post by Stephanie Nelson
When doing some keyword research recently, the question “is social media good or bad?” showed up in the results as a potential good match for the term I was searching. Since this was in one of the keyword research tools I use, it wasn’t a place where I could click and get the answer…so I had to come up with my own answer.
As with most things these days, there’s good and bad to all social media. So let’s dig in and look at a few examples:
PRO: It can be a free way to promote your business.
CON: When you’re not paying, you have less control over who sees your posts, particularly when algorithms are involved.
PRO: There are a lot of different outlets, so there’s something for pretty much everyone.
CON: Trying to be on all outlets can turn into a time suck, but not being on an appropriate outlet can cost you customers. You have to do your due diligence on each outlet…or hire a professional to help you.
PRO: Social media outlets are a great way to connect with new people, or reconnect with folks you’d lost touch with.
CON: Social media outlets are also great ways for predators to reach vulnerable folks, especially young people.
PRO: Social media offers new ways to learn things, particularly if you’re paying attention and willing to listen.
CON: If you’re not willing to listen but you are willing to comment, you may find yourself at the end of a firestorm from which you cannot return. (See my last post.)
So what do you find to be the biggest pros and cons of social media? Do you find that the good outweighs the bad?
