Social Media: Do the (R)evolution

by Elaine Manning in DONOVAN WORLD, FUN, SOCIAL MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY

9

Dec
2011

FILED UNDER

I programmed my father’s cell phone to go directly into his voicemail by pressing and holding the “1” button – no password no nothing, just hold “1” and listen – yet he still forgets how to check his voicemail.  I bet when I tell him that Pope Benedict XVI used a tablet to light up a Christmas tree in Italy on Wednesday he may think His Holiness accomplished this using his divine powers with a paper notepad.  This is no slight against my father; it is just an example of how pervasive technology is in our society and the rate at which it has happened.

I remember experimenting on the internet in 1996 by entering a chat room and being blown away by the fact that I could have a conversation with someone in California –and looking back I believe she was just as intrigued by the fact she could chat with someone from Canada using her computer.  We chatted about everyday things – differences in climate, family traditions, life in general.  It was fun!  At that time I would never have fathomed where and how social media would evolve to where it is today; especially how commonplace communication on social networks has become and how integral social networks now are as business tools.

As of late, I have been immersing myself into the digital and social media world specifically related to marketing, advertising and branding.  I think anyone who owns a computer or a Smartphone is well aware of how quickly technology changes, but if you actually pay attention and follow social media news on a daily basis – it will make your head spin.  Social interaction on the internet has not only evolved from chat rooms to Facebook and Twitter but its purpose and usefulness is evolving just as quickly.  It has come to the point where Facebook and Twitter – once quite distinguishable from one another – are adapting to increasingly resemble each other – all in the name of business and branding.

2011 is rounding the bend and I am excited for 2012 for many different reasons, including riding the social media wave and continuously learning what lies ahead in media and advertising.

Do you remember when you were FIRST amazed by social interaction on the internet?

Elaine Manning is a Social Media Strategist at DONOVAN. Comments on this post or suggestions for future topics are welcome.