"The important part of social media is SOCIAL. Your goal shouldn’t just be to create something new but also to join and contribute to existing conversations".
Welcome! I have created this blog to explore people's views on the concept of using social media to engage key stakeholders. It will act as a research source in which I hope to gather many opinions and useful information which will work to support the scary dissertation that I have to write for my final year.
I'm currently studying PR and Communications in the South of England. I hope to pursue a career in Corporate Comms/ Internal Comms, so stakeholder engagement is a topic that certainly gets my juices flowing, and probably yours too if your reading this blog!
The last decade has seen the world of communications change drastically and social media has a lot to answer for. Like never before, big companies are having direct, one-to-one conversations with their consumers and are sharing their ideas on product and service development (Windows 7 was my idea).
My aim is to explore what the real benefits are of using social media to engage customers, investors and employees. In turn, I will also determine the risks and challenges associated with using social media to engage key stakeholders.
In your view, does social media add significantly more value than traditional forms of media when it comes to stakeholder engagement?
I look forward to reading your comments...
Hi Cat, you are absolutely right in saying there have been significant developments in how today’s companies are engaging with their stakeholders in light of advancing methods of communication. The increasing availability of information through the internet and social media sites like Twitter means that stakeholders have a better understanding of businesses like never before. Undoubtedly, social media allows for greater transparency and authenticity; key elements that traditional forms of communication simply cannot provide. The online revolution is playing an increasingly important role in facilitating customer dialogue; allowing companies to further product and service innovation just as you said. In my view, new media has not cancelled out traditional media; it has simply enhanced how we communicate as individuals and organisations. There is still a place for traditional communication (TV, radio and print) but I can’t help engrossing myself into new media and enjoying the benefits that it brings. I hope this helps and good luck with your dissertation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. I perceived new media to be a separate entity, I did not think about it being an extension or enhancement of traditional communication.
ReplyDeleteAs well as the transparency and authenticity new media provides, what other factors add value in terms of stakeholder engagement?