Social media is rapidly becoming one of the fastest, easiest and most convenient ways for businesses or any type of organization to reach its target publics, audiences and stakeholders. The variety and availability of numerous social media outlets can make maintaining and keeping various social media accounts up-to-date a menial task for public relations practitioners. Social media can be defined as any media outlet that allows interaction, response, or flexibility in the sharing of information. Social media is the beginning of a shift in how people discover, share or read news, information and content.
The effort of maintaining complex social media relationships is well worth the hard work and time in exchange for the rewarding contacts and networking it provides. Companies like Comcast and Jet Blue Airways have actually created new positions within their company, social media specialists, to accommodate consumer’s demands for contact through social media outlets (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/fashion/21whiz.html).
Social media provides a way for consumers to have a dialog with one another and allows organizations to have one with consumers as well.
Social media include social networking websites such as FaceBook, MySpace and Linkedin. Twitter, a micro-messaging system, and blogging forums are also well known social media outlets. Companies such as BF Goodrich have created applications for mobile devices as a part of social media campaigns (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/social-media-a-go-go/). Regardless of platform, social media has the same serious implications as any other form. Libel and slander are two real serious situations facing any media outlet, regardless of its initial purpose (http://www.socialbrite.org/2009/08/08/preventing-against-online-libel-and-defamation/).
Personal use of social media is as diverse as the availability of social media outlets. Personal use could be based towards work-related contexts, romantic relationship contexts, connecting over shared interests or worldviews, or school relation contexts. I personally do not use any social media outlets unless required by my academic classes. I don’t have the time to keep up to date with existing social networks much less the time to keep up with virtual or online social networks (http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/20/markets/thebuzz/index.htm). I do, however, understand the importance of social media and the implications of it in the public relations field. All forms of social media provides an unique and engaging way of communicating with consumers and stakeholders, yet, there are a few things social media cannot do. Check out this list of 10 things Social Media Can’t Do, (http://adage.com/digitalnext/article?article_id=140128), to remind yourself that no matter what, nothing beats a good old fashioned strong marketing strategy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/fashion/21whiz.html
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/social-media-a-go-go/
http://www.socialbrite.org/2009/08/08/preventing-against-online-libel-and-defamation/
http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/20/markets/thebuzz/index.htm
http://adage.com/digitalnext/article?article_id=140128
Social media do get a little overwhelming when there are so many sites to sign up for. Better pick and choose with care.
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