Joining the Conversation in 2008
January 25, 2008 5:09 PM | Written by Stephen Downs
There is no doubt that popular social networking websites are here to stay. Their ease of use and the effective manner by which they allow communication are connecting people and distributing information in new and efficient ways. Message boards, video portals, podcasts, blogs, wikis, and social ranking are but some of the new mechanisms by which users, not corporate entities, are discussing brands and companies.
Authenticity, collaboration and group participation, the cornerstones of Web 2.0, are ushering this new method of connectivity. A paradigm shift is unfolding as real, first-hand stories, brand champions and honest, sometimes painful, feedback is becoming the norm in corporate counter communications.
Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, naming only a few, are the new watchdogs of corporate sentiment. Content, either real or fabricated, has found its way to the Internet and is shared, discussed, and referenced so that millions of users are engaged. The creation, publication and distribution of information has never been easier, only now, the sources are credible, tangible individuals, with a name, a face and a personality online. They are coming from our own personal network and our ever-increasing community of friends and acquaintances. As Kevin Beacon and the laws of 6 degrees of separation suggest, the world is a shrinking place. Online, social networks are closing that gap even faster and making it easier for users to spread opinions.
No longer do the words of the perfectly articulate, strategically-minded communications manager control the populace's perceptions. User input has filled this position, the effect of which directly connects and empowers corporate reputations within the hands of anyone with an Internet connection. Only now, user input is credible as it is from the mouths of our friends.
From a corporate standpoint, embracing this phenomenon will introduce a level of transparency, authenticity, and credibility into a user's perception of your company. Incorporating social media into your communication programs will effectively allow you to connect with audiences where they are increasingly turning for insights, their online peers. After all, they are probably already discussing you! The growing catalog of online social mediums is the perfect location to begin seeding your online outreach. Effectively uniting, engaging and fueling these disparate opinions with your voice will better promote analysis and informed action.
Up until this point, most corporations were afraid to jump on board. Understandably, the fear of acknowledging the negative, of being berated in the public eye, of breaking conservative corporate tradition are among many of the dangers of involvement. However, all that is about to change.
Just as we sat 15 years ago on the cusp of the online revolution, the result of which forced all entities into the web race, this year we sit at the beginning of corporate communications involvement in social media. To not do so would be an underutilization of perhaps the most important communication tool available.
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