The evolution (or revolution) of social media seems to be blurring the line between business and personal communications. The use of social media sites is constantly changing as people find creative methods to get their message to other social media users. Certain sites may have initially been used for personal communications, but over time have changed to accommodate business uses as well.
Certain social media platforms seem to be more geared toward personal use. I perceive that social media sites such as Snapchat and Instagram are more personal in nature. I do not have much experience with these sites, but from what I understand they are used primarily for personal communication. My teenage son uses these sites with his friends.
Facebook and Youtube certainly began as personal use sites, but over the years have become very important for business as well. On Youtube, specific personal sites have become businesses themselves gaining many followers and advertising dollars. Many retailers use Youtube as a way to provide the consumer with product demonstrations. They also pay non-company youtube users to make short recordings about their products. In my field, I know that real estate agents advertise videos of their listings on Youtube. Facebook began as a personal site, but now most every business has a Facebook page. Twitter is another site that blurs the line between business and personal use. I initially heard of Twitter being used for celebrities to communicate to their fans. It was referred to in joking way that posting on Twitter was called "Tweeting". This joking implied that the site wasn't to be taken seriously. Nowadays, it is somewhat more of a serious, business-like site as evidenced by the fact that both the current and the former Presidents of the United States have used it to communicate with the people.
LinkenIn seems to be a social media site that remains almost exclusively business oriented. I have an account, but I have never used it. I believe it is exclusively for business contacts. Google+ might also be more business oriented. I have an account on the site because I was invited by a real estate agent, but I haven't used the site.
I agree that I always thought twitter was more of a joke and celebrity bashing site. It is funny how our presidents use it to send out information to people. Maybe that will be the future newspaper. If it isn't already. I was watching the news this morning and a few of the stories were about what people posted on twitter. Great investigative reporting CBS. Ha Ha
ReplyDeleteI guess Twitter is a way for celebrities and Presidents (and the rest of us regular people) to speak directly to followers rather than having to go through the media. Maybe it will start to have a more serious reputation in the future.
DeleteGreat point about Snapchat and Instagram being more personal. I definitely think that all around, Snapchat is more personal and I do not plan to use Snapchat for business because I feel like it would make my business seem less serious and professional. Instagram though could be very beneficial for photography businesses. I know that most photographers use Instagram mostly for business because it is targeted towards photos and photography. But I totally agree with you that "tweeting" makes it seem a little immature and humorous which could have a negative effect on business.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly, on everything you said! The key word for social media use is "CREATIVITY." I really enjoyed reading your two cents on the use of social media.
ReplyDeleteThank you--hopefully by the end of this semester I will have more than 2 cents to contribute. I have a lot to learn about social media. :)
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a great point about the line between business and personal communications being blurred Alison. I believe this is especially true when using social media in the marketing effort. After all, the purpose is the same in both arenas…develop a personal bond. We use social media to cultivate relationships with customers/clients similar to our social interactions with family and friends. If successful, the trust and confidence we can develop in those clients personal interactions will help them feel comfortable dealing with us.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said. I feel the intent of all social media was for personal use but quickly became a way to advertise, including Snapchat. I just recently found out that people even use Snapchat to advertise for example doing hair. I know a woman that uses snapchat to promote the hair styles that she has created, and shows a video of how the hairstyle looks when she is finish.
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