That’s an interesting question, especially since everyone is very focused on the perks and advantages of using social media. I’m happy to answer this as it pertains to content marketing.

For context, I’m a longtime content marketer and have been using social media for my business for years. I am fully aware of all the benefits that these platforms have for my brands, but in the course of learning the ins and outs of the business, have also discovered that you can be exposing your brand to certain negative aspects of social media marketing.

Here are some that I think you should definitely take note of.

1. Negative comments are published on a very public forum

Before social media platforms existed, customers could reach brands or businesses via a designated platform like email or direct chat. With social media, customers can now complain in very public spaces—your Facebook wall, for example, which can be read by all your followers, or go on a rant on Twitter and tag you for all the world to see.

A simple complaint, instead of being addressed head-on and resolved quickly, might even be shared across multiple users and go viral. It doesn’t matter if the complaint is true or not—you’re already being judged on this very public platform.

Of course, you can manage situations like this through constant monitoring and by making sure that any complaints that come up on social media are immediately addressed.

2. Anyone can just link to your site

The interconnectivity of social media is a big advantage for marketers. It makes it easier for us to find like-minded groups and audiences who are interested in what we have to offer and what we do. However, it also makes our brand more vulnerable to just about any other business or personality out there who wants to piggyback off our popularity on social media.

This isn’t necessarily always a bad thing, but if it’s an association that you’d rather not have with your business, you don’t really have a way to police these connections.

3. Once it’s on the internet, it’s on the internet forever

Online, information never truly disappears. Anything negative that’s been said about your brand—a marketing faux pas that you’re trying to bury, a complaint that you wish would disappear—all these will live forever on the Internet.

It’s important that you’re careful about what you publish online and how you manage potential crises so they don’t come back to haunt you.

Remember, how you represent yourself online reflects your entire business as a whole. So, be very careful about what you say and do on social media because that will have a massive impact on your business. Still, no matter how these perceived negatives can potentially affect your business, I think the pros of social media marketing far outweigh the cons.

I hope my answer helps clarify your questions. If you have any comments, feel free to leave them below or join the conversation on our LinkedIn or Twitter.