Act 1, Scene 1
Hey, I just came from this conference where every one was talking about social networking, and social media, and new media… What does this all stuff mean?
Well, according to Wikipedia:
Social media (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Media) is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media uses Internet and web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers.
A social network service (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Networking ) focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network service essentially consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services.
New media (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Media) is a term meant to encompass the emergence of digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies in the later part of the 20th century. Most technologies described as “new media” are digital, often having characteristics of being manipulatable, networkable, dense, compressible, interactive and impartial.
Wow, do you like cram wikipedia?
Well, yeah, sort of. I do it as a pastime when I’m bored. Open a random Wikipedia article and cram it!
Ok…. Weird!!!
Hey! So Facebook is Social Media?
Nope.
Err… Twitter Social Media?
Nope.
I have a business. What does all this new/social media/networking stuff have to do with me? I just care about my revenues; does it still mean something to me?
Your clients….?
But I don’t care about my clients. Wait! Those are the guys who give me my revenues right?
Exactly!
So with Facebook and Twitter and all these things I can make revenues!
Err… sorta…
Ok, I think am beginning to understand.
Good
To successfully take my business to the next level through this social mumbo jumbo I just need a Facebook account.
Nope
I need… a Twitter account.
Nope
Aha! I’ve got it I need a website!
Oh boy! You don’t already have one of those?
Well…. Err, we have a web page!
Arrrgrgrgghghgh!
Ok, so what do I need?
You need to be human.
Huh?
Yup. Human. Say it with me… ‘humaaaaaaan’
You’re weird…. What does that have to do with anything?
Well, if you’re human you are necessarily social. You can relate with other human beings. You can empathize with them (and sympathize as well). Most importantly you can carry out a conversation.
Huh? You lost me!
“Social” media/networking is more about the “social” than the “media and networking”. It’s about connecting with real people who use your product or service and listening to them and talking with them (not to them or at them).
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc etc are just mediums to reach out to this audience and interact with them. That’s why it’s called social MEDIA i.e. mediums of expressing the social nature of human beings. Otherwise it would have been called something else, like err… err… Ok, I’m blank!
… to be continued…
Filed under: Uncategorized, Facebook, media, networking, new, social, twitter
