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Social media builds business, creates a trusted community
Written by: Joni Hubred-GoldenArticle Overview: Social media networks can help build your business, but they also provide you with a trusted community of people with whom you can share the details of your life. They are the "community newspapers" of our time.
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Free Download - Observing Twitter: 5 things you may not know about this brave, new world By Joni Hubred-Golden |
Social media builds business, creates a trusted community
According to a recent survey, activity on social media networks has grown by 93 percent since 2006. Think about that for a minute. Two years ago, did you know what Facebook was? Or MySpace? Now both those companies report activity increases of more than 60 percent, mostly among that precious 18-29 year old demographic. (Promo Magazine, "Social Networks the ‘Movies’ of the ’09 Downturn: Netpop", January 6 2009) Apparently, they're still buying stuff, while us older folks revert to our parents' Depression-era habits as we try to shore up our retirement accounts.
Social media has spawned a whole new paradigm for the business world, but I believe its phenomenal growth can be directly attributed to the human factor. In just the past few days, I have reconnected with two friends from high school I haven't heard from in 20 years, and another whose name and phone number I lost when I moved to Michigan 10 years ago. Facebook put me in touch with a friend I stopped talking to a few years ago for reasons I can no longer recall, and it keeps me in touch with people all over the country, whom I love but never have the time to visit.
The short version of Facebook (and MySpace, for that matter) is this: Every time I post a thought, an activity, photos, video, event or any item that interests me, all of my friends are notified. Now, generally speaking, I don't spend a whole lot of time reading every activity of every friend on my list. But quite often I learn something I really should know, like how to support a friend who's doing the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk or that another friend is dealing with a serious illness.
It's the same kind of thing small town newspapers did, in their very earliest days. In way-back issues of my community newspaper, pages are filled with highly personal details about people's lives and activities, from news of which families were affected by a flu epidemic to the list of books due back at the library. When a couple divorced, the details of their marital strife ended up in print.
The newspaper from my hometown in Minnesota (population 672 in 2000) continues to publish "local news" from correspondents who share news about birthdays and anniversaries, parties and events, even social visits and who attended a local funeral. It's probably the best-read part of the newspaper. In larger communities, of course, people are reluctant to share those details, because it simply isn't safe. But on a Facebook page, we can confide in people we trust, the way folks in a small town trust their neighbors and friends. We choose who sees what information we share. So a university student I know felt safe enough to share her family's story of serious illness, job loss and homelessness. They now have a place to stay and are working their way back to self-sufficiency, thanks to fundraisers, gifts and donations from Facebook friends. Another Facebook friend has kept us posted about her cancer diagnosis and treatment with occasional notes.
It's easy to get started: You just create an account with your name and e-mail address, then start looking for people you know. Most of these sites make that pretty easy, with e-mail address searches and contact importing tools. But you can also just search for a name, which is what my friend Peggy did to reconnect us after more than 10 years. Your profile shares as much or as little information as you wish, and with everyone or only the people you choose. You can create a "fan" page for your business, set up a group to find people who share a passion for your product lines. A community will grow around you, the way people used to build their homes around a central business district.
Whatever your level of involvement, social media can open doors for you and can revolutionize your business. But it is the human side of these communities I have come to value most.
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About the Author: Joni Hubred-Golden RSS for Joni's articles - Visit Joni's website With 20 years of experience in community newspapers, Joni Hubred-Golden brings her experience with "old school" journalism into a new media world. Author of some 2,000 news and magazine articles, she is publisher of Michigan Women's Forum, a free electronic magazine devoted to informing and inspiring Michigan women. Ms. Hubred-Golden has also published a collection of essays, a PR guide for bootstrapping entrepreneurs and has spoken to scores of business people, educators and students on topics ranging from journalism and community affairs to self-publishing and media relations. She specializes in rescuing people overwhelmed by Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social media; creating compelling content for Web sites and social media; building on-line reputations and managing your social media presence (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube and blogs). Click here to visit Joni's website Social media builds business creates a trusted community Observing Twitter 5 things you may not know about this brave new world Shoot Five tips for working with newspaper photographers Your Going Out of Business PR Plan and how to avoid needing it |
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