Today, as I sit in my Media Presentations class at Loyalist College, I am learning more and more about social media and its importance in our advancing society. Of course I have learned of social media in the past but I had no idea it would explode and transform our society so rapidly.
I suppose I should have seen it coming. It was just a few months ago when my parents asked how to sign up for Twitter and how to navigate around their newly-born Facebook profiles. I thought these accounts would be only the next fad. Just a new way for students to learn and spread new gossip about celebrities or their peers. Just a new way for adults to keep in touch with old friends from all over the world. Instead social media is the new relatively inexpensive way to advertise, brand, interact, publish, broadcast and in general, stay in the picture.
Sure, what a great way to stay in touch with clients or allow your followers or friends to be aware of whats new and exciting in your life or business. But lets look at it from the industrial side. What happens when your company makes even the tiniest mistake? Clients and peers are tweeting about it almost instantly and before you know it, rumours are starting and your competition is having a field day. Before you can even blink twice, your in the middle of a PR mayhem.
Once upon a time, you had at least a day to decide your next move in any type of crisis. Now, you are lucky if you have an hour.
Social media really has changed the face of communication in PR and advertising. But hopefully with quicker reaction and more honest communication, we can not only adapt, but we can grab social media by the horns and enjoy this new fierce ride that is surely changing the way we communicate and do business today.
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