ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING SOCIAL NETWORKS IN BUSINESS Student Name Institute Name  Introduction The concept of social media has transformed on a basic level the methods in which organizations communicate with the consumers and with the public at large. It has started as innovative approaches to approach in which marketplace has become an important tool for public relation, marketing, and services to the consumers. However, social media has made it get associated with the consumers, and it also comes with some limitations as well. In the case of another kind of marketing, where marketers have the power to control of the messaging, there should be no control on the social media (Rothaermel, 2015). This can be a great platform when people prefer the business, but it can prove to be a major disaster in case they don't agree with the platform. Various platforms like Twitter and Facebook also permit anyone to share the opinions where the whole conversation become absorbing however, it can be very harmful or dangerous for the marketing manager. One might never understand that kind of negativity that will ultimately strike the social media from externally based sources. Marketing managers are facing with the number of options with the quick rise in the usage of social media. As per social media study by some researchers, business all over the world especially American businesses are expected to spend some billion on social media marketing. The crucial disadvantage of utilizing social media as main marketing techniques is the time needed to navigate and also manage the internal details of every medium. Social media network comes in different kinds and setting and also need a distinctive approach to engage in business (Bryman and Bell, 2015). Literature Review Scope and Objective When business is trying to promote the organization, social media can be a big assistance. For a single thing, the present and potential customers are already present for example; media like Facebook can alone bring billions of users, and that proves to be a single platform that can be used for different purposes related to advertising (Turban et al., 2015). Following is a detailed discussion: - Huge audiences: along with Facebook, social media platforms like Twitter, or Instagram or Pinterest have millions of users. However, it is not important to use every platform for the promotion, creating an account on one or two can also provide the right amount of platform to millions of people all across the world (Denscombe, 2014). Free to create: one of the main advantages of social media based promotion is that it was completely free of cost to initiate. No bigger platforms have to provide signup fees of any kind, this way it becomes the only kind of investment one will need to make in the form of any time. Also, there are some paid options also for advertising on most of the social media sites (Batjargal et al., 2013). These can be treated as a great tool for developing the following and at the same time catching the attention of more potential customers but by no means are essential for any business (Borgatti et al., 2013). Encouragement in sharing: most probably this is the most distinct benefit of social media platforms which can get assistance from the followers. People also love to share different things with another kind of network as well and recipes towards some interesting articles. It is not like any other form of internet based marketing like the website or paid form of advertisements or contents on social media which is usually shared (Myers, 2013). At the same time, the reach is wider since people who follow the business on social media can share the information about the company with other followers who then share with their followers by giving a wider reach to the consumers with low costs than any traditional marketing campaign (Buettner, 2016). Rise in brand loyalty: in addition to this, there is also increase in the overall reach of the brand where social media permits the business to enhance loyalty among brand. Also, the study is conducted by different research which says that people who follow the brand on social media platform will most probably remain loyal to the company for the longest period. Social media cannot be termed as just a sales pitch rather; it provides facilities to have a two-way conversation that permits the company to build some concrete and solid association with the present as well as potential consumers (Ozdemir et al., 2016). This way, the level of confidence rises in the current decisions to believe in the business setup more, and it further motivates them to select the brand shortly. Uncovering of some valuable insights: Social media can also be used to get some advantage from data about the consumers that will assist the business to be smarter in taking right kind of business decisions (Rennie and Morrison, 2013). With for listening of social media, one can also uncover some conversation about the business and also answer a different kind of queries about the offerings. There are a number of questions that can be asked here like what people like about the business or how the product can be improved to suit the demand of the target customers or clarity about the solution to these issues that are related to business. It helps in creating an edge for the business to move ahead in the competition and also be able to reach more and more people (Juščius and Snieška, 2015). Authentic relationships: social media marketing also helps in building a stronger relationship with the consumers. These days, it is simpler to be a next big thing on the internet, and these platforms can be used by some organizations big or small to spread the content to the customers (Zeng and Gerritsen, 2014). With billions of users all across the world, who vary from different age and social status, these sites permit the company to deliver as well as promote the content on the selected as well as target market as quickly as possible (Shmueli et al., 2016). The platform works like self-serving kind of medium since once the platform is posted or shared with the consumers, and the content is valuable for them. It can be shared all across the world with so many people in the form of consumers which help in gaining more brand exposure. Also, the organization can interact with the customers directly on a more personal level (Leonardi et al., 2013). This further means that companies have the option to communicate with the audience in a creative manner by live videos or chatting. Also, the company can also deal with issues or queries that are very critical by nature for the campaign, and the solution is based on the excellent consumer-based services and gaining more amount of trust of the people. Whatever is the way, it will help in bringing more humanity to the brand and also building some authentic kind of associations with the audience (Okazaki and Taylor, 2013). Comparative Analysis Time intensive: social networking platform is very time intensive by nature. The platform can be used for interactive sessions or have a two-way communication that is based on overall commitment, and the basic nature of marketing transforms in social networks, with the aim to place on setting up a long term connection that can bring into more amount of sales (Eriksson and Kovalainen, 2015). Here, someone has to act more accountable to supervise every network which can respond to some comments as well as answer quires related to the organization and product and also post information about the product which customer values. Businesses that function without any service are difficult to manage, and these social networks will further find it challenging to compete in the right manner (Nielsen and Schrøder, 2014). The tool is seen as intrusive: some of the avid members of social media network also thinks that advertising is intruding on their privacy. As per the number of research, 8 out of 10 users of social media feel very ambivalent about being more uneasy about sharing the private information and also place social network low in scrutinizing the level of confidence (Bryman, 2015). This is also based on the practice of forming the ads as well as campaigning off all the information related to members that are collected from social networking websites. It has also stirred a wave along with confidential controversy and also a number of efforts that can meet with some bitterness and also some offensive remarks (Hinz et al., 2014). Lack of control of feedback: one feature of social media networking is that it specifically damages the marketing campaigns in a negative manner especially after post comments. Some unhappy customers or industries in the competition can post some offensive images after or videos, and there is nothing much a marketing manager can do to save such cases. Still, there are numbers of negative or another kind of bad feedback which must not be ignored (Zikmund et al., 2013). Social networking should have a proper management in an efficient manner to immediately provide response and have neutralized yet harmful posts which take more amount of time. Distant fans in case of local business: many kinds of social media networks have the liberty or are free to join and function. But they don't pay for the advertising to strongly target the customer base, and local businesses often finish with the followers who are not domestic. The best kind of usage of marketing is done with the help social media networking websites is based on data from consumers associated with their interest and also motivate to achieve repeat business in an accurate manner by utilizing' the service. On some level, online businesses can make complete optimization of such disadvantages by presenting online products or services (Trainor et al., 2014). Attracts present brand customers: another main limitation of social media for the businesses is that it simple to get the attention of present base of loyal consumers, however, difficult to make efforts needed to get the attention of new kind of businesses. Also, this can be superb to attract present customer and get to make repeat purchase (Autio et al., 2014). As per research, a loyal customer to the loyal brand can also be channeled in an efficient manner into getting right marketing with the help of social media. The current position can impact the new customers to try different services as well as products. The balance in marketing works to ignore the pure form of advertising that social consumer usually detests and develops relationship based bonds (Hair, 2015). Gaps Identified & Conclusion In last many years, social media has developed from being a regular channel for getting in touch with people into one of the strongest platform or tools for businesses or brands. This platform has proved time and again that it is a cost-effective method for promoting as well as advertising in a new and also subtle yet personal methods where businesses are doubling the marketing budget for advertising on social media during coming five years (Chu and Du, 2013). Numbers of businesses are also getting the help of social media based marketing in business, and many of them are not even planning properly or also assessing the overall effectiveness and the effect of the promotion on social media for the companies and building of the brands. In reality, these businesses are two sides of the same coin, and one also promises to gain profitable success specifically if social media marketing is done in the proper manner as well as in an effective manner. On the other hand, social media marketing can also prove to be harmful to the brand by bringing in solutions that are opposite from what is expected from the business (Prpić et al., 2015). Therefore, a digital marketing or social media marketing attempts to give companies with a definitive kind of guide that will point out the limitations and benefits of social media networking for the business. 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