Imagine approximately 3 billion co-workers stuffed into one humongous hall. That is Social Media for you. If you are wondering what the sudden buzz around social media is, let me explain. Firstly, Social Media is no rocket science. Its been around for a while now and all of you have been using it quite frequently, knowingly or unknowingly. So why this piece on social media when all of us have used it and know that it exists?
Knowing your potential is one thing and utilizing it is another. The very mention of Social Media flashes names such as Facebook, Twitter, Stumbleupon, Digg, LinkedIn and Orkut to name a few familiar household sites, in front of us. Have we taken a moment to realize the true potential of these seemingly simple and easy-to-use tools? I picture the internet as one collective mind, with the social networking and collaborative sites functioning as tools, enabling us to mould it the way we want to.
Social Media has been defined by Wikipedia as ‘ media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.’ Looks deceptively simple doesn’t it? Social Media brings with it three important characteristics that can change the dyanmics of the web world, if used appropriately :
- Coverage
- Dialogue
- Collaboration
Coverage : social media provides unlimited coverage. As per Internetworldstats Close to 1.6 billion users browse the internet everyday. If you are able to get your point of view across to even a fraction of these numbers, you can claim to have made your point. Traditional media has its restrictions and can cross only so many barriers. Social Media has no barriers. All you need is an internet connection and basic computer knowledge to be a part of this massive revolution.
A fitting example to back my statement would be the closure of a business deal by Infosys Technologies , an Indian software services major,on Twitter. All this was done because of the seamless reach of twitter. A reputed firm like Infosys relied on Social media’s coverage, that speaks volumes about the extent of possibilities with social media.
Dialogue: The importance of dialogue, in today’s world, cannot be over-emphasized. Gone are those days of passive listeners. Responsive interaction is a reality today. To be honest, not much has been gained through one-way communication. Social Media provides a platform for every user , be it a company or a consumer, to engage in meaningful and fruitful dialogue.
Social Media Marketing (SMM) is still at its nascent stage when it comes to the trust companies have in it. Slowly firms have started moving out of their shell and jumping on to the bandwagon. Mashable recently reported that banks have also started realizing the importance of social websites.
I went through their facebook page, and got a glimpse of what they are actually aiming to achieve through this move. It all seems to fall in place when you realize that banks, purely customer-oriented establishments can improve their services only by learning from the users of such services themselves. No better way than to tap the markets being used frequently by customers.
Collaboration: Wikipedia, a boon to our generation. The vast amount of information residing in this website, is a result of a collaborated effort of people just like us. Team work is tirelessly advocated in schools,colleges and work places. Social Media has taken this attribute to the next level. Magnifying its advantages manifold.
These three aspects define Social Media, but cover only a tip of the iceberg. Social media is a revolution that is taking place right before our eyes. We can either take notice of it and empower ourselves or stay passive, and let the one tool, that helps us reinvent ourselves, turn into dust.
Have you ever wondered how President Obama campaigned using Twitter? Please watch this space for more on that and aspects of Social Media you thought never existed.
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