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Social Media Phenomenon

25 August, 2008
Sajal Gupta, General Manager and Head of Business Development, Regalix India
Is traditional media dead? In my opinion it’s not dead, but challenged, as there is this vast area of content being built today called Social Media. The key to the Social Media success is that the author is “You & Me” which fits perfectly with the Gen “Y”. Today social media encompasses the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. Traditional media sits up and recognizes this, the Time Magazine person of the year is “You”. Do you need any other endorsement?

The Social Media trend is fueled by the sociological trends of Gen “Y” and the enhanced interactively on experiences with the technological development of Web 2.0 (the semantic web experience web 3.0 promises to give us will keep this flag high for some time). The perfect blend of technology touch the hearts of million of people and gels with the new breakaway freedom of Gen “Y”.

For all of us, it’s a journey from being a couch potato to a rising star, from being at the periphery to the center stage. For businesses it is a journey from a 30-second commercial to wooing for three minutes of the prospect’s time and that is what makes their life that much more complex now.

Active brand engagement has become the key; it is not about a catchy 30 second message any longer. It’s become more than that. It’s about engaging with your customers - living and sleeping with them, talking to them continuously and above all being a friend.

Let’s see what this gives us as a marketer, studying and making notes of the conversations your prospect group is making gives you immense insight about your product and more importantly about your competitors’. Now compare this to the traditional means of research, data gathering, trending and projecting that one undertakes. Unbiased, unaided feedback – we all know its value.

Now that one have observed, it is equally important for someone to participate in the discussions and in a very subtle manner influence the discussions. This will need a more thought through approach, jumping in putting across an advertising message is hara-kiri. It is important to gain trust and confidence of the community before influencing or moderating discussions. Important for one to be participative, build creditability and thus be accepted by the group.

Let’s relate this to our offline lives, don’t we become part of communities, societies, interest groups etc? We don’t jump in and spreading our message we befriend, find common talking / interesting areas etc. etc. before dropping the message. So are the case here and the Social aspect of Social Media.

Finally to the most difficult part for any brand marketers – the brick bats. All conversations will not be positive; there will be the share of brick bats. Brand marketers will need to stand up and own up to it, and more importantly respond and take remedial action. We all know as a consumer if our voice is heard and acted upon it goes the longest way to convert the negativity to a happy experience.

Finally, we do read about Pharmaceutical, Technology and Consumer marketers engaging with customers, on the other side we have the human resource division of the same companies actively using professional social networks for their recruitment. Social media touches lives of all organizations large and small and has become or is poised to become a critical part of their operations.
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Is traditional media dead? In my opinion it’s not dead, but challenged, as there is this vast area of content being built today called Social Media. The key to the Social Media success is that the author is “You & Me” which fits perfectly with the Gen “Y”. Today social media encompasses the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. Traditional media sits up and recognizes this, the Time Magazine person of the year is “You”. Do you need any other endorsement?
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by satish on 28 May, 2009
Submitted by satish (not verified) on Thu, 05/28/2009 - 14:43.

Its very Greatful Article and It is important to gain trust and confidence of the community before influencing or moderating discussions. Media and advertising are useful of social Media Phenomenon.

  • reply
by Shahzad on 10 April, 2009
Submitted by Shahzad (not verified) on Fri, 04/10/2009 - 23:25.

When we talk about Social Media as a phenomenon, I think there should be lot of new things to be discussed.

We all know how participative we should be or how great it is to understand consumer behavior and also how recruiters use social media But this is not what SOCIAL MEDIA is all about. User-consumption on the social media has changed drastically over the years. People do join Communities but only 1-2% of them come back and interact on these communities.

The activities on the social networking websites needs to be divided into following sub-activities-

1. Monitoring
2. Interaction
3. Engagement
4. Conversion
5. Sustainence

Every sub-activity requires a different approach. Moreover, when you plan to take part on the social media as a marketer, its very important for you to first decide what all benefits you can give to the consumer as a brand. Don't forget, the consumer has plentiful of options and plentiful of baits from other brands.

Cheers!

  • reply
by flash games on 23 March, 2009
Submitted by flash games (not verified) on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 14:06.

Great and insightful atricle Sajal! In fact let me extend this further by stating that as the name suggests: people join a social group to
1. share
2. collaborate
3. create.and
4. get recognized.

Hence there is an opportunity for marketers to:
1. participate in the community program
2. represent the community
3. recognize their achievements
4 reward the community.

  • reply
by Guest on 01 March, 2009
Submitted by Guest (not verified) on Sun, 03/01/2009 - 11:39.

Media and advertising are indeed going through a churning phase and as you rightly said that traditional media is not dead but it is challenged.

One needs to incorporate new media in their marketing and PR strategies now.

Good insight.

  • reply
by online gaurilla on 22 December, 2008
Submitted by online gaurilla (not verified) on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 15:39.

most of the posts sounded like Sajals friends. the beauty is in having a critics eye . i feel Sajal is partially wrong by saying its not about the 30 sec but much deeper- i would say if a brand can still connect an\d communicate and ensure that stays in top of the mind if there is a brillant understanding and a great creative connect- for that u need the best guys to work online and not 2.0 .Social space is already cluttered and can only support a display viral lead campaign - so neither traditional media nor the original ideas of advertisimg stay changed.

  • reply
by Shormila Gupta-Junak on 08 September, 2008
Submitted by Shormila Gupta-Junak (not verified) on Mon, 09/08/2008 - 02:06.

Excellent article. Insightful and in tune with a facet of the marketing-zeitgeist that has slowly but surely crept into our lives, influencing our opinions, attitudes and above all our purchasing behaviour.

  • reply
by Jetlite on 26 August, 2008
Submitted by Jetlite (not verified) on Tue, 08/26/2008 - 22:16.

Very informative article.Great work Sajal.

  • reply
by Deepak Singh on 25 August, 2008
Submitted by Deepak Singh (not verified) on Mon, 08/25/2008 - 20:09.

Great article sajal.

  • reply
by Manas Prakash on 25 August, 2008
Submitted by Manas Prakash (not verified) on Mon, 08/25/2008 - 15:38.

Great Post Sajal!!
cheers!!

  • reply
by Himanshu Sagar on 25 August, 2008
Submitted by Himanshu Sagar (not verified) on Mon, 08/25/2008 - 14:02.

Thanks for your valueable insight Sajal. Those who fail to grasp this will find themselves more isolated - cut off from the networks that are sharing, adapting & updating knowledge to create value.

  • reply
by Saurabh Pandey on 25 August, 2008
Submitted by Saurabh Pandey (not verified) on Mon, 08/25/2008 - 12:58.

Great and insightful atricle Sajal! In fact let me extend this further by stating that as the name suggests: people join a social group to 1. share, 2. collaborate 3.create.and 4. get recognized.

Hence there is an opportunity for marketers to: 1. participate in the community program 2. represent the community, 3. recognize their achievements and 4 reward the community.

Overall it gos beyond just 'advertising' and 'clicks'- as rightly noted by Sajal.

You may want to read more on www.sycamoreworld.blogspot.com

  • reply

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