This is the end... practically

The journey through Social Media has been a weird, wonderful and sometimes dark one.  To finish, I went back (not really a future gaze?!) to the beginning to remember why I was doing this subject in the first place.  I am working in the ‘real world’ so how does Social Media fit into the communications/public relations aspect of business?

Here are few quick and simple notes about what I can take away from the various topics and use in a practical manner in my work.

Blogging

Blogging in business would require:

·         Expertise in the area and gaining trust from your audience

·         A real message for your audience

·         An interesting way to grab and keep your audience’s attention

·         Commitment to blogging on a regular basis

Some examples of successful business blogs:

http://www.manrepeller.com/
http://www.deloittedigital.com.au/

 

Mobile devices

Mobile devices are such a huge part of our lives now, people are rarely not ‘connected’.  Any business/communications strategy should consider how to reach and engage people on their mobile devices.

Twitter

The huge and swift take up of twitter has provided opportunities for celebrities to monetise their tweets, providing endorsements for products to a massive audience.  Twitter is also a great way to reach people on their mobile devices if you can encourage them to follow your organisation’s tweets – it helps you to stay at the top of their minds and the short message length can help with making it seem less intrusive than other forms of marketing.  mashable.com has great resources for business tweeters.

Digital Activism

Eeek… Well, in your work, digital activism will most likely be recognised in the customer feedback/ complaint management side and you should have resources in place to respond to it.  Target saw itself as the Target of digital activism when a mum spoke out online against young girls’ fashion.   It is also important to track what people are reacting to in the digital space when thinking strategically.  Berlei is currently running a sports bra campaign, using Facebook – the reactions from consumers on there has not been great and managing people’s negative comments has not been a priority, but this information should be used for future planning.

Politics

Watching politics unfold in the social media space is a great study of public relations strategy.  Lobbying opportunities in the social media space might also be something that needs to be considered in your business.

The Simulacrum

Commerce does flourish in the online worlds.  Matt Ende gives a pretty clear picture of its possibilities and pitfalls.  Should your business consider having a presence in virtual communities?

Produsage

Produsage has been a platform for people to get noticed and to find success - we all know about the likes of Justin Bieber.  User Generated Content can also be used for successful brand awareness campaigns, if managed well.  Advantages include cost-effectiveness, uniqueness and immediate engagement.  Just make sure there are resources to manage it and the legal boxes are ticked.

The dark side of social media?

As previously discussed, there can be a tendancy for people to be cruel when they are able to hide behind the relative anonymity of social media.  Make sure any of your business platforms have acceptable use policies and are properly monitored to shut down offensive or illegal posts.  Mamamia.com.au is a successful website that has included strict terms of use and is constantly monitored.

 

I would LOVE to hear your suggestions about how you plan to get the most out of social media in your professional life!

 

 

Image source: Author unknown, Walking backwards into the future, viewed 10 February 2013, http://creationrevolution.com/2011/05/%E2%80%98the-people-who-walk-backwards-into-the-future-%E2%80%99/