Social Media and Business

The issue of social media being used for business is debatable with people arguing for and against it. Some of them claim that it plays an important role in business transactions. Others oppose this point of view stating that information shared through social media platforms can be misleading and can result in major financial problems. However, the fact remains that social media has been the buzz for the last few years since it started to be used as a vital marketing platform. It has become easy to create Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts among others for many users. The question revolving around is if it is right for business, and different experts have diverse views on the issue. A lot of works have been published concerning the problem. Steven Rosenbush and Michael Totty have presented the article How Big Data is Changing the Whole Equation for Business, and Eilene Zimmerman has written the work Turning Your Company into a Social Animal. Despite the fact that all the authors agree with the statement that social media transforms business practices, they express different ideas.

 

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First of all, the authors differ in the content that they present. Writing by Rosenbush and Totty refers to the present situation using the notion “big data”. That is because comments and feedback in social media are emerging in huge numbers from experts and business persons (Rosenbush and Totty). The two portray social media as a platform where many companies access massive content regarding the field. On the other hand, Zimmerman offers the benefits that social media has for organizations and encourages people to use it in order to gain the advantages. The author is in favour of the information to be shared via the social media stating that it is good for business decisions. Moreover, the writer supports the idea that the networks can pass important public information to a business that will be of great value (Zimmerman). Thus, the two articles have different information on the same topic that is the way technology has changed people’s communication.

The other difference in presenting the whole concept by the authors comes in terms of the weight or evidence given by them. Despite the fact that both articles recommend the use of social media in business, Rosenbush and Totty have gone further to give examples. For instance, they explain the way data should be linked to social media networks such as Facebook and Google in order to attract more clients (Rosenbush and Totty). On the other hand, Zimmerman does not clearly state that social media can assist in gaining a large customer base. However, he expresses the opinion that business owners should pay attention to information received from social media users. Additionally, Zimmerman cautions business owners of tweeting and blogging without any research and against releasing critical business data since that can result in frauds (Zimmerman). Therefore, in spite of discussing the same topic and recommending the use of social media, the two articles differ in the evidence they propose concerning the issue.

However, some critics argue against the use of social media in business. They state that it promotes four factors that enhance evil behaviours among individuals that act against companies. The mentioned aspects include the lack of guilt, mob quo, relative anonymity and lack of accountability. That occurs whenever the social media users transfer negative information concerning a business in the networks that undermines the image of the company. Claims against social media can be true, but the fact remains that it has more benefits for organizations than the disadvantages. That has been attested by the authors who definitely support the use of social media in order to enhance expansion and effectiveness. Therefore, the negative influence is outweighed by the fact that social media expands the customer base and facilitates the transactions in businesses.

In conclusion, the fact has emerged that social media has positively transformed business practices by helping to increase the number of clients and enhance the effectiveness of transactions. In fact, all companies should be advised to take advantage of the opportunity in order to gain benefits and expand. The authors support the fact that social media has emerged as a transformation of the way that people communicate. However, they express their approval differently in terms of content and evidence that they have provided in their works. Despite the criticism by various individuals that social media can lead to a business failure, it is advisable that it is used cautiously for the success of the organization. Obviously, its benefits tend to outweigh the disadvantages that the business might face as a result of using social media for its transactions. The fact is clear that social media is good for companies.