First it was called the reputation economy, but the latest trend that is emerging in the social media and public relations community is the sharing economy. The role of the individual not only commenting and creating information – but also adding in the component of sharing this with others has initiated a digital movement on creating a collaborative and engaged atmosphere of learning and exploration in social media.
So, how can we create and initiate a sharing economy within our respective organizations (companies, universities, classrooms, etc)? There are several ways to go about and do this, and here are some things to consider:
- Connect the dots and make the connections: Exploring the ties between disciplines and professions based on a common point of view will not only help others in their research and practice, but will also expand your own horizon into a new area for future possibilities. Make sure to personalize the information of the individual.
- Spark creativity through new activities: While working out, sharing a moment to get some coffee, and reaching out to others in social activities are just a few ways to share this type of information in real life.
- Social source influence: While there is so much noise going on – how is it possible to determine whether or not information is relevant or not? Determining this may be based not only the source in which the information was published, but also who was sharing the information. Peer influence is also key in the digital realm as well, and will be important presently.
- Exploring and finding digital “pearls” and share the wealth: My friends who are librarians call articles or books that have extremely useful references and sources “pearls” – the same goes for social media sites. There are some sites that I would consider to be “pearls” – including Mashable and Digital Buzz just to name a few.
- Becoming a Reputation + Social Accountant: Understanding the mathematics and accounting principles applied to social media relationship management will be the name of the game. Determining the level of influence, trust, consistency, accuracy, engagement, and content of the interactions through formulas should be explored. Each variable needs to have certain measured items that have been tested, re-tested, and applied in various situations that measure these concepts precisely. Some research has been done in this area, but it needs to be explored further.
Overall, the current landscape is advocating public relations professionals to adapt to the evolving expectations. One of the roles in which public relations professionals have is being a resource for others. Mentoring and providing information to help others is part of the job – how else will the field evolve? This principles apply in all aspects of PR – both in the real world as well as in the classroom. It is the duty of the PR professional to learn, grow, and share their knowledge with those that they know in person as well as online.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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