Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Social Networks †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Social Networks in Business. Answer: Introduction Social media has been in the fore front means of advertisement globally with many businesses currently focusing on social media as communication and marketing platform. In this sense, social media can refer to website or application that facilitate or enable users or subscribers to socialize and share ideas. Social network allows people from all over the world to register, connect, and comment on any topic posted. Therefore, social network enables network between different users that are particularly good for marketing or advertisement. Business can use the social network as its main marketing or advertisement. Social media being modern business advertisement platform is coupled with both advantages and disadvantages. Some examples of social include Instagram, twitter, Hangout, Google+, WhatsApp, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. The statistic shows that most businesses, companies, and institutions throughout Australia are connected to a social network. The following paper is a literat ure review that explores the advantages and disadvantages of a social network in business. Literature Review Advantages of Using Social Networks in Business The social network is one of the technological improvements that have to lead to the growth of many businesses in the world. This, therefore, explains the many advantages of a social network to business. There is much business that today its can attribute their success to the vast network of social media. Some advantages of a social network are communication platform, business advertisement, feedback mechanism, contact information, business research, online retailing, increase opportunity and marketing avenue. Modern business considers the social network as the mode of communication wherebusiness management can use to pass information to junior employees or customers. As Baker et al (2012) can explain social media or social network being the fastest form of communication that currently attracts many users gives both public and confident information. For instance, Heerde, Leenheer, Bijmolt Smidts (2007), indicate that WhatsApp is one of the best social media applications that can be used to pass confidential communication between management. Most of the businesses currently have switched from formal communication that mostly composed of memos and letters to social media since its the current trending mode of communication. In addition, Cristina (2012) explains that social network has proved effective especially as its facilitate faster delivery of information as compared to other former modes of communication. This means that social network can facilitate immediate feedback and often reach a large number of people at the same time. The social network in business has proved to one of the successful advertisement media with most users in Australia and globally. Using social network helps advertisers to reach over 16 million users within Australia alone. According to Trudy Chang (2016), manufacturers, and companies, in general, can introduce new products into the market through social network campaigns. A good design advertisement disseminated into social media or network may pick immediately leading to the success of the new product in the market. As cited by Peter Scott (2011), the social network also enables advertisers to share all the necessary information about a product that allows consumers to make an informed choice about the product. The social network has; therefore, transform business advertisement within Australia and around the world. Social network enables a business to collect all the feedback information about a product or service. According to Gentle (2012), both advertisers and business, in general, can currently collect all comments about a product especially from users and potential customers. Nowadays some social networks such as Facebook and Twitter allow users to comment as express their thought about products or advertisement. As Wellman (2008) explains, a social network can help review help manufacture evaluate the product performance. A study by Bowler Brass (2011) indicates that currently, most social network application has customer rating system enabling rating of satisfaction. As Denise (2013) confirms social media application especially those mobile software that easily integrated to devices hence users can use at their comfort. Paniagua Sapena (2014) explains the far social media has taken marketing research as many social networks have been turned into surveys. Customers who purchase products over the social media are allowed to comment on products and their taste of the product. According to Stretton Karklins et al (2015), marketing research can easily be conducted online as customers and potential customers are given chance to express their opinion about products. Moreover, business research is easier on a social network as users feel involved as compared to other surveys. The business research utilizes application cookies that allow site visitors leave information about products. Cranmer Desmarais (2011) cites some organizations that currently utilize data from a social network to evaluate advertisement viewers. In addition, pay per click adverts is used to show the number of viewers that click adverts within the social media. Social network helps expands online retailing since it has enabled online selling of connection between sellers and buyers. The social network is currently connected to most online retail shops or online marketplace. This according to Agozzino (2012), social network makes a good traffic control element that attracts views from a social network which is healthy. The social network also works to popularize online businesses since its has capability of opening the same retail page within social media. As indicated by Granovetter (2005), online retailing is an innovative idea that can be traced to increase social network, online users. Though Stretton Karklins et al (2015) contradicts use of social media in online shopping by an indication that not all users can buy products, the social network remains good online market place. Yochai (2006) conducted a study on a social network and indicated that social network also widens the business opportunity to sell products both online and in shops. Social network increase business opportunity beyond location limits since social network connect the business with other new people. According to Rodrigo Abraham (2012), developing appealing adverts attracts several users that are potential customers who buy products and services. In an agreement, Kassotakis (2010) explains that catchy adverts attract many viewers that are curious to find more about the service or products leading to contact. This remains a single problem of utilizing opportunity as pointed out by Granovetter (2005). As Cristina (2012) concludes those businesses that are connected to social network remains attractive and has wider opportunity to sell products abroad. This does not leave a clear connection between opportunities widen and the exact change in the purchase of products within the business. Disadvantages of using social networks in business Rodrigo Abraham (2012) shows that despite the many advantages that may be cited on a social network to the business, it could not lack challenges or disadvantages that can result from using a social network. Some of the most common disadvantages of in cooperating social networks in business include cyber insecurity of business due to hacking, low production due to misuse of a social network by business employees, negative comments by social network users, the potential avenue for scams and requires frequent software updates. According to Gloor, et al (2013), one of the most serious concerns about using the social network in business is cyber insecurity. Trudy and Chang (2016), also affirms that hackers have currently increased in number making social network security lower than before. Cyber insecurity may result in the downfall of business in the event of cyber attack as most hackers currently target social network due to many users. Moreover, as Stretton Karklins et al (2015) confirms, cyber attack makes business to lose millions of dollars and this is the recipe for business collapse. Similar research by Bowler Brass (2011) shows that social network is a major catalyst for hackers entering the system that can vastly affect numerous businesses especially those connected to one social media page or application. Though social network has been advertisement platform, expression of opinion on a certain product has proved destructive. Rodrigo Abraham (2012) indicates that negative comments on the social network may derail product performance leading loss of funds by advertisers. A similar study by Cristina (2012) also confirms that sharing of adverts in social media may also trigger emotional gung against a product or service as users respond differently on adverts. In addition, according to Huan and Kathleen (2016), dissatisfied customers can write or comment negatively about a service or product though there are minimal adverse feedback about that service or product. Stretton and Karklins et al (2015) summarizes cyber bulling of an employee is the worse experience that a business can get on a social network. Another disadvantage of a social network is the misuse of social medias pages or resources by business employees. As explained by Peter and Scott (2011), business with social networks normally suffers from misuse of internet resources for their own benefits. Social network such as Twitter or Facebook page for an organization has been reportedly misused by business employees who update their individual profiles instead of business. The productivity tied to adverts on the social network may reduce due to misuse of pages by employees as Denise (2013) comment on the disadvantage of social network and subsequently systems. Software frequent update is the grievous challenge to business using social media or network since it poses more security challenge. As reported by Estrada (2011), most mega online businesses like Amazon have good e-commerce software that is linked with security firewalls before connection to social network plugging. In order to effectively use social media, George (2011) advises every business to update its software especially security firewalls so that it can shield the business from hackers and virus. Kassotakis (2010) contrast the issue of software update indicating that software update is taken care of by social network website and application developers. Paniagua and Sapena (2014) also agree on the software update as one of the business threat links on a social network. Another area of challenge according to Gloor, et al (2013), is the growing scam and sales of fake services or products. A Recent study by Huan and Kathleen (2016) shows that many business and employees have become victims of a scam or fake services that are advertised on the social network. Agozzino (2012) cites some of the businesses that have experience theft or loss of millions of dollars to scam suppliers. Cranmer Desmarais (2011) explains that some fake business was not initially scam but due to huge sums of money they trade in leads to challenges of handling customers hence scam. In contrast, Yochai (2006) claim has been refuted by Rodrigo Abraham (2012), the author cites that once a business has been entrusted to handle sums of money there is a need for a good monetary system. When confirming this Ariel Avidar (2014) also indicates that business that deals in a monetary system need to remove any fear of mishandling of funds leading to scam. Knowledge gap The literature evidently reveals that social media advantages outweigh the negative effects of the social network. According to Chan (2014), a social network can lead to good performance of the business though the performance can sometimes not trance. The only part that remains is the ability to trace the connection social media or network subscribers and the customers in the business. In addition, research needs to be done to trace the connection between site viewer and buyers though some other researches indicate that more page views are correlated to sales as it attracts more customers. Conclusion In conclusion, a social network is an important aspect of business today that has both advantages and disadvantages. Some of the cited advantages of a social network are social network are communication platform, business advertisement, feedback mechanism, contact information, business research, online retailing, increase opportunity and marketing avenue. Disadvantages on the other hand are cyber insecurity of business due to hacking, low production due to misuse of a social network by business employees, negative comments by social network users and a potential avenue for scams requires frequent software updates. Upon examining the literature on advantages and disadvantages of the social media it is evident that the connection between a social network and business performance remains an issue of concern. References Agozzino, A. (2012), Building A Personal Relationship Through Social Media: A Study Of Millennial Students' Brand Engagement. Ohio Communication Journal, 50: 181204. Ariel, Y. Avidar, R. (2014), Information, Interactivity, and Social Media. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 23 (1): 1930. Baker, H.M.; et al (November 2012), Effect of online social networking on student academic performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 28 (6): 21172127 Bowler, W. M. Brass, D. J. (2011), Relational correlates of interpersonal citizenship behavior: A social network perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91 (1):7082. Chan, TH (2014), Facebook and its Effects on Users' Empathic Social Skills and Life Satisfaction: A Double Edged Sword Effect. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17 (5): 276280. Cristina, C. (2012), Social Media in Alternative Marketing Communication Model. Journal of Marketing Development Competitivness, 6: 117136. Cranmer, S. J, Desmarais, B. A, (2011), Inferential Network Analysis with Exponential Random Graph Models. Political Analysis, 19 (1): 6686. Denise, D.P. (10 January 2013), Microblogging to Foster Connections and Community in a Weekly Graduate Seminar Course. TechTrends. 57 (1): 4351. Estrada, E. (2011), The Structure of Complex Networks: Theory and Applications. Oxford University Press. Gentle, A. (2012), Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation (2nd ed.). Laguna Hills, CA: XML Press Gloor, P. et al (2013), The power of prediction with social media. Internet Research, 23 (5): 52843 Granovetter, M, (2005), The Impact of Social Structure on Economic Outcomes. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 19:(1) 33-50 George, B.A. (2011), Encyclopedia of Social Networks. SAGE. Heerde, H. J. Leenheer, J.;; Bijmolt, T. H. A.; Smidts, A. (2007-03-01), Do loyalty programs really enhance behavioral loyalty? An empirical analysis accounting for self-selecting members". International Journal of Research in Marketing, 24 (1): 3147. Huan, C. Kathleen M. (2016), Exploring Characteristics of Suspended Users and Network Stability on Twitter. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 6: 51. Kassotakis, M.E. (2010), Social media at work: how networking tools propel organizational performance (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Marchi, R. (2012), With Facebook, Blogs, and Fake News, Teens Reject Journalistic 'Objectivity'. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 36 (3): 24662. Paniagua, J, Sapena, J, (2014), Business performance and social media: Love or hate? Business Horizons, 57(6):719728 Peter, J. Scott, J. (2011), For a historical overview of the development of social network analysis, see: Carrington, "Introduction". The Sage Handbook of Social Network Analysis. SAGE. pp.1 Rodrigo, S. Abraham, J. (2012), Development and Implementation of a Chat Bot in a Social Network.2012 Ninth International Conference on Information Technology - New Generations. Stretton, A.; Karklins, L. T. et al (2015), Cyberbullying, help-seeking and mental health in young Australians: Implications for public health. International Journal of Public Health, 60 (2): 219226. Trudy C. HH; Chang, L. (2016), Follow me and like my beautiful selfies: Singapore teenage girls' engagement in self-presentation and peer comparison on social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 55: 1907. Wellman, B, (2008), Review: The development of social network analysis: A study in the sociology of science. Contemporary Sociology, 37, pp 221222. Yochai B. (2006), The Wealth of Networks. New Haven: Yale University Press.

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