Social Media Business Success: Strategies And Models

Overview of Digital Enterprise Management

The report aims at providing an overview on the management of digital enterprise. Thus, report will provide an insight into how various social media accounts for significant amount of online usage particularly on the mobile devices. To analyze the fact, the report will mention the business models and strategies used by four social networking sites like Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp. Instagram represents a desktop, mobile and internet based photo sharing service and application that allows the users in sharing videos and pictures either privately or publicly with pre approval. Facebook represents an online social media based in America that provides social networking services. However, Messenger represents a software application and instant messaging service. Whatsapp is a cross platform and freeware instant voice over and messaging IP service that allow the users to send text messages as well as voice, video calls, images and documents from the user location. The report will also put forward an insight on how the various social networking sites have become a part of our lives across the globe and have helped in contributing to the business success when used across the right channel. To analyze this, the report will put forward examples of few companies that have used various networking sites that have also helped them to succeed.

The report commences by agreeing with the statement that ‘social media accounts for significant amount of usage especially on mobile devices’. This is because of the emergence of high-end smart phones along with the business level strategies of the social networking site to be supported by a mobile app. The business models and strategies used by four social networking sites like Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and Whatsapp.

Mobile devices are taking over the landscape between the 18 to 34 year old demographic profiles with currently 2.6 million users that will eventually grow by 6.1 million by the year 2020 (Arthur et al. 2014 ). This will be equivalent to equating around one Smart phone user in every 1.2 people across the world by the end of 2020. This had initiated additional investments by the various social media platforms and Face book through its investments in Messenger is already on its way. The increased use of social media on the mobile devices for sharing private messages is infiltrated by the brands as a platform for customer service or newer distribution channels for making money.  

Instagram is bought by Facebook with around $1 billon cash. Instagram primarily focuses at making money through advertising and generates revenue of around $6.82 billion. Facebook also purchased the messenger service for around $19 billion and generated revenue close to $1,289,000 by charging a meager amount of $ 1 dollar either for downloading the app (Team 2017). However, the most well known of all the social media app includes Facebook owned by Mark Zuckerberg. The bulk of the revenue for this site comes primarily from the digital advertisements.

The Business Models and Strategies of Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp

Instagram has a mobile product design that determines its success (Miles 2014). The popularity of Instagram is driving every single person since it is easy to get started. The business model and strategies that includes:

1. Easy Startup:

One simply needs to go to the App store download, set an account by choosing a username and a profile picture.

1. Sharing of Photos

The Instagram App allows the users to take pictures with the help of the app or use the ones that already existed easily through the mobile device. The users can post title for each photo and instantly share it on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr and Posterous.

1. Manipulation of Photos

The app has around eleven different filters to make the photos interesting. The most boring photo can have an amazing look with the use of such filters within seconds of clicking by the mobile camera.

1. Social Aspect

The Instagram App revolves around having followers and friends. Thus, it allows the users to follow people by clicking few buttons of his/her mobile device.

1. Finding and Following People

Instagram allows the users to use their Smart phones to find their friends who are already using it and follow them immediately. The app also comes with a feature known as ‘Invite Friends’.

The business model and strategies used by Facebook includes:

1. Ensures Easier Download:

The Facebook mobile app is downloaded from the app market by just clicking few buttons (Maher et al. 2015). After installation the user need to create an account with a user name and password along with providing an email id to Facebook for receiving notifications and account information.  The user can then create their own profile by mentioning hobbies, relationships and hometown along with a picture.

1. Allows a Quick View

The homepage of the app provides links to all the features of the social media website on a smaller and convenient screen (Ray 2013) of the Smart phone. The features are related to the news feed, profile, friends, messages and places thereby allowing easy access. However, the notifications are visible at the bottom of the screen.   

1. Allows Management of Admins

Facebook allows its users in assigning five different admins that includes editor moderator, analyst, advertiser and another admin who have complete access through their mobile devices.

1. Creation of Post and Schedules

Facebook allows the users in creating and publishing all sort of post including status update, video, photo, sharing a link and creation of an event within seconds with the use of Smart phone.

1. Adding Comments or Private Messages

The Facebook mobile app allows the users in easily responding to the comments of their pages through direct messages

1. Quicker Reply to the Messages

Instagram: Business Model and Strategies

The app helps the users in replying and viewing the private messages on the page opened in the Smart phone (Ho 2014). This helps in saving the time and effort.

1. Viewing Insights

The app allows the user especially the business owners and the marketers in checking their page statistics while on the move (Wang, Pauleen and Zhang 2016) in their mobile devices.

The business model and strategies used by Messenger includes:

1. Easier to Install

The Messenger app is installed into the mobile devices from the available app market by the click of few buttons.

1. Allows Sharing of Relevant Content

The messenger allows the users to share of relevant and helpful content via his/her smart phones.

1. Ensures Faster Response

The messenger ensures quicker business response and allows the user to experience better customer service (Lezo 2015).

1. Provides Personalized Experiences

Messenger helps in providing the users personalized experiences along with gaining a deeper insight. The app helps in providing a real and friendly touch.

1. Helps in Enhancing the Shopping Experience

People can now use Messenger app strategy to enquire about brands they are unaware and have a nice shopping experience simply by using the app in the mobile devices.

1. Ensures Direct Sales:

Businesses can use messenger and opt for direct sales to the customers easily by simply installing its app in the smart phones.

The business model and strategies used by Whatsapp includes:

1. Easier Installation

For installing, the app on the mobile devices users needs to go the play store and download the free app.

1. Use of Changed Logo

The Whatsapp allows users especially the businesses to add a different logo with the phone icon (Latiff and Safiee 2015). The logo makes them easily recognizable to the frequent users.

1. Enables Registering Phone Numbers

The Whatsapp app is a chat tool that allows users to register their mobile number and businesses to use landline numbers for registering with the app.

1. Ensures Setting Automated Replies

The app also enables the users in setting up automated replies for answering queries even when the user is unavailable for chatting at a particular moment (Muratovski 2015).

1. Tracking of Message Statistics

The Whatsapp app puts forward option for viewing data for the number of messages received and sent. This helps in keeping a track of how the app is working for the user.

People use networking sites for interaction, talking with the friends, networking, business purposes, entertainment and making payments. However, social networking sites like Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp is helping businesses to succeed in terms of profitability, expansion, image and reputation.

The ways in which Instagram helps a business are as follows (Alkhowaiter 2016):

1. Enables businesses in setting up their Instagram account: This is ensured by either including a link for boosting traffic to the site or staying recognizable with a photo and a name or by including an interesting and informative bio that helps in hooking followers.
2. Instagram allows businesses in creating popular posts through attractive photos that helps in driving sales.
3. Instagram helps businesses on reaching a wider audience with the help of Hashtag features. This social networking platform helps the business in introducing newer services and products and enhances their profitability.
4. Instagram also helps in strengthening Customer Relationships. Business can also integrate Instagram as one of the mediums for social media marketing thereby giving an insight about the newer ways of the company (Kumar et al. 2016). Instagram however acts as a beneficial tool in business promotion.

The ways in which Facebook can promote a business are as follows (Trottier 2013):

1. Facebook puts forward a low cost marketing strategy that businesses can easily avail.
2. Facebook helps businesses in sharing basic information
3. This is a social media platform that allows businesses in sharing photos and videos
4. ou can use Facebook to ‘talk’ to existing and potential customers by posting and receiving messages.
5. Facebook helps businesses in providing customer support by answering the after sales queries of the customers.
6. This social media site helps businesses in enhancing their profile by asking potential and existing customers in clicking the ‘Like’ button.

Facebook: Business Model and Strategies

The role of Messenger in Business includes (Torresi 2014):

1. Messenger allows businesses to send and accept messages instantly
2. The Messenger facility helps businesses to configure their business settings and accordingly deal with the customers.
3. This social networking app helps in creation of saved replies that is not only efficient but also professional.
4.  This platform also helps businesses in personalizing their communication.
5. Messenger allows businesses in adding keywords so that conversations are easily manageable.
6. Businesses can also add a messenger box to their website thereby encouraging the visitors to contact with the help of the improved and new page plug-in function.

The role played by Whatsapp in promoting business includes (Ibrahim et al. 2014):

1. The Whatsapp allow businesses to undertake internal communication
2. This app also helps businesses in communicating with the customers
3. WhatsApp can act as a great tool for supporting customers because of its extensive reach
4. Businesses use this app for growing their business in a cost effective manner

Facebook paid an astonishing amount of one million dollar for acquiring Instagram (Ibrahim et al. 2014). Facebook also wanted to acquire Snapchat whose co-founder rejected the three million dollar offer of Facebook in buying this video and photo-sharing app.

Facebook acquired Instagram when it just had only 30 million users which later built up to 600 million users (Muratovski 2015). The acquisition of Facebook proved that it could build an ample number of products at a given point in time thereby sending messages across the entrepreneurs in owning the best position in the Silicon Valley for driving the massive growth.  The acquisitions also provided a proof for existence ofMark Zuckerberg, owner, in turning the visions of the growth and its impact in the reality without unnecessary meddling.

Facebook can make money through the availability of data or customer information (Ho, 2014). The networking site has undertaken self serve advertising thereby allowing marketers in deciding the customers they wanted to appeal and buy the advertisements in putting it up in front of the users who fits the profile. This is where the customer information comes into play.

The networking sites have helps many businesses in attaining success.  For instance, Zappos represents online retailers who sell clothing, shoes and accessories (Zappos.com 2018). The company has a Facebook custom page with a catchy caption that shows their treatment towards the potential fans that further helped in solidifying their relationship in managing a position in the market. Facebook, owned and created by Mark Zuckerberg has also helped Zappos in earning some loyal customers and thereby enhance their sales.

Conclusion: 

The report ends with a discussion on how social media helps in determining the success of the business. There have been examples provided that supports this norm. The report also discusses about the impact of various social media sites on mobile devices. The future of social networking sites is quite bright as it is believed that brands will make their presence across stories, news feeds and within the messenger services. This will help the brands in better integrating with the lives of the audience. For businesses, launching of newer consumer products will be a norm in future. Facebbook is believed to build better tools for providing assistance to the brands. Chatbots will also make a mark in the field of social media marketing along with Instagram stories staying visible and a top trend. With the advancement of technology, pages would be easier to load thereby ensuring better results. The social media evolution will also lead to expansion of the networks and connect a wider world. The social media will reach a stage when it will help in live streaming for connecting to the rest of the world in real time.

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