Image via Wikipedia
As you’ve probably heard, social media (SM) is the newest rage in this Web 2.0 world. While the Web has long been more related to newspapers than conferences, countless social network services have revolutionized it. The Internet has moved from a broadcast medium to a social, community-driven one.
Image via Wikipedia
Control of website content has largely been transferred from programming geeks to everyday people. Services such as Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter allow easy posting of user-generated content: text, videos, life updates, self- and business promotion, and more, all without touching a line of code.
The most exciting innovation, though, is the network itself. Through social networking, you form communities around your content and interact with other users and businesses. You join other users’ networks by becoming their follower/friend/fan, and others join yours, in turn, when they’re interested in your updates. They get notified each time you post something new in designated areas.
- Image via CrunchBase
Social networks can be used for both one-on-one talks and well-executed broadcast messages, pushing your updates to those on your friend/follower/channel list without your needing to do any extra work. There are even social profile aggregators and syndicators such as Friendfeed, which import or export your updates from several social media services automatically.
How does a business make use of these powerful communities? Here are a few ideas:
- Be yourself. It’s not a TV commercial, but a conversation. People don’t like to talk to brands, they chat with people. Get a spokesperson, and let them speak in their own voice while representing the company. You might even use their photo (with permission) on your profile picture.
- Keep your brand consistent. For instance, keep the same user icon across all your websites and social network profiles. Keep the same username, too, if at all possible. This gives a person instant recognition of your organization when they switch SM sites.
- It’s not all about you. Don’t clutter your entire content stream with advertisements. Share interesting articles in your field, plug cool sites from users, talk with others about their lives.
Jump in, get connected, and enjoy the ride!
Related articles by Zemanta
- Should Your Social Networks Mingle? (directmarketingobservations.com)
- SEO, Syndication and Social Media (seodesignsolutions.com)
- Monitor Your Social Reputation With Social Mention! (socialmediadudes.com)
- Three Telling Signs Your Agency is a Social Media Quack (livingstonbuzz.com)
- The Social Media Evolution – Part 1: Understanding Social Media (flowerblossoms.wordpress.com)
