When instagram and facebook came out in the early 2000s and 2010s, the sites attracted tens of thousands of users daily. Users could post videos, pictures, and quotes; users could comment on these posts, users could follow and block other users and overall build an online community with like minded individuals.
Social media is a successful marketing tool because organizations can build and connect with an online community that likes football, or art, or reading and writing. Individuals anywhere in the world can learn about the services and events a community organization provides and participate. On instagram users can follow an organization’s account or block the page.
Once a user interacts with an organization’s account, people that follow the user will be introduced to the organization’s page. Social media uses algorithms to show people posts that they might like or their followers have liked.
Eman Wally and Swapna Koshy completed a study examining how female Emarati entrepreneurs have been able to utilize social media to grow their brand and business. This marketing model was so successful because the internet penetration rate in the UAE is over 80% (Wally 2014). The more people that have access to the internet the more people create Instagram and Facebook accounts and the more people will interact with posts.
Through interviews and focus group sessions, Wally and Koshy found that instagram was the main marketing tool for Emarati women entrepreneurs; especially for those that operated home-based businesses (Wally 2014). “The respondents favored Instagram as it was in-expensive and user friendly; it also provided high exposure for their products.” (Wally 2014).
“Consumer communication by means of Consumer Generated ads now happens alongside the traditional marketing communication of organizations; sometimes it reinforces it, at other times it strongly opposes it, or perhaps worse still, pokes fun at it” (Campbell). One of the best things about social media too, is that people that are not directly connected to your organization can market your organization for you.
Many startups fail because they do not gain enough support, however with social media, small businesses can attract angel investors and aid, attract customers, attract volunteers and build a customer base.
When using social media as a marketing tool, it is important to utilize social media specific marketing campaigns and strategies to attract more customers.
