Insight Views

The general perception of social media by most of the businesses is that, it is a set of platforms, where the business can market its content, attract traffic towards its website, and consequently generate revenue. The fact of the matter is that social media has crossed this general perception, and can be used in a much more effective manner.

Good social media marketing companies propose social media as a tool for word of mouth marketing of the business, alongside being a tool of brand defense of the business. The example below illustrates how it can be used for such purposes.

• A customer of a satellite company tweets about he not being able to view a certain channel, which was showing a football game. This tweet spreads to hundred of the followers of the customer.
• The company takes the tweets into consideration and responds back to the customer for alternate solutions.
• The customer adopts the alternate solution and re-tweets about company being helpful and supportive.
• The customer again sends a tweet praising the help company provided.
• The followers of the customer also adapt to the solution and re-tweet the solution to their followers.

In the example when a customer receives feedback and help from the company, this situation is the ‘brand defense’ situation, where the company defended its brand. Moreover, when the followers of the satisfied customer adapt to the alternate solution and retweet the solution to other followers, this situation can be regarded as an act of ‘word of mouth marketing’, where the customers of the company spread the word of the brand.