Explaining the World of Social Media
Posted by Kerri Birtch on March 26th, 2009
Sometimes we social media geeks forget that not everyone ‘gets it’ yet.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve said the words ‘social media’ and gotten blank stares. Or the times when I’ve made a comment about online engagement or relationship building and heard “Huh?”
One key point that I think we often forget when we spend so much time in this space, it that not everyone spends the same amount of time here. I realized this at Third Tuesday the other night when I was listening to Mathew Ingram speak about his role as the Communities Editor for the Globe and Mail. I looked around the room and saw a number of unfamiliar faces. Translation: Some of them were newbies! This excites me, because it means that more and more people are sitting up and taking notice of this new form of communication.
My hope is that we, as current participants, welcome them with open arms and educate as best possible. If people fail to see the value of social media, or understand the principles behind it, then we fail as a community and it stunts our growth. It should be our job as participants to encourage engagement and try as best we can to educate others in a way that they understand what’s going on.
One of the ways I often explain social media to others is by linking it to real world examples. I was asked at Third Tuesday about what exactly a Communities Editor would do. “He can’t control the discussions that are happening, so what’s the point?” My thoughts were to liken him to a workshop facilitator. My feeling is that it would their job encourage discussion, moderate the commentary and try to keep discussion on the right track so that everyone feels comfortable contributing and feels they are getting value from the conversation. The response: “Hmm…that makes sense.”
Another example I’ve used to describe social media in general is using the example of a community. You have a school (Facebook), a gas station (Twitter), a corner store (Flickr), a coffee shop (Third Tuesday), etc. and you have neighbours (other users). They all interact with each other, provide support and contribute to the overall development of the community.
Linking the online world to real life examples can help people to better understand this space and hopefully, with encouragement and support, the space will continue to grow. And growth IS what we want – this is not an exclusive space for early adopters. So next time that you start into geek-speak, consider who you’re chatting with – they may be smiling and nodding, but do they really ‘get it’?
How do you explain social media? Do you think you ‘get it’ yet?
Posted to Education, Social Media
March 26th, 2009 » 10:50 am
Great post Kerri. I think you are right on the money with this. I too get those blank stares, and polite smiles and nods. Educating those around us who don’t ‘get it’ is just as important as using social media tools yourself.
We all have to help grow the network! Thanks for your post. I always love reading your blog!
Kim
March 26th, 2009 » 11:52 am
Interesting post! I find a lot of my friends use these tools but don’t understand the value of social media – this is a great explanation!
March 27th, 2009 » 8:38 pm
I have been waiting for a post like this! I am one of the “newbies” you are referring to, and I’ve been anxiously waiting for someone to break down the concept of social media for newcomers like myself. Thank you! More posts like this would be greatly appreciated.
I love this blog and I get really excited whenever anyone updates!
March 28th, 2009 » 5:53 am
Great post.. There are articles and blogs out there that explains social media, and i think this is great..Social media can be defined in so many ways, but the what matters is how people understands it. Do we really know what it is and how it works..Nice post really.. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to reading other great post from you.
March 28th, 2009 » 8:46 pm
Hi Kerri,
I fully agree with you – I also often get those blank stares when trying to explain the world of social media. I think you are right that it is most similar to a community. When you’re part of a community you are respectful and engage with others with the hope of building mutually beneficial relationships. The key to social media is that it connects us all and opens doors to people we would maybe not have the opportunity to interact with.
It’s always great to have new members of a community – so let’s welcome them all, it only makes us that much stronger.
Great post!
March 30th, 2009 » 5:16 pm
Hi Kerri!
I’ve just recently subscribed to the PR Girlz blog, and so far I love it! As a student at Clemson, I’ve just started to learn about the world of social media through several PR classes. So far I love it, but there’s one downfall I keep coming across: When my friends and parents ask about what I’m learning, I just don’t know what to say. I tend to dodge the topic of social media simply because I don’t know how to explain it in layman’s terms. Your post is so helpful and I can’t wait to tell everyone what I’m really learning about. I love the example of the social media community, labeling every social media site as a place with a purpose.
Hopefully my future explanations of social media will attract new members to the wonderful community we have going here!
Thanks for the great post!
March 31st, 2009 » 12:18 pm
[...] Check out my comment on this PR Girlz blog post. This post is very simple, very informative, and most of all very useful. Great [...]
April 4th, 2009 » 7:08 pm
Hi everyone – sorry for taking so long to respond, I’ve been on vacation!
Just wanted to say thanks for commenting – glad you’ve found my take on social media interesting. I’d also like to mention that I totally agree with Holly – there are many ways to define social media, and many ways to explain it. Someone who’s been in the space longer than myself might describe it differently, or maybe just disagree with parts of my approach. So just make sure you keep your eyes open and try to look at your own experiences to explain it as well. People engage in social media for lots of different reasons and the longer I participate, the more I see variations – and for the most part, none are better or worse than the next. That’s the fun part!
Thanks for reading.