I resisted Facebook and Twitter for the longest time. While I’m still figuring out the details of Twitter, I use Facebook regularly. Its value for me is that it allows me to communicate with friends, family and long-lost classmates as well as businesses and nonprofit causes I support. The reality of my life and many other working professionals is that I can’t be as involved in my community as I’d like to and Facebook offers an easy way to keep in touch and connected to those I care about.
My quest to learn more about all types of social media has taken me full circle. In 1983, I was a freshman at West Virginia University. Little more than 25 years after leaving WVU, I find myself returning to learn more after 14 years as a reporter for The Associated Press and three more in public relations for the West Virginia Department of Education. Working for the AP was a fun yet demanding job, and I am glad I had the experience. I have written stories that have appeared in publications and on television broadcasts all over the world. But I also knew I was ready for new challenges in the global economy of the 21st century.
Everyone has that ah-ha moment, Oprah says. For me, that time came last year when I was working on a marketing strategic plan and felt out of my element. It was a gap in my education for which my vast writing experience failed to prepare me. I learned quite a bit about new media in the introductory course and even more in this class, Social Media Marketing.
President Barack Obama has said “education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success, it is a prerequisite.” I agree. It is one of the reasons I believe it was important for me to learn more about social media. Yet, compared to some people in the field, I am a novice. Still, I know I’ve compiled a wealth of knowledge as I’ve worked to acquire new skills that I hope to share with Deb Shops in this blog.
Why is social media so important in today’s business climate? Social media allows people to connect not only with friends and business colleagues but with brands that they like and admire. Social media allows people to connect in the online world to form intimate relationships. In a very basic sense, social media adds a personal connection to content, whether it’s the written word, audio or video. Blogs, for example, in many ways are just electronic newspaper columns, the written word in a new, user-friendly, online format. Similarly, many videos posted on You Tube could just as easily been traditional TV commercials.
Using Twitter, Facebook and MySpace takes the written word, combines it with photos, and presents it in a more interactive, personal way that resonates with young and old fans alike. Social media is no longer an experiment. The way social media has exploded represents a culture shift in how we interact with each other and with businesses. Savvy businesses recognize this and have incorporated social media into their marketing plans. Those who fail to recognize this cultural shift will in all likelihood fail to thrive.
Take a look at this compilation created by blogger Gary Hayes (2009). It shows how social media is growing and the power, if used right, marketers have at their fingertips.
Deb has taken some good steps along the social media path with its Facebook page as well as its model search with Seventeen Magazine. There is room for improvement, such as joining the Twitter conversation. It will be but one of my recommendations to help Deb Shops capture more of the disposable dollars young women have to spend.
Reference:
Hayes, G. (2009, September 29) Gary’s Social Media Count. Personalize Media Blog. Retrieved December 14, 2009, from http://www.personalizemedia.com/garys-social-media-count.
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