Did someone say Party?!

When you think of social media, how would you describe it?  I assume you would list Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest and Twitter. Yes, these are social media platforms, but how would you describe the experience of social media? Would you say it is like a party? Yes, I said party! Personally, I would have never thought of social media to be like a party, but Jason McDonald explains in his “Social Media Marketing Workbook” how the two are a lot alike.

When I saw how the first chapter of the workbook talks about parties, my initial thought was a literal party on social media. I thought, cool, I can see a group of people gathering to hang out on social media together. They could use their phones as strobe lights and dance. No, McDonald says social media is like a party, not a literal party, although I am sure it could be.

Think about it, you are invited to a party, you go, you usually but not always have a good time and you leave. Now, think of this idea in relation to social media. Something invites you to someone’s page, you go, you have a good time and you leave the page. Have I blown your mind? That was my reaction when Jason McDonald explained this concept.

Parties and social media are even similar when it comes to creating them, not just attending them. Hosting the perfect party can be a difficult process and so is creating social media accounts. Even after the party has started or the account is made, you must maintain it. If you walked away, it would most likely flop, and people would leave.

I feel enlightened now I see this similarity. While on social media, your goal is to throw an awesome party people will enjoy. The more people enjoy your party, the more they will enjoy you. By hosting an awesome party, you also receive benefits. As a company, you can gain positive views of your brand and more sales and as an individual, you can gain more likes and more publicity. I feel noticing this relationship will give you a different perspective of social media and maybe give you a better idea of how to utilize it.

Social media is a strong marketing strategy. The more we learn how to utilize the platforms to our best potential, the better outcome we will receive! I am interested to see what else I will learn from Jason McDonald in his workbook.