IN PRAISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE BUSINESS WORLD

Social media has been a part of most of our lives for a long time. It has made way for a space in the job market, and is used for promotion of small businesses, assists with creating a person bran led and with the events over the past couple of years it has allowed us to stay in touch with our loved ones.

It’s fair to say that we depend on it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

All of this aside, I’ve been a big one for social media, although I realise the recognition it deserves.

In spite of being able to sing it’s praises, there are undeniable downfalls of social media which we frequently see in the media; it is these reasons that make us question the values others hold — so it sure is a breath of fresh air to see Yorkshire business Candy Works thrive… in part thanks to going viral on TikTok.

We’re so used to social media being the culprit for misinformation, bullying and explicit content, as well as borderline dangerous trends, such as scalp popping and the new equivalent of egging which has been tagged as #beanbandits. Back in our day they weren’t as dangerous - cinnamon challenge, ice bucket and salt and ice challenges - although it goes to show the power social media has on our lives.

Sophie and Ryan Taylor found themselves unemployed as a result of the pandemic so decided to create. A business from the ground up, operating solely online and harnessing social media to not only sell sweets but also promote their business.

Thanks to this, they have a turnover of £1.4m and employ 12 people.

For businesses to be taking advantage of these platforms seems like a great opportunity. Why not the one that has the largest audience base with a billion active users, as of September 2021?

What a better time to launch a business online, when everyone was at home — subsequently glued to social media.

Some businesses didn’t have a choice, as the move to operate on social media was a make or break.

With the upkeep of a shop and no income, there was no choice but to sell online. For others, this is where they began — and thrived.

Take Ellie Sheaf, for example. She has always used social media as a way to promote what she does, but the pandemic halted her work so she created Ellie’s Cake Bakes. Selling baked goods to the local community, Ellie has a reach of nearly 4,500 on Instagram alone.

Just like Christmas will still be Christmas with or without presents, it’s a pleasure knowing that if we truly want to make something work, then it isn’t out of reach at all.