Social Media vs Traditional Media: Apples & Oranges Are Both Fruit

People have opinions – good ones, bad ones, strong ones. Social media exists primarily to facilitate expression. People are able to express their feelings, values and opinions through blogs (WordPress, Blogger), photography (Flickr, Picasa), videos and slide shows (YouTube, Slideshare), “tweets” (Twitter), social networking sites (Facebook, Myspace) and other social media outlets.

The development of social media has given the mass public influence on society in terms of PR and marketing. The public has more access to express these opinions and influence the development of products, services, and ideas. Traditional media keeps the power of opinion in the hands of those whose job it is to express that opinion, PR, Marketing and Advertising professionals as well as journalists, etc.

Todd Defren makes comparisons between social and traditional media at PR Squared. He points out that the credibility and recognition of bloggers and blog content has come a long way in terms of PR and journalists. He also recognizes that not everyone will be successful in both social and traditional media, but that “the goal is to do a good job in Social Media and in Traditional Media. Success in BOTH arenas creates a force-multiplier effect.”

Again, the idea is presented that “Social Media demands 24/7 presence, frequently-updated and relevant content, a diplomatic and distinct voice.” Defren also compares traditional media explaining that it “requires careful timing, a differentiated story, a proud voice, a tightly-packaged and closely-held assembly of content, verifiable proof and articulate defenders”.

By aiming to accomplish all of these goals, businesses, organizations, and professional give themselves the most opportunity for success.

Tips for Developing an Online Presence

One post on the Bio Job Blog offered links to articles, tips to help the novice develop their online presence and a brief description for personal branding and online presence.

According to the post’s author, “put simply, you the jobseeker, are the brand and to be successful (get a job), the brand must be vigorously promoted!” Suggestions for personal branding include joining social networks, blogging and creating your own personal website.

The post also features three tips for “developing an effective online presence” from Web Worker Daily:

• Check your Google profile.  What comes up when your name gets typed in?  Know what’s out there so you don’t get surprised.
• Own your domain name.  Even if you don’t want to do something with it now, you might later.
• Develop your personal brand.  Set up a LinkedIn profile.  Write a blog.  Be a guest writer on blogs specific to your industry (maybe you could write a post for me – describing your job, etc).

From the information I’ve gathered so far, personal branding appears to be a simple concept. Anyone can develop a profile on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or another social network. Anyone can blog about anything. However, if you’re serious, it takes work. You have to maintain those memberships, update profile information, publish new, relevant, interesting blog posts. It seems that all too often, people use social media for purposes of vanity. For example, no one wants to receive a “tweet” on their cell phone letting the world know that you’re running to the grocery store. I have found most interesting, the sharing of information instead of the “tooting of one’s own horn”. Those are the people and blogs that I’ve followed on Twitter and added to my Google reader.

Johnny Taylor Jr. on Social Media

Johnny Taylor Jr. is the President and CEO of RushmoreDrive.com. He was recently featured on Human Resources iQ in an interview regarding Social Media in Human Resources. The full interview can be found here. Taylor explains that “more and more recruiters are using these sites to obtain a better understanding of the personality and lifestyle of potential job candidates that could positively or negatively influence their position in the organization”.

One of the first questions asks whether an “employer’s use of social media…as a recruiting strategy” is a violation of privacy. I completely agree with Taylor in his position on this, which is that people create their own accounts and post their own content freely. If someone chooses to make information available online to the public, this public includes potential employers. This is why social media users should be conscious of what they are posting online and why online presence has become an issue for discussion.

Taylor describes what human resource professionals are looking for on social media sites. “Employers are trying to increase our chances of finding the right ‘fit’ in our organization (fitness meaning technical credentials and cultural/values fit)”. While there are definitely aspects of one’s life that should not be used as criteria for employment, employers and recruiters can sometimes form opinions of a potential employee depending on what they choose to post online.

The interviewer also asked Taylor, “How much of an influence do these social networking sites have on an employer’s decision to hire job candidates?” Taylor states that although “human resources departments aren’t surfing social networks as a common part of their recruitment process”, they “are increasingly turning to them (especially for new college graduates)”. He does explain that “it’s not at all uncommon for applicants and employers to conduct a quick Google search on someone in advance of an interview”. He also explains that information found by recruiters on social networks is not the only information used in the hiring process.

Taylor finishes off the interview by advising applicants to “assume your parents access your social network every day – so no lies, compromising pictures, etc.” This seems like sound advice to me; however, my entire family- including my in-laws are on facebook, so I am already practicing this.