Published: November 07, 2009 12:08 am      

Social media spotlighted at First Friday

EFFINGHAM — Brian Noe used a newspaper to make his point Friday.

Noe, a Mattoon resident who helps businesses utilize social media, was waving around the newspaper at the monthly First Friday luncheon to illustrate the difference between old and new types of media.

“To publish a newspaper, you have to print more than one to get the desired effect,” Noe said. “Radio and television are limited by the scarcity of frequencies and channels. In other words, old media is bound by the laws of the physical world.”

But Noe said anybody can use the Internet to communicate through such sites as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, to name just a few.

“You can go to a public library in almost any small town, log onto a public computer, establish a blog, write a story and everybody with Internet access can see it instantly.”

Noe said social media can utilize text, still and video images and sound for information exchange.

“Information flows in all directions at the same time,” he said.

Noe said the social media practitioner — who could be anybody — doesn’t have to use the editing process common in both print and broadcast media.

“Everybody can be their own editor,” he said. “Instead of newspaper editors making decisions on what to publish, the blogger can do something as simple as sending a link to somebody’s else work.”

Noe said social media has democratized the process of gathering and disseminating information.

“Everybody has a seat at the table,” he said. “Everybody has a voice.”

Noe said the key to successful use of social media in a business context is the ability to develop and maintain relationships.

“Because everyone is a producer, it is all about relationships and conversations,” he said. “You can develop significant long-term relationships with these tools.

“The power of these relationships is what’s important, and the only way to leverage that power is through relationships and conversations.”

Noe said many businesses are turning to Twitter for customer service. He suggested the social media novice might want to start with a personal account on Twitter.

“That’s the hot site right now,” he said, adding the beginner can use the personal account to develop an online style that won’t hurt their business.

“People will give you a lot more leeway on a personal account,” Noe said. “It won’t be a reflection on your business.”

Twitter users can link to business Web sites and look for interesting people to “follow.”

Noe said social media can be mastered in about 10 to 15 minutes a day.

Noe said it’s relatively easy to open a Twitter account. More information can be found at www.twitter.com.

Bill Grimes can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 132 or bill.grimes@effinghamdailynews.com