Promotion: Using Social Media (OCR GCSE Business)

Revision Note

Lisa Eades

Expertise

Business Content Creator

The Use of Social Media in Promotion

  • Social media allows for the targeting of promotional activity at users of online communities such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube 

Examples of social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter and Youtube
Examples of social media platforms
  • Interacting with customers in this way builds relationships, drives repeat business from existing customers

    • It also attracts new customers as content is shared with other users

  • As social media platforms evolve, businesses must also adapt their social media strategies to keep up with the latest trends

    • E.g. Instagram has been a popular platform for businesses to promote their products through influencer partnerships

    • Recently, many businesses have shifted their focus to promoting their brands through short-form video content on platforms like TikTok

Evaluating Social Media Marketing

Advantages

  • Social media platforms have billions of active users, which allow businesses to reach a vast audience across different demographics and locations

  • Social media platforms enable businesses to deliver  promotional content to specific groups based on demographics, interests and behaviours, increasing the chances of reaching the right audience

  • Businesses can create and share content easily, increasing brand visibility and exposure, which helps generate brand awareness 

  • Social media marketing can achieve organic reach and engagement without a large budget

Disadvantages

  • Effective social media marketing requires consistent effort and time to create quality content, manage multiple platforms, and engage with the audience, which can be time-consuming, especially for small businesses with limited resources

  • Social media opens up channels for public feedback and reviews, which can include negative comments or complaints which can be viewed by all other users

  • Social media platforms frequently update their algorithms, which may affect the visibility and reach of content

  • Businesses face the challenge of breaking through the noise and capturing users' attention amidst the large volume of competing content

Examiner Tip

A common misconception is that social media promotion is free. However, professionally-produced social media ads can be as expensive as TV ads to produce. As well as this, to ensure a wide reach, businesses often pay social media platforms to ensure ads are frequently displayed on social media channels.

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Lisa Eades

Author: Lisa Eades

Expertise: Business Content Creator

Lisa has taught A Level, GCSE, BTEC and IBDP Business for over 20 years and is a senior Examiner for Edexcel. Lisa has been a successful Head of Department in Kent and has offered private Business tuition to students across the UK. Lisa loves to create imaginative and accessible resources which engage learners and build their passion for the subject.