Like the Internet, and TV before it, and radio before that, many thought (or perhaps still think) that social media was a fad that wouldn’t last. That it had no real commercial value or business application and therefore could be ignored.
Well, surprise! Like many quickly adopted and new-fangled media channels, social media fills a need for getting information more quickly, directly and conveniently than ever.
That’s right. Social media is a media CHANNEL. It’s not an application. It’s not a tool (only). It’s not a gadget. It’s a media channel, and one that is growing and gaining momentum as a key way people get their news, interact with each other and find out what’s happening on the other side of the world.
Just take a look at the news headlines in one day for social media topics:
- Social Media Ad Revenues Will Reach $8.3 Billion by 2015
- Social Networks Just Crushed “Old Media”… And This New Paradigm is Here to Stay
- Could Social Media Like Twitter Be The Next 9-1-1?
- Social Media is the way to go – UNISWA lecturer
It might shock you to know that the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death was being tweeted on social networks hours before it was official announced by President Obama.
NO? Well it should. Shock you, that is. And wake you up. And make you realize that social media isn’t a fad. It’s not going away. And if you want to connect to your audience, and maintain a conversation with your customers, you need to understand how to use social media as one of your most important media channels.
What do you think?
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