Are Companies Wasting time with their social Media sites?

Seen as companies have tapped into the using social media one is likely to investigate if companies are really achieving their goals through their social media sites.

I personally think that whether or not the company is benefiting from the social media sites, it  solely depend on how effective they used it. Normally companies use automatic posting especially on their Facebook and that to people like me is annoying and I tend to ufollow such posts because there are a mere waste of my time.

 

Source: Google

 

As such, to me it is quite easy for companies that use social media ineffectually to lose not just a lot of money but also following by their interested individuals and consequently losing opportunities to market their services . Without a huge happy following it is quite difficult for a company to achieve its objective online.

However, if wisely utilized, social media usage by companies may yield impressive results. I just read an interesting or rather eye opening article this morning that outlined various mistakes that companies make when using their social media. It also provided recommendations as to how best companies can use their sites to their advantage using little time and money.

In the article the reporter sites British author Heather Townsend, who gave useful information on how companies should use twitter in addressing their target audience. She suggested that instead of addressing all their followers or everyone who appears on their timeline, it is rather better and time saving to put all the important individuals and companies on twitter lists then tweet only to them. This is not what seems to be followed by most companies.

Nevertheless there are some social media sites like Linkedin that are useful in meeting the company’s objective as they provide valuable information about a particular company. I am of the view that Linkedin is one of the best and most effective social media sites that companies use.

 

 

 

 

Is new media replacing Traditional Media?

 

 

Source: Googgle

Over the past years the world has been evolving and seemingly people have shifted away from the so called traditional forms of media that include newspapers, radio and television.

With the constantly changing media atmosphere people have therefore opted for the easy way out, which is new media (Internet, Facebook, Twitter, Linked in etc.). The question that one would ask themselves however is that - Is it “in with the new and out with the old”? I personally am of the notion that the traditional forms of media are dying out and it is high time the public fully utilizes new media as it is here to stay.

In my view, I see no point in buying a R10 Cape Times Newspaper copy yet I can access the same articles for free on IOL website. A few months back the owner of Cape Times , an Irish publishing group,  Independent News and Media (INM), sold its South African unit of the company  to Sekunjalo Independent Consortium, for a cool R2 billion.

This to some extent is clear evidence that the company wasn’t making enough money hence it was sold. There is only one reason that any person would sell their property, the sole reason is simply that it has become a liability rather than an asset. If we also look at how individuals and companies are using Linkedin as a marketing tool, it is somewhat clear that social media is taking over.

Nowadays it is quite hard for one to secure a job through application letters but Linkedin does it for the companies. It is however important to note that social media sites are not the safest places for one to keep and share confidential information as they are prone to hackers. In 2011 I attended a media seminar at the Cape Town International Convention Center.

 There was a delegate who did a presentation on Privacy on Facebook, which served as an eye opener to many. As part of his presentation, asked a random person for their name then within a few minutes he logged in to their Facebook profile and projected it on a screen for everyone to see.

Therefore in as much as we should tap in the constantly changing media atmosphere it is also essential that one is cautious with the kind of information they give one social media sites as they are not “totally safe”.

Thank you!!

                                 Mandela should be left in peace.

Source: Google

 

I always get disturbed with how the South African media publicizes Nelson Mandela’s private life. The 94 year old former president and Noble peace prize winner has been in and out of hospital for the past 10 months as he is fighting an lung infection.

It’s been just over three weeks after Madiba was discharged from hospital, (for the third time in five months) and no one seems to be taking into consideration that the aging former president retired from public life over a decade ago. As an iconic figure, Mandela’s rights must be respected and his health shouldn’t be publicized as he like any South African is entitled to right to privacy.

 This however is not what seems to be happening. Mandela’s home have become a ‘media play ground’ where journalists just budge in search of a ‘headliner’. Recently he was visited by President Jacob Zuma at his Johannesburg home and the SABC crew was present and they filmed the Presidents’ meeting.  According to an article published by News24 on April 29^th, 2013, Mandela didn’t like the idea of the media filming his private life and it is also reported that he hardly responded to the question posed towards him.

Now that is clear that Tata Mandela didn’t like the whole proceeding, why then did the SABC go ahead and publish the video? Yes he is a public figure, but to disrespect him like this is so uncalled for. If he is a reputable figure we know him to be then why don’t we give him the respect that he deserves?

I think it’s high time the media desists from using Mandela’s health situation just because they want a “Juicy story”. It’s so unethical.

Finally, I’m a “Journalist”

As they always say “No Pain no gain”, the sleepless night of the years 2010-2012 have finally played off. I am finally a graduate with a National Diploma in Journalism from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

It has been a long crooked journey indeed but the endured pain has landed me and my fellow colleagues where we are right now. As for some people like me the recently acquired qualification has made us the first graduates in our families.

This in essence makes the whole graduation thought marvelous as I feel I’ve set a standard for my siblings. It always feels good to know that what I worked for, for the past years is an inspiration to many.

Now the time has come for me and the fellow graduates proceeding with their studies to aim higher for greater heights. Now the ball is in our hands to make the best of the remaining months, to continue to be an inspiration in our communities and make our families proud.

 I would like to extent my congratulations to all the CPUT Autumn graduates for this great achievement and to those who didn’t make it, its not the end of the journey. There is still a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Hoot suite or Tweet Deck? I say Hoot suite

For the past years, social media enthusiasts have been struggling to navigate through their beloved social media sites namely Facebook and Twitter but thanks to the men who invented Tweet deck and Hoot suit, Now every lover of both social media networks can enjoy them on a single interface.

These tools allow Facebook statuses and tweets to be posted on one body. However after using both tools one is unlikely to develop the same kind of interest on both of them but rather bonds with a single tool. The question that tends to arises on such similar invention is “Which one is the best”? I personally prefer to use Hoot suite as it is more user friendly than Tweet deck. The main reason behind this lies in the appearance of both tools before one even clicks on any link.

Source: Google

 
By merely looking at Hoot suite’s homepage one is intrigued to go further and explore the tool. It is Blue in color and provide all the main links for Facebook and twitter on a single page whereas Tweet deck has a “Dull” grey color that simply drives the user away not mentioning the fact that its text is in white making the statuses and tweets difficult to read.

 Unlike Hoot suite Tweet deck (on the Facebook page) only provides its users with only two links (Wall and Notifications) and one is required to manually add their own preferred links in  order to customize the tool. I’ve been using Tweet deck for the past month but I haven’t fully grasped how the tool can be customized into these multiple links.

Therefore any random human being caught in such a predicament would rather opt for what offers a better service which is convenient to them. That in my case is Hoot suite.  :)