Social Communications?
July 29, 2008 by Howard Greenstein
Fellow Board Member Jackie Peters makes the case for a new term, and I like it.
heavyBlog » Making the Case for Social Communications
I would like to posit the idea that rather than trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, we need to carve out a new hole. The term I am proposing we use for this is Social Communications. Social Communications as a category touches branding, PR, marketing, WOM, customer service, product development, mobile marketing, SEO and many other aspects of a brand’s communications strategy. It is the art of “socializing” these processes.
What do you think? Discuss.
I like the idea of being social communications experts encompassing so much more than just “media”. As you pointed out things like promotions, mobile marketing, web marketing, are understood in social media, but not directly pointed out.
However, being from a PR and Marketing discipline, the wording “social media” rolls off the tongue much easier than “social communications”. Social media is quicker, easier, and hipper to say and use.
Howard, thanks for bringing the conversation over here as well. Todd, in response to your comment, I would argue that social media is a platform, a noun, but what is the verb that describes the act of communicating through that platform?
Judging from the comments on the original post, many seem to feel that the term is redundant, arguing that communication is inherently social. I am the first to admit that there may be a better term out there, but for one, not all communication is social, much of it is broadcast, one-way. Social communications would be the term used to describe the process of “socializing” communications. I think of social as the platform, and communications as the process. Like “television advertising” or “broadcast communications.”
Whatever the outcome is, I think it’s an important conversation to be having.