A social network is a
website that brings people together to talk, share ideas and
interests, or make new friends.
This type of collaboration and sharing
is known as social media. Social media sites contain content created
by hundreds or even millions of different people.
Marketers use social networking for
increasing brand recognition and encouraging brand loyalty. Since it
makes a company more accessible to new customers and more recognizable
for existing customers, social networking helps promote a brand’s
voice and content.
Customers may complement the company’s offerings and encourage others
to buy the products or services. The more customers are talking about
a company on social networking, the more valuable the brand authority
becomes. As a brand grows stronger, more sales result. Increased
company posts rank the company higher in search engines. Social
networking can help establish a brand as legitimate, credible, and
trustworthy.
A company may use social networking to demonstrate its customer
service level and enrich its relationships with consumers. For
example, if a customer complains about a product or service on
Twitter, the company may address the issue immediately, apologize, and
take action to make it right. However, criticism of a brand can spread
very quickly on social media. This can create a virtual headache for a
company's public relations department.
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