Thursday 13 January 2011

Is Social Media like Garlic Bread...Is it really the Future for Everyone?


Due to being a bit busy with final year I have found it increasingly difficult to keep my blog regulary updated and have unfortuntely let it fall by the way side. Hark No! Social media fantatics cry! Having a blog is a commitment, a hobby, something to come home too and treat like one of the family, an important part of your personal and working life that you must treasure.

Much like Twitter. Who in the morning, wakes up and checks both their Twitter and Facebook accounts even before getting out of bed? I do for one, it has become a habit, and being a bit of a creature of habit I have placed it firmly within my morning routine and continually check it at regular intervals throughout the day.

It is these sorts of social media orientated habits that many organisations are increasingly relying on as part of their social media strategies. Everywhere companies turn they are being instructed to jump on the social media bandwagon and 'get with the times'. But is social media really for everyone? Granted it has many positives and is a fantastic way of reaching out to a lot of publics, but I can't help feeling that it is not always the best choice for every kind of organisation.

For instance a large amount of the people that frequent the Twitter realm (latest figures I have found are about 190 million) are predominately media orientated. I am not saying there are not millions of people that aren't but if I were to do a survey amongst my friends (all fine upstanding young professionals might I add) very few of them would admit to using anything more than Facebook. This would mean a brand that might want to target my friends and those like them, may find that a social media campaign to not necessarily be such a good idea.
Don't get me wrong I love a good retweet as much as Wossy, but I just feel it is important to remember what works and what doesn't.

As I am increasing my knowledge of ever changing PR, I am also gaining my own values and beliefs. As a PR professional I see myself, upon graduation, dedicated to providing my clients and accounts with the most effective and worthwhile service I can offer, through whatever mediums work best for the individuals in question. By leading clients to think that social media will rocket their brands to the top of the twitter trending charts is misleading and to be misleading to the client is not what I as a PR set out to do.

What is the point of following the crowd, if it is better to do something to stand out from it?

1 comment:

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