible – and it’s even possible to conduct the initial stages of a business transaction on the internet. Take companies like ReadySteadySell.co.uk for example. Unlike the traditional method of selling your home, Ready Steady Sell allow you to book your free valuation online at ease. Not only this, but they’ll buy any house quickly, for cash. Because of them starting as an online service, this makes them accessible for people far and wide and therefore widens their business prospects altogether. It’s amazing what being online can do!
Hashtags and Key Words
The humble hashtag started on Twitter only and has now spread itself across several social media platforms with minimal effort. Once hashtagged, words have the opportunity to go viral, and companies can certainly use this to their advantage. Whether it’s a product you’re wanting to advertise, or the company name itself, hashtags are the way to do it on social media. They’re the social media equivalent to using key words in a search engine, so what’s not to love? If you use both of these things, your company is bound to get twice the influx of online traffic than it would if you only used one.
It’s Created a More Level Playing Field
Last but not least, social media has created a much more level playing field, especially for businesses. In the olden days, mass media ruled, and companies had to have a large sum of money to even be heard on a national level. Nowadays, small companies can become just as widely recognised as the larger and weather companies, and therefore it means that most businesses are likely to be on a par with each other, regardless of financial backgrounds.
