Social Media Tools

Social media has changed the scape of our online world by allowing the global society to interact in ways we never thought to be possible.  This new media form has evolved into countless outlets and tools that allow users to customize their social experience.  Social media also poses a new challenge for writers and journalists to identify the best avenues to reach their target audiences.  To gain further insight on the complex world of social media, I tried three Social Media Tools to assess which would be most effective in reaching new media users.

First, this blog itself has been a test of a social media tool for me.  It has been challenging to switch gears from writing in a very formal, academic way to writing for an interactive audience.  It has become essential for writers to be able to adapt to new media writing styles.  In her article The Transformation of NPR, Jennifer Dorroh discusses how NPR addresses the need to incorporate new media into their business plan and states, “The organization [NPR] is asking all of its journalists to rethink their storytelling and audience interaction…” and they spent $2.5 million “…to train its 450 editorial employees in digital storytelling skills and to pay for substitutes to fill in for them while they learn.”  This shift in focus by NPR is just one example of how traditional media outlets are incorporating new media forums into their reporting approach.   It is essential for journalists to be part of the social media revolution or they will be left behind.  Social media writing requires an entire new skill set, which I have experienced firsthand during my blog writing journey.

Next, I tried tools that could drive people to my blog, one of which was social networks.  Social networks are the first thing I think of when talking about social media.  Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ are just a few of the online communities that have been established as part of the social media revolution.  Users can consume, interact, and share media that interests them, and that is why it is so crucial for writers to utilize these sites.  For example, I follow UMass Boston, my undergraduate alma mater on LinkedIn, and they recently posted an article about their upcoming Social Media Day event.  By “liking” the article, I am showing my interest in the piece.

I also went so far as to “share” the story so that all of my followers can now access the information even if they do not follow UMass Boston.
 

In her blog post regarding building online relationships with readers so that they can interact and share just as I did with the UMass article, Burlington Free Press reporter Lynn Monty reflects, “It’s imperative they [journalists] live in as many social networks as possible, just like newspapers hitting doorsteps each morning, we need our links hitting tablets and iPhones where people are … and they are on each and every social channel.”  Now that journalists are writing for new media, they need a way to direct consumers to their content.  Social networks provide that link between online users and the writers’ long forum content, so journalists must work to build a following on social networks in order to have their stories heard and shared with others.

Finally, another tool that can drive consumers to my blog through mobile channels is QR codes.  I currently work as a Marketing Officer for a small community bank, and I have recently begun using QR codes on our print advertisements in order to have potential customers visit our website.  The site I prefer to utilize is QRStuff.com because they provide quick and simple QR code generation for free.  I created a code that links straight to this blog:

These codes not only allow writers to create access to their online media content, but it focuses on mobile access, and Monty notes, “As the web has moved from search to social, news has moved from doorsteps to mobile devices.”  Computers are no longer the only way to access online information; mobile web access has become increasingly popular, and 55% of cell phoneowners use the internet on their phones.  QR codes are meant to be scanned by a mobile device in order to access the content, and they can be found everywhere in today’s advertising world.  Creating a link between the print world and the online world allows writers to cater to traditional media audiences and new media audiences.
The way we share information has changed drastically, and social media has become the hub for consumer interaction and media sharing.  Journalists are tasked with not only adapting to a new writing style, but also finding ways to bring readers to their content.  Consumers have unprecedented control in the new media landscape, so it is important for writers to be able to understand and navigate social media in order to have a successful online presence.