The Fundamentals series continues with a reflection on what the impact of social media has been. In this post, I’ll discuss the social impact of social media, i.e. how social media has changed people’s online experience.
Social media matters because it is about what matters to people.
Whether it’s about being up-to-date with the news, meeting others on a particular topic or staying in touch with friends, social media offers people a way to connect to what matters to them.
There are a number of key drivers that contribute to why social matters (more and more):
- Access Anyone who has a computer and Web access can take part in the social media and involvement is spurred on by interest in the particular topic. Even if the topic of interest is obscure, it is likely that someone has started something (e.g. a blog, a community or a Facebook page) about it on the social web.
- Expansion Social media has allowed people to either strengthen existing, offline ties or rekindle old ties with for example former classmates or coworkers.
- Reach Social media gives people a stage, an audience and an opportunity to become a significant influencer of public opinion and amass a larger following than those who have professional or academic merits.
- Influence Even though reach doesn’t equal influence, online word-of-mouth has become a significant factor in people’s decision-making process. Whether it concerns an online friend, an expert review or anonymous ratings, studies by Jupiter, Nielsen and Razorfish all point out that there is trust in these online opinions.
The power that social media has given people to create their own online experiences has also affected the overall media landscape. I’ll be looking at this effect next week.
For now, the commenting powers are yours.
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Kenneth Lim
Amsterdam, NL
