play a role. It did. Given the magnitude of grievances in each country, revolt would almost certainly have come eventually. But social media simply made it come faster. It did so by playing a role in three main dynamics: Organizing protests … Shaping the narrative … [and] Putting pressure on Washington.
This speaks to a timeless truth of social media: It’s powerful. But, without people and passion, it’s powerless. Social media is not a silver bullet. Social media merely amplifies your message, your business or your cause. It doesn’t create, or save, them.
Social media has become an engine of humanity, jet-fueled by the irrepressible drive we each have for better business—and better lives. With social media, a privileged few no longer control the levers. You do. I do. We all do. That’s what makes it so thrilling.
My parents always told me I could change the world. I always believed it. Now I can do it. Social media makes good on that long-held promise.
Wael Ghonim is case in point.
If social media can embolden enough people, it can trigger a groundswell. If that groundswell gains momentum, it can achieve extraordinary results. This applies to you and your business just as it does to causes and world events.
Some people believe social media is a silly sideshow, the darling of the day, that it will pop like the dot-com bubble. While I concur that social media is frequently over-hyped, there’s a seminal difference here: The dot-com bubble was inflated by commerce and hot air. The social media movement is driven by communication and heart. While today’s titans—Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIN—may be digital dust in two decades (ok, maybe not Facebook), social media as a communication platform will continue changing the world in profound, unforeseeable ways. Social media hasn’t changed one thing. It has changed everything.
One thing is for certain: It’s here to stay. Now, the question is: How can you ride the wave of social media now—so you can reap the rewards later? I’m glad you asked.
A Lay of the Land
Let’s grab a glass of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque champagne, hop in a hot air balloon, soar silently upwards and look at social media from 3,000 feet, shall we? (Hey, if we’re going to do this, let’s do it in style!)
Social media can be confusing; this chapter will clarify things. Let’s start with a definition. The most elegant, concise one I’ve come across: Social media is world-of-mouth. It’s a term coined by Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms The Way We Live And Do Business (Wiley, 2009).
Social media is people connecting, doing business, making recommendations and staying in touch without borders or resistance. It spreads content faster and easier than we’ve seen or imagined. That’s what all the hoopla is about: Email can reach a few dozen people in a day and stop there. A tweet can reach a few million people, in minutes, and live online forever.
To get a sense of the size and scope, consider what occurs across the social media landscape approximately every 60 seconds:
2,000,000+ videos are viewed on YouTube
695,000+ status updates are posted to Facebook
98,000+ tweets are sent on Twitter
21,000+ new posts are published on Tumblr
13,000+ iPhone applications are downloaded
6,600+ new pictures are uploaded to Flickr
3,700+ blog posts are published
320+ new accounts are established on Twitter
100+ new accounts are established on LinkedIN
170+ new blogs are established
Every 60 seconds. Of every day, of every week.
At the time of this writing, those numbers continue to rise precipitously.
Social media as a form of communication is not only tectonic, it’s timeless. While the specific platforms (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) may be ephemeral (just look at Friendster and MySpace), the technology itself is enduring. That said, it’s important for you to understand what’s out there now so you can take part—and take advantage of this remarkable shift in how people connect, communicate and consume content. Let’s take a look at five of today’s most relevant platforms.
Fast approaching 800 million users, Facebook is arguably the king of all social media. We’re relatively sure it was founded in February 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg along with his roommates and fellow computer science classmates Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. I say relatively sure because, as the film The Social Network loosely documents, there is some question as to just how much credit Mark Zuckerberg should get. However, as actor Jesse Eisenberg (who plays Zuckerberg in the film) says to Armie Hammer (who plays one of the Winklevoss twins who alleged Zuckerberg stole their idea): “If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook.” Regardless, Zuckerberg is certainly responsible for making Facebook the success it is today.
Here’s how the story goes: In late 2003, Zuckerberg created “Facemash,” which The Harvard Crimson likened to the site “Hot or Not”—a virtual beauty contest of sorts that allowed users to compare two student photos and vote on whom they believed to be the hotter person.
For the first two years, Facebook was the province of the young—a stigma that lingers—but though it was originally intended as a way for college students to share their experiences, it metamorphosed into the most prolific communication platform in human history, and Baby Boomers are now the site’s fastest-growing demographic. That’s largely because Facebook has made it so fabulously easy to keep in touch with friends, family and any organization you care about. As New York Times best-selling author Gary Vaynerchuck said, Facebook is close to becoming the permanent “plumbing” of the Web itself. Some experts also believe a Facebook page is the most important online presence a business can have.
Success Story: Virgin America
Virgin gets branding—and they get social media. On the Virgin America Facebook page, you can view photos and videos that draw you into the Virgin culture; you can receive exclusive discounts on airline tickets; you can even check in with your mobile device. Take a look at: http://www.facebook.com/VirginAmerica to glean more insights into how your business might use Facebook to drive awareness, engagement, evangelism—and sales! With more than 160,000 likes, the Virgin America Facebook page has achieved great success, because they take the time to deliver relevant, worthwhile content and listen to their customers.
Actionable insight (business): If you don’t already have a Facebook page, make one. If you have one, make it better. Populate it with content that appeals to your target audience. For example, if you make cleaning products, post articles about how to keep a cleaner home, or how to save time doing so. Also, build a customized “landing
