The use of social media by South African organisations

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present how organisations in South Africa are using social media. The paper further explores the value of social media to South African organisations and if it is important for an organisation to have a social media presence. Design/methodology/approach - The study used quantitative research methods to answer the main research question and sub-questions. Findings - The data collected revealed that most organisations in South Africa are using social media for free advertising, CRM and marketing. The popular social media sites used by these organisations are Facebook and Twitter, with LinkedIn increasing in popularity. The data further revealed that social media is important in organisations for relationship building, contact keeping advertising, marketing, attracting customers, brand management and information gathering. Research limitations/implications - The role of social media is changing, it was initially a marketing tool, but the findings revealed that majority of organisations are using social media for free advertising, CRM and marketing. Social media is an easy CRM tool that offers effective and efficient capabilities. Practical implications - It is important to use integrate social media with the organisations processes to market and advertise new products, it is an instant and cost-saving way of communicating with customers, and helps in reaching and attracting new customers. Social implications - Social media is important for keeping contact and building relationships with customers, advertising and marketing, way to attract customers, brand management tool and gathering information. Originality/value - The study provides guidance to how organisation can use social media, identifying the value of using social media and highlighting the importance of social media in an organisation in the South African context.