But sometimes a pretty bad situation can turn into a winning moment thanks to an appropriate response on social media. It is only important to keep a few aspects in mind.

Especially due to the aspect of many-to-many communication (a horizontal exchange of a large number of users), social media can be viewed as an overall opportunity, although there is no patented recipe for success for engagement on social platforms.

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Every company should decide for itself which are the right channels for spreading the message and which means help to establish the image on the market. 

Strengths and Weaknesses

The following aspects should clarify which strengths the social web has to offer and in which areas errors can creep in or risks can arise.

Loss of Control

In the social web there is always the risk of losing control, as the reactions and actions of the users cannot be directed or predicted in a target-oriented manner. A message that has once got into circulation can hardly be withdrawn from the Internet again (cf. Neumann 2011, p. 28). 

Criticism and Crisis Communication

Successful social media marketing requires that communication and openness are promoted. However, this creates vulnerability. It is therefore sensible to plan for adequate and good crisis communication. Because this is where the great opportunity of social media lies: direct interaction with customers is possible.

Criticism always harbors opportunities. Praise is a driving force and advice can be derived from negative but constructive criticism. In a crisis, concern should be shown and any form of rudeness should be avoided.

In no case should errors be covered up. A sincere apology shows the human side of a company and comes across as personable. If a problem needs to be solved, it should be solved publicly (cf. Neumann 2011, p. 28f .; Heymann-Reder 2011, p. 35f).

Change in Communication

Classic advertising is often perceived as spam on social media. The actual advertising is made up of dialogue and active presence. In the social web, companies talk »with individual people and no longer with defined, anonymous target groups who are addressed via multipliers« (Neumann 2011, p. 31).

In general, the dialogue with customers can be promoted better with social media than with other instruments. The possibility of a customer service is given. This offers additional advantages, as the posts remain so that customers can quickly find them and read them over and over again.

Trust and Loyalty

The success of social media is primarily based on the fact that consumers trust the recommendation of their user community more than the advertising placed, whereby the level of trust depends on the respective platform.

Entries in blogs and forums enjoy complete trust, whereas posts on Facebook are less so. In order to have a trusting effect, an open dialogue, a high quality of the provided content and a fast response time are of essential importance (cf. Heymann-Reder 2011, p. 40f).

Relationships

The term influencer is used to describe influencers on the web who are trusted by a large number of users. Brand ambassadors recommend brands and products to others. In order to particularly benefit from the community, as an advertiser you should track down influencers and brand ambassadors and get on well with them.

A suitable strategy could be to turn a particularly enthusiastic customer into your own brand ambassador by asking them to write a review for a product.

Social Media Marketing (2) - Opportunities and Risks in The Social Web

Basically Very Simple

Basically Very Simple

So It Goes On

So It Goes On

Social media platforms and their marketing potential. 

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