Back to the Basics: How Digital Media is Evolving

I've been wanting to write a blog post on digital media for a long time. I'm a little different from other PR pros in that I see value in social media but think it is overemphasized and find "digital media" all too vague of a term. Lately, however, I've become aware of how brands are effectively using social/digital media and have even noticed how much I rely on this particular communication medium. My coworkers make fun of me because I don't watch TV, but I'm a pro at surfing the web for hours on end. I like that online media lets you get the information you need fast rather than making you sit through an entire episode of Chopped to see who wins.

I've also picked up on how much others use social media and how brands are using it. PR Daily has terrific articles on brands who are effectively using Pinterest, Facebook timeline and Google + and I'm sure to follow everyone after reading about it. The brands that impress me the most do the following: they stimulate your mind to think about the possibilities that can exist. I'm a big fan of Lowe's Pinterest because there are pins on there that excite you about doing laundry. Laundry! I would have never thought to paint leaves in my laundry room to make it a spot of earthly cleanliness. BHLDN's boards give love new meaning and Smashburger's Facebook timeline makes me want to grab a sandwich fast. You might expect my coworkers would know plenty of blogs and Twitter handles but I've also had recommendations from church friends and even the guy at the coffee shop, demonstrating that just everybody goes online for both information and entertainment. In just the past few months I've discovered the blogs Crushable, Auntie's Eats, Uncrate, Huffington Post's lifestyle blogs and have re-discovered TechCrunch, Mashable and Lauren Conrad's feed. I used to see blog posts as an outlet for people to rant about nothing (much as many misconceive Twitter is). However, what's most personal is most universal and sometimes a cathartic blog post such as the one at this link has been very helpful: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/how-to-live-alone-turning-30_n_1447304.html. It helps that it's very well-written.

Perhaps a pivotal point for myself and many others and the way we see digital media was the release of Kony. There is one point in the video where the pyramid of hierarchy is changed because we live in a time that allows the masses to change the conversation. Theoretically. I also attended a luncheon with a Facebook developer referring to "likes" as a lightweight contact, much as texts lead to dates which lead to more serious relationships. Brands best function when they don't get "too hot and heavy too fast" he explained. Even though social/digital media has been around for 10 or so years, I've never been more excited about the way it's evolving and how brands/organizations can insert themselves into that as I am now. If you're not yet convinced, I'll leave you with the following two links that might better articulate how important online media is, especially for us "digital natives." The first is an article from Mashable that describes Internet meme culture as the "new rock-and-roll", the second is an infograph from PR Daily that shows that tablets and computers get the most "love." Enjoy!


http://mashable.com/2012/05/10/millennials-social-media-adora-svitak/
http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/11601.aspx