GUEST AUTHOR –SOCIAL MEDIA
NIMESH SHAHhas researched the
Indian market to see how keenly the social
media channel is embraced there –and
India 1.0 is dead: long live India 2.0
how marketers might harness its power.
Simply put,
Believe me when I say social a71Allowing Usersto generate Social media and India:
media has impregnated every c Social media has definitely
social media is
bit of our lives. No, you don’t a71
ontent;
Listening(Feedback) to found its way to the Indian
believe me? Well, answer this: e shores. Here are two instances,
the creation of
a71
Where do you go if you want to: a71
verybody’s point of view;
Seeking user Participation. one showing where traditional
Learn more about an The above principles media has adopted social
information by
a71
individual or company? become eligibility criteria for media’s principles and the other
the ‘wisdom of
Watch funny videos and media to be qualified as social showing use of social media in a
a
a71
dvertisements? media. They set the tone of the disturbing social event.
crowds’.
Research the purchase of medium. For a brand to use
a71
your laptop or cell phone? social media to its advantage, it a71 Citizen journalism:
a71
Plan your next vacation? must participate with users in CNN-IBN, a leading English news
Ask specific questions about their communities, listen to channel, has dedicated a half
a product? what they have to say and add hour slot to a show called
If your answers have been value to their discussions, ‘Citizen Journalism’. In this
Wikipedia, YouTube, CNet, Trip thereby raising the knowledge show, the channel airs a series
Advisor and Yahoo Answers level of that community. Only of news stories or events that
respectively, or similar to these, then will it be truly qualified as have been shot by ordinary
then the social media channel is having understood the medium citizens. In current times, the
already a part of your life! and draw leverage for itself. only way to ‘retain eyeballs’ for
a news channel is to either
So what is ‘social media’ really? How different is it break the story first or have
Simply put, social media is the from other media? exclusivity rights over it.
creation of information by the The most important difference Let’s assume that a
‘wisdom of crowds’ in a being that there is no audience newsworthy event occurs at a
collaborative manner. It is about in social media. Because: place far away from where the
democratisation of media, as no channel’s reporters are based.
single individual owns or a71 Audience is to whom you However, the people residing
controls it. It is about engaging announce any activity; there can capture the event as it
with users; seeking their
participation through discussions a71
unfolds. It would be worthwhile
Audience is to whom you talk for the channel to start airing
in online communities. or have a monologue; the footage shot by the citizen
Social media content can
take different forms, including a71
as it would be the first channel
Audience is to whom you to break the story.
text, images, audio and video. deliver your message or to The citizen, on the other
The various social media whom you drive your point hand, will definitely watch that
platforms which are currently across. particular news channel.
available are blogs, wikis, Chances are that his family and
discussion forums, social Mind you, this is not about friends also would switch on
networking sites, video/photo semantics. It is much deeper that channel to watch it. This
sharing sites, Q&A sites, social – the psychology of a person. arrangement works wonderfully
bookmarking sites, micro blogs For all these years, traditional for the news channel and the
and so on. media has allowed the individual viewer as the channel gets the
to control the message. news first, wins more viewers
What are the principles Everything is governed, and definitely builds loyalty with
of social media? conformed to a norm, a process, that set of people.
I believe social media is governed a defined technique.
by four fundamental principles, However, in social media, a71 Mumbai terror attacks:
w
a71
hich I classify as VULP: there is no control –forcing the Ten terrorists carried out a
Building Valuefor the individual to be true in its cowardly attack on Mumbai.
community; approach. They had come from Pakistan
36 January/February 2009 www.dmi-news.com
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