Social media took a lot of people by surprise as late as a week ago when Oprah learned to Twitter on her show. Everywhere I go, more and more individuals and companies are asking me to explain social media (specifically Twitter and Facebook), show them how to set up an account and then discuss ways to best utilize any or all of the platforms.
This is just some of the information I give out along with stories of companies and industries that are best utilizing social media:
1. Facebook has over 200 million users (Wikipedia) and Twitter passed the 19 million mark (CNN) after Oprah featured it on her show in April 2009. MySpace is also in the top three though quickly being overcome by the other two.
2. Social media moves faster than any news organization. The first tweet about US Airways Flight 1549 ditching in the Hudson River in New York City came 1 minute before the plane hit the water.
3. Major news organizations, such as CNN, have taken note and are now reporting breaking news from posts they receive on Twitter. The first reports of a plane down short of the runway in Amsterdam came from Twitter reports and pictures filed by locals who saw it happen.
4. Consumer companies are bypassing or supplementing traditional advertising with social media. Ford is launching its newest vehicle Fiesta, due late 2010, by inviting 100 people to live with the car for six months and tell the world about it through blogs, Twitter and Facebook. And, Ford will not edit their comments or observations.
5. Law enforcement has discovered the power of Twitter by immediately releasing suspect and location information following a crime. It is substantially faster than a release to the news media or a poster. And those following the agencies on Twitter then “re-tweet” the information, spreading it immediately throughout the community. In turn, locals are able to tweet real time information back to the agencies which gives law enforcement yet another tool in solving and perhaps preventing crimes.
6. Electric, cable and other utility companies are finding social media is a quicker way to communicate with customers during an emergency: find out what the problem is, where it is and fix it. Customers can give exact locations of downed lines and even send pictures and movies. All from a mobile phone.
7. Social media is becoming a regular customer service tool even when there is not an outage or emergency. It is faster than a traditional phone call or email – and gives the consumer more power in the situation. A customer can tweet the company about a problem or, if that doesn’t get an immediate response, let everyone in their social media network know about the problem, possibly finding a solution from others or at least getting the satisfaction of venting and letting others know the company has a problem with a product. Dell Computer recently changed the configuration of a keyboard on one of their product updates after so many customers complained about the issue on social media networks. Companies that are not monitoring their customers’ comments on social media networks will be left out in the cold.
8. Newscasters, producers, reporters, journalists, writers, bloggers – all are using social media to obtain sources and information. Though the traditional press release is still here to stay (for awhile), it is becoming less and less a source for immediate information. If you want to get the word out quickly, or your side of the story, you had better be prepared to use social media. It will be old news or too late to make your point in traditional ways.
9. The average person is now a reporter. All you need is a mobile phone. That phone allows them to communicate, post information, pictures and video in a matter of seconds. Even in a major power outage, you can still charge the phone in a car. Companies can no longer control the flow of information. That power is now in the hands of the public.
10. Social media is not a fad. It is not going away. It is not just for teenagers. It will evolve and change daily. Social media is here to stay.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. The stories and information goes on and on. Here are a few folks to follow and a few sites to help you get started on your social media journey:
- Twitter – it’s free, watch the tutorial and start an account
- Facebook – again free, start an account, feel your way around and ask others to help
- Mashable – great articles and information on social media
- Peter Shankman – follow him on http://www.twitter.com/skydiver, a wealth of info and funny stuff as well
- And follow me on http://www.twitter.com/daynasteele, I’ll do my best to help you along
I think it is all best summed up by Deborah Micek and Warren Whitlock, authors of Twitter Revolution: ”You can read all the stuff (or look at it) about sex all you like, but if you’ve never had it, you simply have no idea what it’s like. You have to actually do it.”
Just do it.
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Great post .. .and I particuarly liked number five. Technology has made big contributions to crime prevention, especially here in New York City, where NYPD readily admits to the role of technology in crime reduction. Now, if only this stuff could find Osama bin Laden. What’s up with that?