The weakness of using Fackbook and Twitter for consumer engagement with the firm - Essay Example

The Weakness of Using Facebook and Twitter for Consumer Engagement with a Firm The main disadvantage or weakness of using Facebook and Twitter for engaging consumers with the firm or as a marketing tool is the time that is required to manage and navigate through each medium’s intricacies (Dutot, 2013). Facebook and Twitter come in different settings and forms fundamentally, with each requiring its own distinct criteria or approach to individualize and engage. This aspect of time consumption cannot be overemphasized because further still, the firm will have to designate someone to be constantly feeding the profile as well as pages with the relevant content.

The other extra duties of this individual or individuals include monitoring as well as responding to questions and comments robbing marketing department off necessary hands on personnel in keeping the company afloat (Hu, 2011). This is especially a problem for small companies or start-ups with limited resources. In this sense, social media presents a weakness in increasing a firm’s running overheads without necessary guarantee for increased revenue. Facebook and Twitter may pose a weakness in a firm’s engagement with its customers due to having a wrong strategy for online branding (Kuzgun, 2013).

This could put the firm at a viral social disadvantage and could even end up damaging the firm’s reputation. Few people will most probably notice mistakes made offline, but when the mistakes regarding a firm’s portrayal are made online, they are immediately noted by many and spread over the net. This is aggravated by the fact that bad news or negativity on Facebook and Twitter trends faster than good news for gossip is considered juicy while normal news is boring. The online interactive media like any other Information Technology field is highly prone to threats of hacking or malicious compromise of content (Thomases, 2010).

The hackers may be out to malign the firm and jeopardize its online marketing efforts through posting false tweets. There has been evidence and news of hackings into Facebook and Twitter accounts of established and renowned companies sending the message across the business world that really no firm is invisible. This loophole mat cost the firm its reputation negating the intentions to use social media in the first place. Social marketing is also seen as somewhat intrusive. Some ardent members on Facebook and Twitter feel that advertisement placement through collection of member information from these sites is intruding on their privacy and that confidentiality is compromised.

This causes marketing efforts to be met with offensive and bitter reactions. Another weakness of using Facebook and Twitter to engage with a firm’s customers is the fact that feedback is hard to control, which could prove damaging to the firm’s online marketing campaigns (Tuten and Solomon, 2013). Positive criticism is good for any business, but social media presents a loophole that can be exploited by a firm’s competitors or unhappy customers through deliberate malicious negative responses to posts.

This negativity could take a lot of time to neutralize costing the firm financially. The global aspect of Facebook and Twitter means that they are free to join as well as operate. This eliminates paid advertising designated for a specific market meaning that a firm could be local, but with foreign/abroad followers misleading the strategic analysis of the firm in terms of approximate market positioning. The fact that online marketing easily and mostly attracts those accustomed to the brand makes it quite ineffective in attaining new business, which is a potential downside of using Facebook and Twitter for consumer engagement with the firm.

Reference ListDutot, V. 2013. A New Strategy for Customer Engagement: How Do French Firms Use Social CRM? International Business Research, 6 (9).Hu, X., 2011. Social media business model analysis-Case Tencent, Facebook, and Myspace.Kuzgun, E. 2013. Brand Loyalty’s Impact on Customer Engagement in Virtual Brand Communities.Thomases, H. 2010. Twitter marketing. Indianapolis, Ind.: Wiley Pub.Tuten, T. L. and Solomon, M. R. 2013. Social media marketing. Boston: Pearson.