Where is social media taking the world to? As the universe of social media continues to gain influence amongst the populace in this age of uncharted technical revolution, the question as to how the dynamics of real time communication are affecting our lives is only understood in a very limited sense due to the small window of context. As our natural social need for interaction begins to spill into the digital realm some interesting effects have begun to transpire whether intended or unintended, positive or negative.
The raw profusion and abundance of consumer data available as a result of the unbridled growth and usage of Social Media (SM) networks by people all around the world has instigated opportunities in the world of business and marketing that were almost unimagined by many of previous generations. Who would have thought fifteen years ago that "Google" or "Youtube" would be such a widely used verb?
The true beauty of social media is that the basic mechanism required for it to function is the inherent desire for its users to be social, something that anthropologists for years have asserted as a condition innate to all of us. As neuroscientists have told the field of so called "right brain" marketing this type of communication (especially from a marketing sense) engages consumers at their emotional core.
We as humans want to interact, we want to tell stories, we want to have information available on command- this is partly why the SM movement has been as successful as it has been. SM offers both companies and consumers a mode of communication that is far more interesting, engaging, and relevant than most conventional marketing methods.
The major benefit of effective SM use (among many) is that it allows a company to grasp at what their core customers are thinking about as they think it (hence the term "real-time" technology).
Why is social media valuable? How can it be used to better understand and engage your customers?
SM not only offers companies open opportunities to collect data regarding their target market, it gives them the power to communicate with that market directly, actively position their online brand, and to gain a large community of followers that are actually interested in hearing about their products or services.
Good corporate SM use is akin to good online PR with one distinguishing point - SM not only allows companies the opportunity to position and present who they are, it lets them get immediate feedback, adapt, and reposition without skipping a beat.
Yves Behar, an industrial designer at Fuse Projects recently said "Advertising is the price companies pay for being un-original." Social media is an incredibly cheap way for even the smallest companies to gain brand enthusiasts and evangelists. Not only that, you can generate a laser focus on your key demographics and speak freely with them at a more interesting & relational level.
If you are a business owner and haven't asked yourself "How do I get more people to pay attention to my company on the internet?" then it might be worth your while to get engaged and see what it can do for you.
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