Christine Kane, a graduate in Communication and Journalism, offered us a guest post discussing social media in small and large businesses. Which benefits more? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Over to you, Christine…
Who Benefits More From Social Media Usage: Large or Small Businesses?
Every business, whether large or small, can benefit from social media usage in terms of internet marketing and brand awareness, but is it small or big business that benefits more? Do the large businesses, with their far-reaching fingertips, benefit more from social media? Or is it the smaller, humbler businesses that prevail?
Recognition and loyalty
It’s pretty obvious that everyone is benefiting in terms of brand recognition from using social media because of how quickly it allows you to expand your audience. And there’s no denying that big brand names such as Target, Exxon, or Best Buy are able to draw in large followings with a simple snap of their social media fingers because they’re such well-known brands already. Small businesses, on the other hand, have the most growing to do, and don’t bring in large followings right away because they have to build their brand recognition. However their followers are also much more likely to share the small business because if they’re following them then it’s out of a deep appreciation for the brand and they are usually interested in doing whatever they can to help grow it. This brand loyalty isn’t usually as strong with big businesses.
Ability to relate
One of the most influencing factors of social media is the ability to put a human “voice” behind a brand name. This helps alleviate the feeling of interacting with a nameless, faceless brand and fosters feeling of an actual relationship. Both businesses benefit from this, but small businesses are able to use this more to their advantage because there isn’t a large corporation fueling their posts, tweets, etc., which usually translates to having a more personal and less automated feel to them. Having a more personal feeling that people more easily relate to, gives them a stronger bond with the brand than those that boast hundreds or thousands of employees.
Interaction with the general public
Coming out on the forefront again, small businesses are much more likely to reach out to the general public for product reviews or to send out free samples than big businesses. This is because they’re trying to create brand awareness in exchange for product reviews or link-ups on social media sites, which helps further solidify a commitment to the brand and business. People love to feel appreciated and are usually much more active in promoting a brand that they feel appreciates them as well.
So who comes out on top?
While both small and big businesses will reap benefits from social media marketing, small businesses tend to see the most growth and brand commitment from their followers. This is born largely out of the personal connection their fans feel to them, and that connection is vital to successfully growing through social media usage. In terms of social media success, while big businesses may be able to implement more expensive marketing plans, when small businesses approach marketing in a more intimate way they’re likely to come out on top.
Thanks Christine!
This guest post is by Christine Kane from internet service providers. She is a graduate of Communication and Journalism, enjoys writing about a wide variety of subjects for different blogs and can be reached via email at: Christi.Kane00 @ gmail.com
Lucy is Editor at Corporate Eye
