Go Social.....

Social media sites by definition means a site that promotes sharing and collaboration right down to the nets grassroots. The idea behind these sites is to have al lot of friends. It’s a virtual social activity network. Also we can use these sites as a powerful strategy for marketing. For example we have most common used social networking sites like – tweeter, orkut,facebook,linkedin , cnngo.com, itimes.com, vogue etc. (if you want to dig more about available social sites please visit the link besides- http://www.doshdosh.com/list-of-social-media-news-websites/)

But why do some corporations or corporate tend to be hesitant or skeptical to go social (new media). Its fine that to get started and to get accustomed requires some time but I think they should at least try to get updated in new media, if not in social media. I feel they should get inspired by Mr D. Shivanand , Police Commissioner of Mumbai, who set up a good example by being active in social media(created a bolg-website) and using it not just for one way (usually all big corporations , corporate and personalities tend to be) but in two way by participating in it . He said, “I feel fortunate that I can reach out to you directly via this simple, yet effective technology. I hope this blog opens up a dialog between the police and the young people of the society.” http://www.egovonline.net/news-list/34-news/7374-mumbai-police-launches-youth-oriented-website-copconnect.html

Well the main idea of setting up this blog-site was

· Step to initiate a communication or a dialogue

· Creating a connection with the youth

· Step to minimize the fear of interaction between people and the police department

· Increases the ability to get the root cause of any issues because it’s a platform for informal communication

· Help the department to be more efficient

· Helps to minimize the time consuming and long process of acquiring various application forms

Here are some reasons why you should consider using social media:

1. It’s natural. Not only do you get natural links without any discernible pattern, your website is exposed to large groups of people in a spontaneous fashion. This differs from paid advertising which has overt commercial overtones.

2. It’s defensible. Once successfully mastered, social communities can be a great source of web traffic on top of any traffic you are already receiving from search engines. While you can’t easily increase your search engine traffic, social media traffic can be very easily controlled through strategic marketing.

3. It’s low-cost/high returns. If done by yourself, costs are limited to only time and perhaps the expenses involved in hiring a freelance programmer/designer. The benefits will often exceed the cost. It would take you thousands of dollars to buy many links; social media has the ability to give you that for free.

4. It complements other efforts. Social media optimization and marketing is usually community-specific. It doesn’t interfere with any other methods of getting traffic to your website. It can and will fit perfectly with an advertising campaign targeting other websites or search engines.

http://www.doshdosh.com/the-importance-of-social-media-marketing/

There is an interesting incident that I came across when I had to interview this PRO guy. According to him, being active in these areas implies indulging into ‘Cheap Publicity / Promotion’.

Well being active in social media doesn’t implies that a particular brand or person is hungry or desperate for simply ‘being famous’ but it means being able to make connection with its public directly. It helps the firm to keep across its own ‘point of view’ to its targeted audience and it limits the possibilities of things to go drift in the process of ‘filtering’. It also helps to stimulate the thinking process in the manner which the sender wants to convey to the receptors and escapes/minimizes a space or chances to mediators’ for any intentional or unintentional manipulations amid the process .

When company is able to create ‘personal touch’ with its public (both internal & external) it surely enjoys good reputation and ensures perpetual progression. It’s worth mentioning here about the great individual Mr. JRD Tata who always used to call his employees by their first names, be it the director, manager, clerk or for that matter an office boy. This is the crucial and best public relations exercise one can practice in their professional life. And the best part is , it’s not restricted to corporate communications managers’ or public relations head, it can be adopted by anybody in an organization.

Since approaching individuals personally or in direct manner creates a great impact hence I see no harm for corporate or corporations involving themselves in these social media sites. Only thing they require here is be transparent, being open about their policies and treat consumers as ‘king’ by replying timely to their queries. Mr. Ivy Ledbetter Lee, the most famous of the early public relations practitioner, believed in open communications with the media, and he was candid and frank in his approach to the press. He understood that good corporate performance was the basis of good publicity ‘being open’ and ‘being transparent’. (http://www.instituteforpr.org/files/uploads/MiniMe_HistoryOfPR.pdf)

Since he believed that business had to tell its story honestly, accurately, and openly in order to win public understanding and support, so why not enjoy this valuable asset i.e. ‘trust’ by going social (in social media sites).