What Makes Social Media ‘Social’

So what is it about social media that makes it ‘social’ and challenging to traditional media?  Social media has a ‘many to many’ structure, it is immediate and the creating and publishing of user generated content makes participants ‘active’ in an environment that is more ‘bottom up’ than ‘top down’.  Its characteristics are more inclusive and appealing (although these same characteristics can also be used negatively).

 Here are 4 aspects that make social media more social:

Openness

Opinions, contributions and sharing of information are the core aspects of social media.  Businesses that interact and engage with the audience via this space must get to know and understand their audience.  They must build relationships based on respect and integrity.

Participation

Traditional media is a linear medium that broadcasts or prints information to an audience in a one-to-many structure.  Social media is collaborative with contributions from the audience (user generated content) allowing them to participate in a two-way interaction of sharing, contribution and conversation.  The user is both the producer and the consumer in a many-to-many structure.

Community

Groups are formed easily to develop communities that are based on shared common interests.  These communities share information and engage according to their topic of interest.  People feel a sense of belonging that they can interact with like-minded people.

Connection

Social media flourishes on being connected.  Not only are you connected to the people in your network you are also linked to their connections.  Thus, users are able to utilise links, resources and people from a vast network.

Businesses must remember these key points if they want to connect with their audience!

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Tags: Online Content • Online Media • social Media