Social Media role and purpose

People and organizations nowadays depend heavily on the internet as their primary source of intelligence. As a result, any business enterprise must adapt to provide a website where people can access knowledge about them. According to Wang (2013), social media as a medium for doing business is growing, and in recent years it has seen a growth in use as a source of knowledge and contact platforms by consumers as opposed to mass media. It provides an excellent forum for organizations to build visibility and commercials. The use of social media in any business organization has many benefits, but Odden (2012) noted that it often necessitates engagement, planning, and well stated goals. Social media allow entities to increase brand recognition campaigns, improve brand loyalty and create more opportunities to reach covert customer (Saravanakumar and  SuganthaLakshmi 2012). It is achieved through accessing many peoples and by having high conversation rate with potential and existing customers.

Using social media to reach out to the client is affordable compared to other means of advertisements like printed media, televisions or even radios. Having a social media platform or website as Rapp, Beitelspacher, Grewal, and Hughes (2013) argued allows one to advertise and promote a company without incurring high expenses. These platforms and websites are also customer friendly they are satisfactory and convenient to the customer. They offer customers opportunity to access information and even purchase the product without being at their stores.  Online platforms can reach more people and available day and night offering a better platform that reaches customers worldwide. They also create opportunities to prove credibility, increase sale and have better and improved relationship with the potential and existing customer. It is possible to save their time and giving instant feedback through emails and comments.

Wal-Mart Stores use both social media and website platform to reach to their existing clients and try to convince and reach new customers. Some of the social media platforms include Twitter, Facebook Pinterest, and Instagram. It also uses YouTube and its official website to interact with various customers. It uses its online platforms to reach to their client’s. Most of the target audiences are people of all ages they have captured a sizeable market that targets customers of different age due to their wide range of varieties. Rapp, Beitelspacher, Grewal, and Hughes (2013) observed that companies just like Wal-Mart companies can therefore use their social media in advertising its products including foodstuff, furniture, and clothes. Such engagements are increasing awareness and reach more customers due to increased communication between the company and its customers. Wal-Mart uses social media to alert their customers about new stocks, offers, and promotions.

Because Wal-Mart has a wide presence in social media, they use it to do various activities that increase brand awareness and reach more customers. The company owns various twitter handles with the parent handled @walmarthub used to retweet from other handles. Their handles tweets different topics including public policies, sustainability issues, philanthropic among others. Wal-Mart uses its Facebook pages mostly for brand and item suggestion as they are able to reach its more than 30 million followers. Its Pinterest account is mainly for promoting green living and product suggestions.

            The company’s website and social media platform are mostly updated with attractive themes and well-organized posts. Some of their twitter handles are updated several times a day. Questions about their products are posted with an aim of motivating customers to develop interests in such items. Its Facebook account receives at least five posts in a single day which includes weekends and such posts receive a large number of responses from the customers. Other platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram also receive various posts a day. Wal-Mart has successfully utilized the use of social media in customer engagement in a way that has enabled it to keep in touch with their customer and enabling them to give their clients reliable information in a timely manner. Wal-Mart website is easy to understand and access a variety of products. The customer can purchase or inquire any information without problems as they have adopted an easier user interface that allows the customer to access the right information at the minimal time possible.

Some online marketing like blog and articles are powerful growth drivers to increase customers’ numbers (Saravanakumar and  SuganthaLakshmi 2012). Although Wal-Mart has a large online customer, integrating Omni-channels to their online e-commerce strategy would help the company to increase its online presence. Omni channeling should involve a clear integration of the online platforms and its store experience and this would help increase customer experience (Wang 2012). Social media can be used in rewarding customers and can be equipped together with the websites with more information about new and existing brands. Both website and social media platform should be updated often and be more engaging.

By including such strategies in their website and e-commerce strategies, Wal-Mart will be able to influence and reach more people. Through an engaging and interactive social media, more young customers will develop more interests and increase the social media traffic which will convert to more presence and profitability.

 

 

 

Reference

Odden, L. (2012). Optimize: How to Attract and Engage More Customers by Integrating SEO, Social Media, and Content Marketing. John Wiley & Sons.

Rapp, A., Beitelspacher, L. S., Grewal, D., & Hughes, D. E. (2013). Understanding social media effects across seller, retailer, and consumer interactions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41(5), 547-566.

Saravanakumar, M., & SuganthaLakshmi, T. (2012). Social media marketing. Life Science Journal, 9(4), 4444-4451.

Wang, C. (2013). Social shopping development and perspectives. Studies in Virtual Communities, Blogs, and Modern Social Networking: Measurements, Analysis, and Investigations: Measurements, Analysis, and Investigations, 97.