Tags
Facebook, Integrated marketing communications, Linkedin, Organization, Pinterest, Social Media, Twitter, Wordpress
(photo provided by: hospitality.cvent.com)
(photo provided by: www.huffingtonpost.com)
Before the class began, the extent of my social media presence was Facebook and Pinterest. I had a Linkedin and Twitter account, but didn’t keep up with them. As a matter of fact, until we started class, I had never sent a tweet! This class has been a rewarding experience on many different levels. I was able to learn something from each one of the women in the class. The class discussions were valuable because everyone had something they were able to teach all of us. For that, I thank each and every one of you. It’s fascinating to hear about how other people use all the different social media networks and what they like and don’t like about it. Even more, it’s exciting to talk about organizations that use social media and go back to my life outside of class and see what we discuss in class live and in action.
The course content was the best part of my learning experience. I had never used WordPress and I didn’t know about some of the sites we talked about. Knowing how much businesses rely on the Social Media sites to promote, market and sell their products, knowing how to use them and who is using them is something I can use in my future career and make me a strong candidate when the time comes to interview. Unlike many of my fellow Katies in class, I am a full time student and stay at home Mom, so being able to learn so much about what other people are using and what sites companies are using is invaluable.
Social media has changed the face of marketing. The disruptive emergence of social media has changed the business world forever. Technology has made the world a smaller place, and people are connecting all over the globe. The consumer is more educated and more demanding, wanting a personalized experience. Organizations must be able to relate to their customers on a personal level and social media lets them accomplish it. Consumers are not just buying a product, they are buying an experience and organizations must be able to deliver a good experience, or the consumer will go elsewhere. Not only is the consumer researching what the product does, they are reading reviews from people using the product from all over the world. This social interaction is keeping organizations on their toes. They must compete in the market with swiftness and integrity to gain brand loyalty and a customer base. Management and marketing must be able to work in harmony to ensure the customers are getting the best experience possible. Every department in the organization is important to the success of a product line.
Social media has proven to be invaluable for both organizations and employees. Organizations are using social media to do everything from screen employee prospects to consumer ratings on their experience. It’s goldmine of information for people on both sides of the fence. An organization not using social media would be committing economic suicide, but they must be able to use it in a responsible and effective matter, or it could damage the organization. Being aware and efficient in social media sites is essential to the success of marketing. It’s an exciting time to be in the marketing business and I look forward to being a part of it.