The Social Media Revolution Is Forever Changing the Way We Do Business

The number of texts sent and received every day exceeds the Earth's population! It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million people, yet Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months! If Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth largest country in the world, after the U.S. Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres have more Twitter followers than the entire population of Ireland, Norway and Panama! These astounding facts were published recently in the YouTube video, "The Social Media Revolution." The world of social media is exploding, bringing people to people and businesses to people in a way never before imagined-and it's having a profound effect!

Social media is no longer a casual social interaction. Businesses nationwide are jumping into the arena, not merely to gain the ear and attention of their constituents and clients, but more importantly, to create one-on-one relationships with the public at large. 10 Day Publicity is a communications agency in Phoenix, Arizona that has extended its general advertising/public relations to include social media services.

Troy Bohlke, the owner and founder of 10 Day Publicity states, "It's only when I noticed the potential of social media, that I realized that as an ad agency, I wanted not only to embrace what corporate America was doing, but master it and offer it as a valuable and viable service to my clients."

Social media combines technology with social interaction to create or co-create value. Creating a virtual shift in how people discover, read, and share news, information and content. This fusion of sociology and technology has literally transformed the monologue of internet communication into the instantaneous dialog of a linked community.

It quickly and effectively shares profiles, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives and media itself, via such venues as: Flickr, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Orkut, Bebo, MySpace, Hulu and YouTube. YouTube is now the second largest search engine in the world, with more than 100 million videos and growing.

Most networks facilitate conversations and interactions online between established groups, giving them the potential of unprecedented influence and power within the consumer market. Advertising campaigns can literally succeed or die in the momentous pressing of "send". Two major ad campaigns met their fate in the fall of 2008. Twitter users attacked and killed the new J&J Motrin Mom's Campaign, and bloggers bombed and destroyed Germany's Pepsi Max Campaign. Both were squashed immediately: One the first weekend and the other after the first issue of the ad.

Eighty percent of Twitter usage takes place on mobile devices, providing consumers the ability to broadcast news anywhere, anytime. As the number of "followers" and "friends" increases exponentially, it is likely that a business can plummet for poor customer service before the customer pays the bill.

At of the end of 2008, there were over 200 million bloggers, 54 percent of whom posted content or tweeted daily and 34 percent of whom posted opinions about products or brands. Add the fact that 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations more than traditional advertising, and today's businesses have a real challenge on their hands. But if a business uses it responsibly and effectively, social media can catapult a business ahead of its competition.

"Not many owners are aware of today's shift in communication and what it can do for their business," states Bohlke. "Social media has the potential of accomplishing what no other media has in the past: In numbers, message and effect. We encourage all our clients to utilize this powerful tool, not so much for advertising, but to develop trusted relationships within their public niche."

To accomplish his goal with social media, Bohlke and 10 Day Publicity joined with Lon Safko and David K. Brake, authors of The Social Media Bible.

"Aside from the fact that we can offer more personalized attention to our clients because we are small, we are being trained by the social media experts themselves," says Bohlke.

The Social Media Biblesold out in six major cities in only four days. It also ranked 21stin "Top 100 Best Selling Books in America," two weeks in a row.

Scott Monty, the head of social media for Ford, says, "We're not interested in advertising on social networks. We're interested in getting in there and interacting with people."

In an interview, Monty declared, "Social media is not a campaign, but a commitment. businesses can, and should use these networks for, in order to grow an active and interactive audience."

"Companies the world over are starting to dabble in social media-they have to or they will be left behind," says Heidi Alexandra Pollard, Chairwoman for the Professional Communication Network.

In a recent survey of 880 people, nearly 81% admitted that their social media efforts generated business exposure, and more than half claimed that social media tactics generated leads.

The benefits of online social networking seem to hold even greater promise than face-to-face social networking, or conventional marketing. For example, business owners are primarily investing time instead of precious dollars. For another, they can reach beyond the limitations of geography in gaining awareness and generating leads. Finally, the potential for online referrals is enormous.

"This is a dream come true for our company," Bohlke explains. "Being able to offer the expertise of such an overwhelming and critical aspect of this kind of PR is exactly what is putting our small boutique over the edge."

Online socializing may be a radically different method of marketing. But in the future, it could very well be the preferred method of marketing, one-on-one, throughout the world. It certainly is taking force and gaining speed with each passing day.

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Is Social Media a Revolution Or Hype?

A Marketer's perspective

Well, Business is marketing, as the business gets more and more challenging in today's global world and dynamic markets, marketing is also becoming more complex, the process called marketing has been changing, getting new dimensions and the process is becoming more challenging than ever before. Marketing is challenging, so is promotion, an important 'p' of the marketing mix. There are a set of promotional tools used by companies worldwide to promote products and services. A new addition to this set of promotional tool kits is social media.

There have been a lot of debates going on about social media and its influence over consumers. A few sections call it a revolution, which is going to play a vital role in the modern world, and advocate that it will influence the consumer perceptions and ultimately the buying process. On the other side, a few sections call it hype, a fad. Let's analyze both the arguments to come to a conclusion.

A recent compilation made by socialnomics.com from various sources has revealed some stunning facts about social media which most of us would have never imagined. Well, I do not want to show the full compilation; (readers can refer the site for complete details). Here are a few compelling facts. 96% of millennial have joined a social group network. Face book tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S. Social media has overtaken pornography as the no.1 activity on the web. Facebook added over 200 million users in less than a year. iPod application downloads hit 1 billion in 9 months.

If Facebook were a country it would be the world's 3rd largest. 80% of companies use social media for recruitment. Some universities have stopped distributing e-mail accounts; instead they are distributing eReaders, iPads, Tablets. What happens in Las Vegas stays on Facebook, Twitter, kohtakte, flickr, YouTube. 39% of bloggers post opinions about products & brands. 24 of 25 largest Newspapers are experiencing record decline in circulation. 60 million status updates happen on Facebook daily.

There is absolutely no denying the fact that social media has gained a significant amount of popularity among the consumers around the world. What social media has accomplished over the years is that, it has successfully connected consumers all around the world; today consumers are in a better position to discuss about products and services, exchange information and ideas. Today consumers are well informed than ever before. A person can get reviews from people about a product or service within no time through social media conversations and contacts. Consumers are in a position to make better choices. As Eric Qualman, socialnomics.com says 'we don't have a choice on whether we do social media; the question is how well we do it'. But in spite of all the facts and figures that show the importance of it. Is it appropriate to call it a revolution? That is the central point of discussion.

Definitely not, say a few sections, calling it hype. According to a report from online researchers Knowledge networks titled 'How people use social media' which suggests that it's effect on the population, is vastly overrated. Though its popularity is high, with 83% of the online population now using it in some form and half of the online population doing so on a regular basis, reports MarketingVOX.

Despite its popularity, social network platforms like Facebook, twitter and other similar social networks have failed to demonstrate prowess as marketing tools and possibly never will, says the report. Knowledge networks ranked the value of social media advertising at the bottom of the ranking, below word of mouth recommendations and TV advertising.

Further the report says, it can most likely influence the consumption of media-related products and services like books, movies, TV shows and music. Less than 5% of the social media users regularly visit such networks for guidance on purchase decisions and only 16% say they are more likely to buy products and services after seeing ads on social sites. Social media users mostly not turning to it for marketing purposes or to find product information but to connect with friends and other people says SVP-group Account Director Dave Tice. According Tice, only 1% of the population ever used Twitter. It is still a minor part of the media and personal mix that consumers use to make decisions concludes knowledge networks.

So, finally, is it a revolution or hype? Well, the emergence of social media is a very recent phenomenon, there is no doubt it has gained so much popularity and wide acceptance within a short period of time, which itself is a landmark in the history of mankind, moreover they involve people, that is it's biggest strength, marketers go where people go, involve themselves wherever people are involved, in short, marketing is people centered, in that case a platform like social media where millions of people meet, discuss and exchange ideas, thoughts and information, would definitely attract marketers, and looking at its popularity, it is definitely not a hype, rather I would say, it is in the growth phase and still to go a long way to take the place of other powerful promotional tools existing today. Undoubtedly, social media is one of the powerful promotional tools which will influence business, people and markets across the world in the future.

Is it a revolution? I don't think so, it is gaining popularity day by day, it is the current trend, and the trend will not be short lived, because it is in its growth phase and gaining importance and will go a long way, now, what seems to be just social platform for friendship and social connect, will one day serve as a platform for people to discuss anything and everything, politics, business, technology, products, services, of course all kinds of discussions take place today, the same will happen tomorrow in a large scale. A time will come when people will ask review from people from all over world through social network before purchasing goods and services, but revolution is really a big word, and not suitable to refer social media at least at this point of time.

How marketers use social media does matter, social media, having the number of users and popularity it enjoys today, it is definitely one of the most powerful promotional tools, but, one needs to understand that it is a promotional tool, if you think it can drive sales and help you earn profits within a short period of time like other promotional tools like Advertisements, direct marketing, sales promotion, Public Relations and publicity then you are making a mistake. Social media is a tool for long term promotions, it helps you to connect with people, create brand awareness, provide product and service information, change consumer perceptions regarding your brand, helps you inform the consumers about your new launches and create a buzz about it. It is more like a communication plus promotional tool, which can definitely bring you long term benefits and don't forget, it is cheapest promotional tool out of all the tools used by marketers today. Social media is neither hype nor a revolution, it is a fantastic platform where millions of people meet each other, if your products and services are for humans, and then you ought to be a part of social media.

Kavin Paulson, an Internet Marketer by profession, working with IPraxa Web Development Company, a CA based firm which offers services like Web Designing & Development, Mobile Application Development, PSD to HTMLL and Internet Marketing. For more please visit us at: http://www.ipraxa.com

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Regarding the Social Media Revolution

One definition of the word revolution is a sudden and complete change in something. A famous example, of course, is the American Revolution. Another is the counterculture revolution of the U. S. and much of Europe in the 1960s. Currently, the social media revolution is spreading the most.

People have become content producers instead of content consumers because of social network media. In short, the inmates run the asylum. The spread of information and knowledge as dramatically changed. In the past, the norm was broadcast media monologues, where one person distributes information to the masses. TV newscasts and newspaper accounts are the more well known of this.

These norms, however, are being made to exist side by side with what this new revolution is bringing about. Now, any number people may distribute given information to the masses. Everyone is now both receiver and distributor. Hence, these people are now known as content producers.

Several popular forms of this exist. One common form is easily recalled ideas or slogans made to galvanize others into repeating them frequently. Another form is print media designed to be scattered again to the public. A third form is the sharing from electronic media, including mobile devices and the Internet, with advanced search capabilities is a third. A final example is grass-roots direct action distribution, including public speaking, rallies, and demonstrations.

Traditional media, also known as mass media, broadcast media, or industrial media, differs from social media in many ways. To begin, social media is less expensive and more easily accessible. Mass media normally needs more resources to be able to share information. Second, industrial media production normally necessitates learning specialized skills; normally, social media does not.

Third, response time and relevancy are more impacted, whereas, the time lag in social media can be instantaneous. In industrial media it often takes hours or even days. However, it should be taken into account that as industrial media takes on more and more of social media's tendencies, there might not be such differences much longer.

Fourth, permanence is treated very differently by the two. In mass media, after an article is printed and distributed, it cannot be changed. Corrections, retractions, and apologies may be necessary, but the article is unable to be altered. In social media, however, changes can instantly be made.

It is interesting, however, to note the similarities between the two forms of media. Both types of media can be dispersed to a worldwide audience or to a local one. A blog posting may reach no one or it may reach everyone. TV news broadcasts may reach the same ranges of people.

Of course, it is hard to predict the future direction of both social media and traditional media. One school of thought is that a hybridization of the two is occurring and will continue to. In this case, it is the use of both media frameworks. In fact, this hybrid is already being used more and more.

Whatever the future brings, the social media revolution is not transient. It is here for good, even as its future direction is still not clear. Will hybridization continue evolving? Will mass media, as we know it, continue? Will social media evolve to the point that it engulfs both the traditional and the hybrid?

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Be Part of The Media Revolution!

Do you have a constant ear to the ground and a nose for news? If yes, yippee! It's your time to rule. Media has never been so vast and expansive as today. It has turned into a big industry that constantly is in need of new resources to keep it running efficiently.

What's best, it is perhaps the only industry, where the most primary input is human resource. The media industry is on a constant search for fresh talent and thus there are various media training courses to hone this fresh talent.

Media is probably the next big thing in the coming years. To make the best of this media boom, polishing your skills is a must. A variety of media training companies offer variety of courses in this stream. Media studies can be pursued in the traditional - radio, print and broadcast media or else in the new media of internet.

Most companies offer you courses in all these four media streams. A careful choice needs to be made as to where one's interest lies. If you're someone good with voice presentation, radio is the ideal medium for you. Broadcast is for those good with their vocabulary and print is for the writing wizards. Public relation is just another option. Those who love it super fast and wish to have an audience not just in their own country but the entire world, the worldwide web is indeed the destination.

Though many love the media profession, they are confused when to go and from whom to learn. A number of media training companies exist today. There are umpteen media training courses available and your choices are not confined to a few traditional journalism or language courses. With so much on offer you cannot ask for more.

However, importance of a right choice of media course as well as training company cannot be ignored. The best people to learn from are those from the industry itself. Media professionals are the only ones who can teach you the different aspects of the course.

There are good media training companies which have reputed media professionals on their faculty board. A few other media training courses come along with internships and placements. Internships along with the training course are ideal to learn the trade's theory and when combined with its practical experience it helps a great deal.

Media training courses mainly emphasize on writing, writing press releases, crisis media training , reporting, news gathering and source formation skills. Special attention is also bestowed upon verbal and written presentation of facts and opinions.

There are various beats offered to you in media organization, from which you can choose. An internship while learning the course itself would help choose your field of interest. Media is a serious field where specialization is a must.

Channelize your inquisitiveness in the right way. In media be inquisitive and get paid too. Media not only allows a satisfying job and a great career, but also some great money to be made.

Peter Rogers is author of this article on media training courses.
Find more information about media training company here.

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