Au and Santos
The Business of Being Social
By Adam Au and Vanessa Santos
Look over at your friend’s smartphone, computer, or tablet and what would you see? There is a good chance that what you see is Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Social media as a tool to connect with friends and family online is still thriving but that is not the only use that it has in our society. It has also become a tool to find a career and to find people looking for careers is a practice that has grown exponentially over the last few years. Successful businesses are not only successful in the physical world; they are also successful in the online world as they connect to customers to remind them of their relevance in their lives. Social media is becoming the best way for businesses to connect and keep in touch with customers.
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Social media has been created by the new internet culture, and Castells (2002)describes the culture of the internet saying, “The culture of the Internet is a culture made up of a technocratic belief in the progress of humans through technology, enacted by communities of hackers thriving on free and open technological creativity, embedded in virtual networks aimed at reinventing society, and materialized by money-driven entrepreneurs into the workings of the new economy (Castells pg 61).” The internet culture today is something its users have created and are the driving force behind the direction it’s going in now. When browsing the web, you’ll find that almost every single website will have a link to their business profile on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. We live during a time where almost everyone and every business is using some sort of social media to stay connected to others. As Stephen Sheinbaum (2014) states in his wired.com blog; “Customers feel more comfortable engaging with an authentic personality online”. We may use social media for personal reasons, but it now gives us the chance to connect to businesses in a new and exciting ways. Following a business its Facebook or Twitter account keeps customers in the loop with the latest details regarding that business. For example, for tech companies you may follow them so that you’re updated with the latest gadgets, for a clothing store you may follow them to get updates regarding new clothing styles and sales they are having, or you may follow a church’s site to get updates on what’s going on each week. Some may even follow certain pages to find out when a business is hiring. Social media has become such an asset to communities all around the world and we are able to stay connected with someone no matter where they may be. Not only are we able to connect personally with friends and family but we are able to stay connected with businesses. The option of following a business online gives us the opportunity to be notified when they may be hiring or when there is something big going on within the company. Social media sites make us feel connected and provide us with instant updates
When Myspace was the popular social networking site, it was about the individual connecting with friends and meeting new people. When Facebook started out, the purpose was the same but as it grew, so did the business possibilities. Now Facebook is the largest social media site on the internet and it’s not just for adding friends and checking in at the hot new club with friends. Facebook allows businesses to keep their customers in the loop with events, promotions, and updates. Steven Johnson’s (2012) observes that, “Many businesses now bypass the traditional web altogether, limiting their online presence to Facebook. Many businesses now bypass the traditional web altogether, limiting their online presence to Facebook.” (Johnson, 2012). While this may be true for some businesses, there are successful businesses that branch out to other social media sites. Facebook’s rival, Twitter is also valuable as businesses can make an impression on their customers’ minds in 140 characters or less. An example would be Oreo’s infamous tweet during the blackout of Super Bowl 47, “You can still dunk in the dark.”
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Word of mouth is how businesses use social media to promote growth and even small businesses can use the power of word of mouth to promote themselves. Yelp is an excellent example as it is the reviews of common people that can make a business rise to new heights or drag it down. With the technology that is available to so society, anyone with internet access can become a reviewer that can influence other potential customers. “The capacity to interact through Facebook, Twitter and many other smaller social media services is now also integrated into a wide range of other websites” (Meikle and Young, 2012, pg. 62). Social media is two way communications as customers can communicate with other customers and businesses. Businesses can communicate with customers to inform, promote, and forge relationships
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Many companies are using social media to grow their business as well as find new employees. Lauren Simonds (2013) goes over four simple steps for effective growth
1. Start Small
2. Meet Millennials,
3. Mind Metrics
4. Converse, Don’t Advertise.
By starting small you’re able to focus on one area and become an expert with using that platform, and this will keep you from getting overwhelmed by all else that goes on through social media. By following step two, you are able to “consider taking advantage of that innate skill set, and tap a younger employee to be your social media intern” (Simond, 2013). By delegating tasks you free up time to get other things done, but still will be managing and over that task you assigned elsewhere. When you mind the metrics you “track your efforts and keep tabs on what your get back on your investment” and this helps you figure out your productivity, and whether or not you need to adjust what you’re doing. By following the final step you create a friendly voice that attracts an audience to your site. If you are just pushing sales you may not get many followers or attract a greater audience because they will see that you are just trying to sell them something. By conversing with your audience you allow yourself to create an interesting site that is inviting to others.
Kalani Germono, the Social Media Director for South Bay Church, connects with the public through social media. She has built a voice for the church’s social media sites, and connects by posting with photos or videos, and by posting relevant information for the community. She focuses mainly on using Facebook and Instagram, since it seems to have the most users and is the easiest way to connect with those who attend the church as well as people outside of the church. Her unique way of speaking and interacting via social media has attracted more of an audience and has helped them stay connected to the public. Kalani’s use of social media isn’t just to promote the church she works for but it’s alsoto stay connected with the community. Her technique seemed to be very effective; she somehow seems to follow the four steps listed above. Just as Kalani uses social media, there are many people who use the same platform for the same reason. We live in a generation where our primary source of communication is through social media sites. Individuals use social media to stay updated with the latest things that are going on in companies from startups to large tech companies. Social media has created its own kind of community that has gained a following, and it seems to be a great way to connect and communicate with the public.
Brand loyalty, and profits are the ultimate goal of all businesses. When customers are coming back, they are supporting business. Their support and word of mouth can help a business grow its customer base. Social media and businesses have converged to create a new kind of communication environment. Social media is not going anywhere anytime soon so now is the time for businesses to pick up their devices and spread their word.
References
Johnson, S. (2014, May 12). Can Anything Take Down the Facebook Juggernaut? |Business | WIRED. Wired.com. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from
http://www.wired.com/2012/05/mf_facebook/all/1
Meikle, G., & Young, S. (2012). Media convergence: Networked Digital Media in Everyday Life. Basingstoke, Hampshire England: Palgrave Macmillan.
MicrosoftBl. “A Fresh Perspective on Social Media in Business.” Online Video Clip. Youtube. Youtube, 22 June 2011. Web. 20 April 2014.
Sheinbaum, S. (n.d.). More Alternative Financing Firms Using Social Media as Indicators of a Business’ Viability - Innovation Insights. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from
Simonds, L. (2013, June 28). Business Growth and Social Media. Time.com. Retrieved March 31, 2014, from
http://business.time.com/2013/06/28/business-growth-and-social-media/
Social Media. Retrieved 20 April 2014, from:
http://oursocialtimes.com/the-death-of-the-social-media-manager-is-wildly-exaggerated/
Social Media Phenomenon. Retrieved 20 April 2014, from:
http://boldandfierce.com/thesocial-media-phenomenon-a-discussion-with-my-husband/
Qualman, Erik. "Social Media Video 2013 | Social Media Revolution." Online video clip. Vimeo . Vimeo, 2013. Web. 20 April 2014.