Social media. A buzz phrase everyone is using – but what does it mean?
As a communicator, I (Elisabeth) like straightforward answers.
Here is my simplest so far.
Take each word in turn.
Social means people you connect with online. Your friends, family, colleagues and associates.
Media (in this context) means online ways to communicate: photos, videos, blogs, Twitter and Facebook, for instance.
We no longer have to rely on traditional media and an editor’s decision to get our message out to the world.
Using the new web technology, we can broadcast ourselves.
How will people hear us?
We make connections. We build-up followers on Twitter (and follow back), we make friends on Facebook.
So when you broadcast your message
- a status update on Facebook announcing your company has been shortlisted for an award (for instance)
that message goes out to all your contacts.
In turn, their contacts may pick it up too.
In this way, social media amplifies the message.
All while sitting at home in your pyjamas…