subject: How Social Media Has Changed Communication [print this page] Social media utilization is believed to be a motivating force in defining the present time duration as the Attention Age. A common thread running through the entire definitions of social media is a blend of technology with social interaction for the creation of value.
People gather information, education, news, etc., through electronic and print media. Social media are distinct from industrial or traditional media, like newspapers, television, and film. They are relatively less expensive and reachable to enable anyone (even private individuals) to circulate or reach the information, compared to industrial media, which generally require significant resources to publish information hence relatively expensive.
One common feature both social media and industrial media share is the potential to reach small or large audiences; for example, either a blog post or a television show may reach none or millions of people. Some of the properties helping to describe the differences between social media and industrial media are:
Access - both industrial and social media technologies enable anyone to reach a global audience.
Reachability - the means of production for industrial media are either owned by individuals or by government; But, social media tools are generally available to anyone at little or no cost.
Serviceability - while industrial media production characteristically requires specialized skills and training, most social media do not, or in certain cases, skills are reinvented to enable anyone to operate the means of production.
Time span - the time lag between communications created by industrial media can be long - days, weeks, or even months while social media are capable of yielding virtually instant feedbacks; only the participants decide any delay in reaction). Since industrial media are of late utilizing social media tools, this feature may, in fact, not be idiosyncratic any longer.
Durability - industrial media, once created, cannot be modified (once a magazine article is published and distributed, no alteration can be made to the same article) while social media are capable of being modified almost instantly by comments or editing.
Using social media as a form of business has taken on completely new challenges. As a study indicated, it is the most effective if marketing efforts through social media revolve around the authentic edifice of authority. Someone performing a marketing role within a company must truthfully convince people of their authentic intentions, knowledge and proficiency in a particular area or industry by providing valuable and accurate data on an ongoing basis without a marketing angle blatantly associated. If this is possible to be executed, the recipient of that information - and that message itself - begins to develop naturally.
