Nowadays, people are always talking about the evolution of
social media. How it is changing our social norms and the way businesses are
being promoted in this day and age. With the advent of social media, the
experts are claiming that businesses cannot refuse to be on social media. I
reckon having a conversation with an expert in social media (yes there are such
kind of profession nowadays). He told me that some people do not know how to
use social media.
I dare admit that back then I thought that he
was exaggerating. I mean: who does not know how to use social media!? Moreover,
why do you need experts in social media? I mean seriously!? I post statuses
almost every day. There is no one who is as active on Facebook as I am. Does
that make me an expert? Looking back, I think I took my use of social media for granted. Assuming that because
I know how to use that tool means that everyone knows as much as I do.
I was quite astonished when during my internship a client
asked if we could give him training in Facebook. Yes training! Imagine how dumbfounded I was. We were asked
to update her Facebook page since she does not all know how to do. First I
thought she was embellishing but when I did take a look at her Facebook page, I
was like “Armstrong, we have a problem”!
The client had Facebook's cover page showed the director of the company
in a compromising photo alongside compromising comments of the employees of the
company. To sum up, everything on the Facebook page was just so inadmissible.
It goes without saying that my colleague and I told the client that
everything on the Facebook page had to be removed. Eventually, my conviction
that everyone knows how to used Facebook was shattered. But anyway I just emerged
with
a new perspective on social media…
Cheers,
Anne Marie Deborah Perne.
15636649
Charles Telfair Institute.
5 comments:
Hi deborah,
WOW, your title is really intriguing and the first thing that popped into my mind was what is your post all about!? Was it something having to do with marketing and psychology or what? This really pushed me to go through your blog and I am amazed. Anyway coming to what you have mentioned, I was like Oh my god! It is true at times we tend to think that if we know it then definitely someone else will as well. What shocked me the most is about the compromising photos on your client`s Facebook page. This is really shocking. Social Media is that tool that can either bring u up the ladder of success and yet at the same time down. It is indeed really important to know how to position yourself there and what are the things you can do or you can`t do.
Am glad that atleast your client did ask some 'training sessions' than let the Facebook page as such. I am also very happy that you have been able to manage the situation which in this case i would call the 'about to happen crisis' well. Definitely taking the photos down was the best solution and a very good PR action.
Carry on with that.
Good luck with your internship
karishma Rughoonundun
15636461
CTI
Hi Deborah,
It is an interesting post and the part that strikes my attention is the one about the training in Facebook. It is quite astonishing to think that someone does not know how to use social media since it forms part of our everyday life. Did you know that recent statistics reveal that 93% of marketers use social media for their companies (http://blog.bufferapp.com/10-surprising-social-media-statistics-that-will-make-you-rethink-your-strategy). Therefore, in the public relations perspective it is a huge problem if your client does know how to use social media. Nowadays, companies exploit social media to build up the reputation of their companies since their customers are mostly found online. The positive point is that your client asked for help in maintaining her Facebook page as she noticed that social media will be a useful tool to promote and attract her customers.
Hi Deborah
You shared an interesting post that you share. During my internship, i also experienced the same issue concerning the inactivity of some clients on the different social media. Personally i think it is important to build a good reputation on the social media since it forms part of one of the stakeholders.
It could be very useful in terms of crisis.
One good example is when Nestle did not use their facebook page enough to answer the critics about them exploiting the palm oil.
More here http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/nestle-facebook
But anyway good luck for your Internship
Hello Deborah,
I have to admit that I had the same perception of Web 2.0 and social networking sites. Working for a real-life organisation made me realise the importance of this invaluable communication tool and the limited use of this tool within some companies. And now when reading your post, I realise that people of the other generation have certainly not been inculcated the same values and hesitate about Facebooking and Tweeting. And then funnily enough, I remembered that I also "learned" to use social media, for instance in my first year, first semester, I had to learn to use Twitter and the hashtag system. Like we say, better late than never because online presence for any business represents the identity of the latter.
Divya Ruggoo, 15636429
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