Social Media
What is Social Media?
Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio.
The action of social media is simply people having conversations online. These conversations do not need happen in real time to create a social bond. It is the ebb and flow of ideas and the opportunity to share our voice that gives power to the term, “social media”.
The conversations are powered in part by:
- Blogs
- Micro blogs
- Online chat
- RSS
- Widgets
- Social Networks
- Social Bookmarks
- Forums
- Podcasts
- Video Sharing Sites
- Photo Sharing Sites
- Wikis
- Etc…
Why should YOU care about social media?
- In 2007 Time Magazine stated that Social Media sites had surpassed porn sites in popularity.
- Youtube – over 100,000,000 million videos
- Wikipedia – over 3 million articles in English alone
- Blogs – over 200,000,000 live blogs
- Second Life – 1.5 million residents
Active Online Users
- 73% have read a blog
- 57% have joined a social network
- 35% have started a blog
- 55% have uploaded photos
- 83% have watched video clips
It is not a fad
It is a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.
The old communication model was one-way. Corporations, groups, small businesses, politicians – anyone with a message would simply broadcast it to their audience. There was no back and forth between the producers of the message and the recipients of the message. This created a great degree of insulation to the producers. Rarely would producers be held accountable to their message.
The old communication (monologue) can be described as:
- Controlled
- Organized
- Exclusive
- Product driven
- On-message
- Focused
The monologue is dead.
Newspaper and magazine advertising review is in a death spiral. TV ads generate a low ROI with 90% of people who can skip TV ads opting to do so. The average person is exposed to over 3000 ads per day.
- Only 14% of people trust advertisements
- 78% of people trust the recommendations of others (Nelsen, Trust in Advertising Report - October 2007)
The dialogue is borne
The social media dialogue can be described as:
- Transparent
- Inclusive
- Authentic
- Vibrant
- Consumer driven
- Grass roots (sometimes unorganized)
- Message creep
“Content is the new democracy and we the people, are ensuring that our voices are heard.”
- Brian Solis, The Social Media Manifesto
RIGHT NOW - PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT YOUR BRAND
Did you read about the ASDL company that has slower data transfer rates than compared to using a carrier pigeon? If not, just Google it – over 190,000 Web sites are talking about it.
- People are posting opinions about your products or brand on blogs
- People are posting opinions about your brand on forums
- People may be making videos about your product
- People may be taking and sharing pictures of your product
- Do you know what they are saying about your brand?
“Social media is… only going to become more pervasive and as such, become a critical factor in the success or failure of any business”
- The Social Media Manifesto
Do you think these trends are going to reverse? If so, WHY?
It’s time to implement various Social and Internet Marketing plans into your company culture before it flat lines like the New York Times has in the above charts.
