In this age of the internet, we can’t imagine our lives without social media. On our devices round the clock, we scroll a multitude of social media apps to access information. Businesses have got a terrific boom with social media marketing. As per the statistics,around 231.47 million US residents created a social media profile in 2020.  So, it presents an opportunity for you to advertise your business using social media marketing for getting more engagements and conversions.

How many people are using social media globally?

As of October 2022, the global user base of social network platforms has witnessed a remarkable surge over the past decade. With a steady increase, the number of people utilizing social media has skyrocketed, nearly quadrupling from approximately 970 million users in 2010 to a staggering 4.7 billion users. This exponential growth demonstrates the widespread adoption and popularity of social media, highlighting its immense influence and widespread reach on a global scale.

To manage your multiple social media accounts and for automating your social media,Social Media Management plays a pivotal role. With the help of social media management tools, you can post and schedule engrossing content to attract the desired traffic for your business or brand.

But, everything has pros and cons, so as with social media. Before using social media for marketing, you ought to know its pros and cons. In this blog, we will uncover social media’s advantages and disadvantages. 

Let’s get started!

Advantages of social media

If you advertise your products or services online using effectivesocial media tools and strategies, it will take your business to the next level by generating more leads.

1.Target a large audience

In the wake of Covid-19, people are confined to their homes and they spend sample time on their mobile, accessing social media. The role of social media has dynamically increased in our daily lives during this pandemic.According to Rannkly’s survey, there is an increase of42.2% in social media usage amidst the pandemic.

So, you’ve got a great opportunity to talk about your business on social media and connect with millions of people across the globe. 

According to Pew Research Center, below are the percentages of US adults who use social media sites online or on mobile.

• YouTube: 73%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 35%
• Pinterest: 29%
• Snapchat: 27%
• LinkedIn: 25%
• Twitter: 24%

*The number of social media users will grow in the coming years on each platform. And, this is a big advantage for businesses that depend on social media marketing to reach out to more people.

A newly opened restaurant in my area is using social media marketing tool to reach locals and tourists. It is targeting people within a certain radius by creating social ads or boosting organic posts, which have helped a lot to bring food lovers to the restaurant.

Usingsocial media management tools, you can automate your social media and craft engaging posts for all your social media accounts to boost more engagements.On the same notion, With Rannkly, you can connect a multitude of social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc., and manage your content from a single dashboard. Publish content from Rannkly on various social channels that can attract a large audience and increase conversions.

2.Ads Customization Options

Social media marketing comes with Ad Customization Options and has the potential to drive more leads. Many social media platforms enable you to select your daily ad budget and select your target customers. 

Let’s look into the Ads Customization options offered by two social media giants----Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook

• On Facebook, you can advertise your product to a target audience based on where they live, their gender, age, and specific life events such as birthdays, New year, marriage anniversary, etc.
   
• You can also focus on people based on their shopping behavior, interests, and pages they’ve liked or followed.
   
• Facebook allows you to target people based on their income level. If you’re selling a costly product, you can choose your desired audience and their income levels to target customers who can afford your products or services.

Instagram

• Instagram is another popular social channel for social media marketing,which allows you to target people based on their age category, city, and country. You can select your daily ad budget and choose the people you want to target. 
   
• Additionally, as per your marketing needs, you can select various CTA options like view Instagram Profile, View Website, ‘Shop Now, etc.

Withtive an effectivesocial media tool, you can craft and schedule immersive Ad campaigns to boost your brand’s engagements. Rannkly helps you to schedule engaging posts on different platforms using an in-built free stock image library and calendar. 

3.Post Organic Content

Social media allows you to post organic content at no cost to drive traffic for your business. This opens various gateways of opportunities for your business to connect with potential leads.

You can create impressive content and post as much as you want with no charges involved. Isn’t it fascinating?

These platforms enable you to post photos, videos, etc., on various social media platforms and provide your brand great exposure. You need to strategize which type of content will connect with your target audience and how can you make it more informative and engaging? Because the audience wants to read something fresh and innovative, so you ought to think, research and craft!

Rannkly’s publishing tool allows you to create, schedule, collaborate, and publish content that drives engagement and accelerates the growth of your brand.

How can you invite social media users to share your video content online?

With Social media, you can promote your video content and expand your reach. The best ways to attract social media users to your video content are as follows:

Hashtags:Hashtags are the best way to invite users and expand the reach of your video content. For example: if you are posting a video related to the safety measures taken during the pandemic. You can use hashtags like #Besafe#, #UsesantisersandMasks#, etc.

Using social media management tools, you can advertise your video content effectively.

You can share your video in multiple social media groups and communities. For this, you need to join groups where the discussion on the same topic happens as that of your video.

Share links of the video on various social media pages and groups. For social media marketing, you can share the videos related to your business or brand.

Use Fascinating captions

For more engagements or attracting the right audience, you ought to use the catchy and attractive captions for your videos.

Use captions that relate to your video content and invite more people.

4.Bring traffic to your website

Social media is a great way to drive traffic to your brand’s website.

When you post compelling content on social media platforms, you provide a link to your website, which takes your target audience to your company’s website. This makes your audience get more familiar with your business. 

With the link, they can visit your website and check out your products or services. So, it’s an amazing way to showcase your business insights. 

For example, you own a beauty parlor in Sect-75, Noida, and undersocial media marketing strategy,you post catchy content like discounts on haircuts, facials, etc. If people like your offer, they visit your website and can make their first appointment with you.

Using social media management tools, you can manage your social media and invite your customers to visit your site when you post enticing content on various social media channels. 

How to Promote Your Business Internationally on Social Media?

Social media helps you to promote your business across the globe using the right social media tools.Let’s see how you can advertise your company internationally.

Select the right platform

Choosing the right social media platform is the first step towards making your business internationally acclaimed. For social media marketing,you need to choose a platform that is famous in a particular country to advertise your products or services.

Create an Effective Marketing Strategy

For establishing and running a successful business, it is important to build a powerful strategy. This is the prominent factor to consider while expanding your business internationally.

Engage with your Audience

It is imperative to interact and engage with your audience on social media constantly. The more you strike a conversation with your audience, the more you convert.

How does social media contribute to the advancement of education in the digital age?

Social media contributes to the advancement of education in the digital age by leveraging its global platforms and connectivity. It democratizes access to education by bridging the gap between learners and experts, regardless of geographical barriers. Through social media, students can engage in discussions, ask questions, and receive guidance from experts in almost every field of study. Furthermore, social media provides a platform for sharing educational resources, fostering collaboration among educators, and promoting innovative teaching methods. It not only enhances the learning experience but also prepares students for the digital world they will navigate in their academic and professional lives.

What are the benefits of using social media in education?

The benefits of using social media in education are manifold. It provides a platform for students to connect with experts, access valuable educational content, and expand their knowledge beyond traditional classroom boundaries. Social media allows for continuous learning and skill development through informative videos and interactive discussions. It also fosters connections and collaborations among students, creating a global community of learners. Additionally, social media offers flexibility and convenience, allowing students to learn at their own pace and from any location with internet access.

How does social media contribute to virtual learning and education in the age of technology?

In the age of virtual learning, social media plays a vital role in education. It allows students to connect with experts, peers, and resources from all around the world. With the majority of social media platforms offering video call capabilities, students can engage in remote learning and enhance their educational experiences. Whether it's attending virtual lectures, participating in group discussions, or accessing educational resources, social media enables students to pursue their academic and professional goals from the comfort of their own homes.

How does social media facilitate continuous learning and skill development?

Social media platforms offer a wealth of informational videos that can contribute to continuous learning and skill development. Students can access these videos with a single click and learn something new every day. Whether it's through educational content shared by experts or informative videos created by individuals, social media provides a convenient and easily accessible avenue for expanding knowledge and honing skills.

How does social media connect students with experts in almost every field of study?

Social media platforms have global reach and provide a means for students to connect with experts in their chosen field of study. Through these platforms, students can easily reach out to brilliant minds, top global leaders, and great personalities. This connectivity enables students to seek guidance, ask questions, and learn from experts who have specialized knowledge and experience in their respective fields.

5.Cost-effective

One of the benefits of social media marketing is that it is budget-friendly.

If we compare it with traditional advertising like print media or TV advertisements, then it is economical. It is cost-effective for those marketers who know how to spend on their ads effectively. 

Social media marketing’s budget can be best monitored by professionals who have years of experience in the industry.

Rannkly is a cost-effective Social Media tool,which helps you manage your social media’s posts at comparatively lower prices than its competitors. Use Rannkly’s 15 days Free trial version to explore the platform.

6.Your Performance tracker

One of the social media advantages is that you get to know the insights of your brand’s performance on various social/review platforms. When you run a marketing campaign, you want to know how it performs and the results of your marketing efforts. The good news is that you can track the performance of your campaigns and analyze what worked and what didn’t for your business. 

You can get more analytics like how many people have seen your posts, likes, comments, shares, etc. You can obtain metrics like impressions, clicks and conversions. 

Rannkly helps you track the performance of your campaigns and ads.It allows you to track and measure the engagements on all the creatives that you’ve posted using the platform. It also showcases top 5 performing posts that your customers have cherished. 

7.Build your Brand’s Reputation

Social media allows you to post organic content that shares your unique brand story, which is one of the most important social media advantages.At free of cost, you can engage with your audience to showcase your products or services through campaigns, ads, etc.

This creates brand loyalty, which means the more people see your brand, the more familiar they become with it. Brand awareness leads to more conversions, and people tend to buy from the brands they trust.

Social media also helps in building your brand because it supports the feature of sharing, retweeting, and commenting on these platforms. People can share your content with their family and friends, which, in turn, gives great exposure to your brand.

Rannkly has got some amazing features to explore like Generating Reviews, QR Code Reviews, Smart replies, Automated Response, Review Monitoring, etc. 

With Rannkly, you can redefine your brand’s online reputation, which includes improving your reviews, growing your audience, and multiplying your business. You can build a fascinating brand and strengthen your online presence.

8.Social Listening
 

With social media, you can gain valuable insights about your customer and know how they feel about your brand. With social listening, you can participate in the conversation about your business and answer questions about your offerings.

You can directly connect with your customers and respond to their comments.

With Social Listening, you get to know what people like about your business and what they don't. How can you improve your products or services to cater to the requirements of your target market? By gaining these insights, you can improve the performance of your business and stay ahead of the competition. 

Rannkly allows you to directly respond to your customer's reviews and strike a conversation.

Listen to your customers! This is the mantra of success in today’s world of business and marketing. If any Facebook or Instagram comment goes unanswered, the chances are high that you’ll lose that customer. So, it is important to address each comment on social media to foster a good relationship with your customers.
 

Disadvantages of Social Media

With many advantages, there are some disadvantages of Social Media too, which you can’t overlook.

Let’s dive in deeper!

1.Be prepared to receive negative feedback

You can’t always receive good feedback on social media, so you need to open yourself to receiving negative ones too. When people like your product or service, they write good reviews about your brand. On the other hand, when your product does not live up to the expectation of your customers, they don't shy away from sharing their bad experiences on social media platforms.
 

Negative reviews have the potential to alter the purchase decision of your upcoming customers. When they see negative reviews on social channels about your product, they will not purchase your product or service. 

Negative feedback can seriously damage the reputation of your business but there is always an exit door no matter wherever you are struck. While replying to negative reviews, try to remain calm and empathetically address the complaints. Always try to work on resolving the issue with your words & actions, and win the trust of your customers again. Do Not respond to negative feedback publicly, always address the concerns in a private message or through email.

2.Requires Time to create an influence

It takes time to create an impact when the competition is so fierce on social media. To see the results of your social media marketing strategy,you need to be patient. 

You need to experiment a lot to make your social media campaigns work. If you are a small business, it is challenging to monitor your social media marketing campaigns.

You have to invest your time in posting content, monitoring that content, responding to comments, and measuring the performance of your campaigns. 

You can’t see the immediate results of your campaigns, so you need to do frequent posting to ensure the success of your campaigns.

3. No Face to Face Interactions

With the advent of social media, there is a significant drop in the face to face interaction with customers. As everything is online today, people rarely step outside to purchase products from physical stores. 

Brands don’t experience real conversation with customers today as they connect with buyers virtually. Creating an unbreakable trust with customers seems to be the biggest challenge in this scenario.
 

4.You can’t get quick results

After implementing social media marketing strategies, you can’t see the instant results. You have to wait for  several weeks or months to see your campaigns working. Business owners need to be patient in experiencing the amazing results of their strategies. 

Craft your social media campaigns and have some patience to see them working.

5.Your Competitors Can Track You

Social media is open for all, your competitors can keep an eye on your social media campaigns. The problem here is that they can copy your social media strategy and implement it. 

One of the biggest disadvantages of social media: your strategy can be copied and your business might suffer a lot due to this.

If you are looking for social media marketing to create a strong presence of your brand, you ought to closely look into the pros and cons of social media. With the help ofsocial media management tools, you can easily manage and monitor all your social platforms. 

Social media is a medium through which you can connect with businesses globally and boost your brand’s reputation to increase more engagementsand conversions.

Craft your social media marketing campaigns and experience their amazing benefits. You can share your experience of social marketing with us!

6. How can social media contribute to cheating and relationship problems?

Social media has emerged as a prominent platform for individuals to seek their life partners. However, it has also introduced a set of challenges that can lead to cheating and relationship problems. One major contributing factor is the potential for individuals to provide misleading information about themselves, leading to inaccurate perceptions of their character and intentions. Such deceit can plant the seeds of distrust and dissatisfaction within a relationship, ultimately leading to its demise.

Moreover, the anonymity and ease of communication provided by social media can facilitate extramarital affairs and emotional infidelity. It becomes easier for individuals to engage in secretive interactions, maintain hidden social media accounts or engage with past flames, all of which can breach trust and undermine the foundations of a committed relationship. These digital connections can quickly transition from innocent conversations to emotional or even physical betrayals.

Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to the negative impact of social media on relationships. The prevalent culture of "online infatuation" can divert their attention from healthy and meaningful connections, leading them towards engaging in deceptive and inappropriate behavior. The constant exposure to idealized versions of relationships portrayed on social media can create unrealistic expectations, further fueling dissatisfaction and temptations to seek out alternative connections.

Furthermore, social media can provide a breeding ground for jealousy and insecurity within relationships. The accessibility to the lives of others, through updates, photos, and comments, can create an unhealthy comparison game, where one partner feels inadequate or suspicious of the other's interactions with others. This can lead to constant monitoring, surveillance, and misunderstandings, all of which erode trust and intimacy.

In summary, social media's influence on relationships can be a double-edged sword. While it can serve as a platform for connection, it also exposes individuals to potential dishonesty, infidelity, and unhealthy comparisons. It is crucial for individuals to be aware of these pitfalls and approach social media with caution, honesty, and open communication in order to foster healthy and fulfilling relationships.
 

7. What are the dangers and consequences of cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying poses a multitude of dangers and consequences, particularly in the context of social media platforms. It is a grave threat that has emerged in recent years, targeting not only adults but also children who are more vulnerable to its harmful effects. The ease with which fake accounts and profiles can be created has facilitated cyberbullying, allowing individuals to harass and intimidate others from behind the anonymity of their online personas. Tragically, cyberbullying has resulted in severe outcomes such as suicides, depression, and various other psychological and emotional issues. The pervasive spread of fake news and rumors on social media platforms has further added to the toxic environment in both society and the country as a whole. In light of these dangers, it is crucial that we address the issue of cyberbullying and its consequences to ensure the well-being and safety of individuals, especially children, in the digital age.

Why are people addicted to social media?

People can develop an addiction to social media for various reasons. One of the leading causes is low self-esteem and personal dissatisfaction. Individuals who struggle with their self-worth may seek validation and affirmation through online interactions, using social media as a means to boost their confidence. Similarly, feelings of depression and hyperactivity can drive people towards the constant stimulation and distraction that social media offers.

Furthermore, the quest for likes and popularity plays a significant role in social media addiction. Adolescents, in particular, are often driven by a desire for widespread social influence and the need to reaffirm their group identity. They may compulsively seek out validation from others, relying on the opinions and reactions of their peers to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance.

It is worth noting that social media can provide individuals with a temporary sense of satisfaction. However, this instant gratification can be counterproductive in the long run, as it can lead people to become reliant on external validation and opinions. The intense but fleeting nature of this satisfaction can contribute to the addictive cycle, as individuals continue to chase the next validation fix.

In conclusion, social media addiction can emerge due to various factors, such as low self-esteem, personal dissatisfaction, depression, hyperactivity, a desire for social influence, and the need for group identity affirmation. Understanding these underlying causes can help individuals reflect on their social media usage patterns and develop healthier relationships with these platforms.