With the rise of social media today, we can't help but ponder issues that it brings into the news today. What makes it striking is that, people are very much involved and united around issues that are easily hyped in the social media atmosphere.
However, with social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and many others, people are becoming more conversational and outspoken in expressing their views and taking sides. With so many people habituated to social media, businesses and marketeers are taking advantage of it.
Branding speaker Martin Lindstrom, demystifies companies' social media attempts to lure us in. A lot of companies and enterprises are guilty of manipulating the crowd's preferences and decisions. Businesses are using social media to capture our attention.
If one scrutinizes the trends in social media, here are three points to take into consideration:
Social Media itself can't be completely controlled or manipulated by anyone.
Social media itself is a medium you can use to promote your brand, products or services, but you can never manipulate or control how the medium works on individual and crowds. If you aim to spark controversy, your issue may ignite a wildfire. But don't expect things to go your way. Social media can't be relied on to benefit you or your brand. Social is unpredictable; it can make you or break you.
Recently, Newsweek published a controversial issue with its front cover shouting, "Muslim Rage." There were no winners in this controversy; people have many different opinions on the issue. One thing is for certain, though....
Expect the Unexpected.
Want to discuss our latest cover? Let's hear it with the hashtag: #MuslimRage.
- Newsweek (@Newsweek) September 17, 2012
The hashtag was initiated by Newsweek, the insitgator of the whole controversy, but people responded in ways Newsweek couldn't have expected.
Check out these tweets in reply to #MuslimRage:
Welcome to the new digital age @newsweek. Your attempts to use #MuslimRage to discuss your foul cover has become funniest joke on twitter.
- Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) September 17, 2012
Muslims just hijacked @newsweek's hashtag. Pun intended. #MuslimRage
- Arab Fury (@Arab_Fury) September 17, 2012
The shawarma guys wraps my sandwich too tightly, so I have to rip off little pieces of paper bit by bit. #MuslimRage
- Evan Hill (@evanchill) September 17, 2012
Not only that, Gawker.com published an interesting mock-article that displays 13 sarcastically ferocious images of Muslim Rage. Lindstrom once stressed in his branding presentation that marketing today is about connecting with the consumers emotionally in order for them to participate in the brand.
Though the emotion stirred was mostly negative, who would have have thought that this single issue would take Twitter by storm?
Expect the unexpected. The satirists of the world have turned the whole article upside-down. Remarkably, the Muslim's burlesque reactions towards the headline article made by Ayaan Hirsi Ali has turned the tables against it. While it is true that Newsweek has reached a total of 30734 mentions last Sept 17, what can we make out of Newsweek, as a brand in the news industry? Did it change our views of them?
Social Media for Personal Branding: Be Famous or Infamous
There were people who were enraged by the hashtag and the cover itself. Other news sites, bloggers, religious activists and even commoners had different reactions to it. One thing's for certain - there were people who were offended.There were people who questioned the authority of Newsweek as a whole.
@newsweek Let's discuss your failing revenue stream, and how this is a desperate attempt to fix that. #boycottNewsweek
- James Miller (ميلر) (@JMiller_EA) September 17, 2012
@newsweek Maybe a few years ago your propaganda cover would have flown. You have to be more clever than that these days.#BoycottNewsweek
- Noora One (@nooraone) September 17, 2012
The Twitter craze mostly backfired against Ayaan Hirsi Ali, but this sensation boosted her into fame. Of course nothing's one-sided when it comes to religious issues; she even gained popularity with the many people.
When you decide to use professional Islamaphobe Ayaan Hirsi Ali for your cover story, you lose all credibility. @newsweek
- Amel A. (@amelscript) September 17, 2012
Ayaan Hirsi Ali found herself being supported by many people, too. During the Twitter mania, hers was the only name become infamous. She made news back in 2006, but she has taken the Internet by storm again due to the outrageous article she wrote for Newsweek. Being the center of the sensation, she propelled herself to the stage, answering every question that was thrown to her. She became known once again; that is another technique of personal branding made possible by social media.
Though the issue might become passive again, Ali will forever be branded as the woman who defied the Muslim community. All that social media did was to be the medium to build her personal brand. Whether she ends up becoming famous or infamous, only people can judge. But certainly, there will be no final verdict on what transpired.
Why? Simply because you cannot control what happens in social media. It is unpredictable and can undeniably be a big factor in building and establishing your personal brand in the world.