360DigitalInfluence

Ideas that bind

I’m really writing this for posterity. In my observation, this ‘thing’ called Social Media has been something that has been on everyone’s lips for at least the past two years, and I don’t think it’s going to let up.

You know it’s making waves, when titles such as ’social media guru’, ’social media strategist’ or ’social media practitioner’ start popping up. Although I think it’s a bit of an echo chamber, especially when it’s only used interchangeably amongst its pundits.

And what I want to see more of, is not a separation of social media from so-called ‘traditional media’, but a closer convergence of social media and media in general.

I say this because, media is increasingly digitised. most publications and broadcasts are produced digitally. Shot on digital video, typed on computers, art directed in photo-editing programs. The social media we know today is derived from digitisation of content.

I say “social media we know today”, because in Pat and my books, social media existed in the coffeeshops. I remember reading independent zines, printed, photocopied and “mass produced”. but digitisation has broken the barriers to entry in terms of publishing and transmission.

I harp on “The Shift” like it’s doctrine, because if you don’t understand that, you will never understand the power you wield as a practitioner of social media. The ability to share your opinions, and perhaps start and contribute to a tribe of mind. The ‘Shift’ has transferred some of that ability to regular folks. We have better access to technology that aids us in how we produce ’social content’. There is still a realm of the professional media producer, but for those of us who aren’t professional content producers, we are pro-sumers. consuming and producing information, on maybe an amateur level. (arguably some bloggers are considered professional.)

So what do you think social media is? If you think it’s just about bloggers, I challenge you that you might be sorely mistaken. Social Media is everywhere, consuming and producing at the same time. Sustaining itself, and spreading information to all the nodes on this planet.

The real question is, how do you plan your communications to best impact the number of people you want to reach out to?