Today we’re excited to have the opportunity to share a blog post written by Zen Media’s Social Media Strategist, Adam Blue. Adam is a social media guru who has been involved since its beginnings. As a video game enthusiast, Adam took to the internet to connect with others sharing a similar passion. As social media evolved, he naturally acquired the skills to turn it into a career. In this article, he expounds on his passionately held belief that social media is a vital part of any company’s branding activities – because it’s simply human nature.
Social media might appear as some sort of fad or phenomenon, but it’s far from that. It’s actually the most natural way for humans to be interacting with each other. There was a time before mass media when we got product information directly from each other. Back in the day, everyone in the community knew each other, they knew when town events were taking place, what the best bread in the bakery was, and gossip on the blacksmith. All this, and they didn’t have the internet.
With the invention of the automobile, people were leaving towns. They were working miles and miles away from where they lived. This trend caught on, and word of mouth lessened. Brands then had to come up with another way to get their word out without knowing their specific audience. This was done through mass marketing. You’ve seen it in Mad Men, and if you’re reading this, that’s the world you’ve grown up in. There are many reasons why mass marketing is fading away, but the main reason is that we now have our small towns back. We have our villages. Where ancient Romans shared letters and books within their social circles for others to read, we have a Facebook timeline to leave our modern personal messages.
This is something brands need to consider for many reasons. The first is honesty and transparency. Even if your business is of a corporate nature, you don’t necessarily have to appear like a suit to your audience on social networks. They want to know about you and your product in order to gain your trust. The other part is just that, the product. Since everyone can be publicly vocal about your products or services, it is best to make sure you have a true and honest product – but hey, I’m not here to tell a company how to make their product. That’s what your followers will do.
All of this is really about grasping the concept that is social media. Some brands don’t understand the value of social media, especially if they are already doing fine. Some just don’t know it, raised in a generation that had no use for it. But, you want more customers right? They don’t just appear out of nowhere in your targeted age group, these are people that are young right now, embracing social media. They are the ones you want to capture as they become the right audience for your product and they are the ones you want spreading the word.
