When I visited my family in Algeria last summer, my aunt Louisa showed me a box she dubbed “the archive.” Opening it, I was shocked to find photos upon photos, letters, and report cards. I followed the track of my parents’ lives in the United States in their wedding pictures and watched me and my brother grow up in the photographs. Typed letters in French from my dad to his family provided updates on his life stateside and wished them well. Attached copies of progress reports and report cards showed them how my brother and I were doing in school and, with visits few and far between, I suddenly realized that this is how my extended family experienced the majority of my life — right here in this little box.
You might be wondering what a box has anything to do with social media, but don’t let the tangible nostalgia of photos and letters fool you. Today, this box is Facebook. Ever seen wedding pics on it? Have a friend that posts primarily adorable pictures of their pets and kids? Seen a status celebrating graduation or a passed exam?
This digital realm is just as personal and expressive as my aunt’s “archive,” but infinitely more accessible. Nothing has quite possibly made the world feel as small as social media can. With current widespread internet access, one page might have hits spanning continents, and all these viewers create a community of their own by interacting with one another in a virtual space. The potential for connectivity is endless.
Utilizing social media for your organization
Because of its power to connect, social media platforms have exploded across the digital scene. Not just on the computer, but on the tablet and on your phone. It’s absolutely EVERYWHERE - all over the world and in the palm of your hand at the same time. And where social media is, so are your customers or audiences. Today, Facebook has over 500 MILLION users on any given day. Meanwhile, another booming platform, YouTube, has 100 HOURS of video uploaded to the site every MINUTE. It’s such a large number of users and content that it can be hard to wrap your head around.
As social media continues to expand, it can be daunting to decide not only how to best use it, but also what is actually appropriate to use in the first place. Still, the fact remains that if you only have a website connecting you to your audience, best use of the appropriate social media platforms is what it takes to better your presence.
Social media serves as a place to show who you are and, as a small business or nonprofit, it’s extremely important to get your message out where it will be heard by your target audiences. Social media is also interactive in nature, so you have the opportunity to connect with customers and community members to engage them for feedback. Importantly, communication generated on these platforms builds trust and respect with your audience, and helps people learn more about you or your product in a way that is quick and potentially wide-reaching.
Next steps: Decide what platforms can tell your story best.