What's so social about social media?

Do you tweet, like, post, share of favourite? Do you know why?

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like can rule and control some people’s lives. The influence of such sites can be felt all over the world.  Scores are seen roaming the streets, heads down, fingers and thumbs poised over screens on smartphones and tablets. Social media is a double edged phenomenon as whilst it does actually encourage people to be sociable and interact with other, it’s online and not face to face.

In a time when we are so connected with each other by the web and the devices that allow access to it, it’s interesting to see how anti-social using social media on these devices make us. You can be sitting in the same room as others but be completely removed from them as the hold of Facebook, Twitter et al is so strong that you can’t stop checking updates; being involved in inane conversations; fawning over pictures of kittens or watching videos of others in ridiculous situations. (I can as guilty as the next of doing just this.)

There’s a flip side to this as well, as social media allows you a voice for important issues; to raise awareness of the plight of others; address injustices; educate; inform and empower. It’s all just a matter of how you approach these platforms and choose to use them.  They can be used as a vital tool for good.  Think about how many people use them and how powerful they have become.

So what does this mean for your business? As so many are online sharing, liking, posting and watching social media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Businesses would be foolish to ignore the importance and impact of social media. Having others like, share and post about you, your products and businesses across social media platforms is a win-win situation. It works as potentially free advertising, whilst gaining recommendations and referrals. Your involvement is minimal; as others do all the hard work for you once you’ve created a post, tweet, blog, etc. There are companies and individuals that exist solely to enhance you profile on these platforms, such is the importance of them. They take the bewildering variety of platforms and make them relevant to you and your business, shouldering the burden of updating, posting and sharing. We can do that for you if you'd like us to.

I hope this post makes sense and strikes a chord with you. I’d love to hear what you think about this issue and how it affects you and your business. We can even meet up and have a coffee, talk and really be social if you’d like.