Is the increase of social media use good for small time business

Social media has always had its pros and cons but it has been a lifesaver in many cases. The past few years have seen a spurge in the usage of social media, not only by youngsters but also by older people. 

Then entire world has gone digital and so have small time business owners! With increasing usage of social media, these business owners now have the ball in their court. 

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc. have been outdoing themselves with new updates every day. The small business owners have been benefitted by this. All you need is one viral video and the whole internet blows up! Just like we saw in the case of the new internet sensation ‘Baba ka Dhaba.’ 

Increased usage of social media has created an opportunity for these business owners to spread their reach. With a spike of 9.2% in active social media users, the number has now reached 3.81 billion people in 2020. 

Today, social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have a separate section called as ‘store’ which makes it easier for people to sell their products and services.  One more way of promoting your business is through influencers. Nowadays, influencers have a blind following and are an asset for promotional purposes. 

The most underrated social media application is YouTube. Today, it has more than 2+ billion active users. YouTube can be a great platform for showcasing your products and services. YouTube videos provide an insider insight for small business owners. The beauty sensation Huda Katan now has her own makeup line! All thanks to YouTube. 

As every coin has two sides, social media has its cons also. There have been cases of identity theft, plagiarism and copyright issues through social media. There is always a cheating scare when promoting goods on social media. We see people being conned time and again. 

All in all, social media has proven to be a boon to small businesses only if used wisely.