Thesis

Each social media platform has become ideal for posting certain types of content. While
something may be accepted on one platform, it may not be as well received on another.
Facebook is good for sharing photos, videos, important company updates and more
tailored content for specific demographics (Corcione, 2017). A Facebook message study
revealed that photo statuses and regular statuses receive more likes and comments
than any other type of post, and conversational messages are endorsed more than
marketing messages (Kwok & Yu, 2012). Twitter is different than Facebook in the sense
that a business’ content must be concise, engaging and sharable. Twitter is also a great
platform to market a business and handle customer service (Corcione, 2017). Twitter
has an average of 320 million active users, making it an important platform for
businesses to utilize, but it is also important to remember to share relevant content,
other than just what your business is doing.
Another platform that businesses have started to utilize is Instagram. Instagram has
more than 600 million active users that typically share photos of food, art, travel,
fashion and their daily lives (Corcione, 2017). Some of the most successful accounts on
Instagram excel because they belong to these more-artistic niches (Corcione, 2017).
Using Social Media to Connect with Consumers:
Once a business determines its social media strategy, it must identify how it can utilize
technology best. The internet helped establish one-to-one marketing and managers who
best understood how this new marketing tool could be used won out (Anderson,
Simester, & Zettelmeyer, 2010). Social media is important because when businesses use
it correctly they are able to provide consumers with unique interactions and sometimes
great customer service. Understanding how today’s consumer uses social media is key in
building and maintaining a positive reputation (Biederman, 2015). Implementing an
organized and fluid process of social media management builds trust with customers
and works to increase positive engagement (Biederman, 2015).
It is necessary for companies to align marketing strategies with response protocol online
because it helps manage reputation and builds brand awareness. If used correctly, social
media can be leveraged to help a business in many ways, but proper management
online requires constant attention. By designating an employee to handle online
customer service, companies can position a brand as active, responsible, diligent and
open to customer concerns (Biederman, 2015). Today, social media has become a
“representation of the brand’s identity in its purest form” because one simple
interaction can lead to gaining or losing a loyal customer (Biederman, 2015, p. 23). Some
of the most followed brands online today are successful because they have personality
and a charm that draws consumers in. When a brand forgets that social media is a
conversation platform, it loses credibility and becomes burdensome to customers.
While it is beneficial for restaurants to deliver good customer service on social media, it
has also been found that since 2013, customers have been turning away from social
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