Social Question

bennihan's avatar

What do you get out of social media?

Asked by bennihan (280points) August 20th, 2009

I have recently started two internships involving social media to create buzz and use it to market companies. I eventually want to start my own business consulting firm and do online branding for local businesses. Most likely will get involved in a niche like the restaurant industry.

I was just wondering what is it that compels you to get on facebook, to use fluther, and all of the other sites you may be on. Personally I am just now getting involved with twitter and I find it absolutely fascinating

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19 Answers

Vincentt's avatar

Keeping in touch with people, mostly. Sharing my life with them, satisfying my interest in other people’s lives.

cwilbur's avatar

Other people. I turn off as much of the Facebook noise as I can, especially when it comes from companies rather than people.

The marketing “buzz” on Facebook is one of the things I don’t like about it, but I put up with it to stay in touch with genuine people.

augustlan's avatar

From Fluther, I get intelligent discourse (which is sadly lacking in the ‘real world’ and was the immediate draw) and, more surprising, a feeling of connection to some wonderful people. Facebook is more about reconnecting with old friends, and keeping up with family.

Welcome to Fluther, by the way!

augustlan's avatar

Also, did you just write this post about us? If so, sweet!

bennihan's avatar

@augustian Yes I did write the post leave me a comment! I think this site is excellent. It’s simple and beautifully designed with great functionality. I’ll keep posting here and on

http://socialcidal.net

Blondesjon's avatar

I use Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc. to whore myself.

I visit Fluther because it’s where my friends are.

kyanblue's avatar

mk. There are a lot of reasons, so I’ll just break it down by site.

Facebook is to chat with friends and stay in touch with cool people I don’t get to see often. Facebook is also the site on the internet that’s directly connected to my personal identity; sort of like an extension of my offline life onto the internet. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I try hard to keep online/offline life pretty separate. I hate giving out information like where I live and so on…

Twitter and some other design-related social media sites (Design Moo, Design Bump—both are sort of like Digg for designers) I started to use because in the future, I want to be able to let people know about posts I write on my blog (it will be chiefly concerned with design, the internet, and cool-stuff-finding) and I wanted to establish some kind of presence on those sites. But they’re helpful to find cool things from around the internet, and Twitter allows me to keep tabs on development for different apps and websites I’m interested…and feel I’m part of the lives of some personal friends I follow, or get a peek into the lives of others.

Fluther (well, I’ve only been here a day, but I used to frequent other Q&A sites) is because I like helping others, I like sharing my opinion, and I like talking.

But I hope Fluther for me will be a nice web community I can feel a part of…I like that there are many thought-provoking questions, and the Fluther population in general is polite and intelligent (and the grammar in general is much better than I can usually expect on the internet). I feel I need some kind of ‘home’ on the internet aside from Facebook…somewhere where I can communicate with people that are interesting and thoughtful.

It’s mostly about communicating with people, finding cool stuff, and publicity for me.

Allibaby808's avatar

First off, Lurve for writing such a great article about us jellies =]. Second, I ended up deactivating my facebook because it was becoming a burden. It never gave me the satisfaction that fluther seems to, because at least you know the time you spend surfing the web is potentially helping someone else. I still have my myspace for god knows what reason. I never really care about that site either anymore.

tiffyandthewall's avatar

i am interested in people, and i like to imagine – however delusional i am – that other people are too. i like connecting with people, and i feel like it’s easier when you can do so without focusing on their appearance. when i’m on facebook talking to someone, i’m not like ‘oh man my hair looks like shit right now’. it’s all about the conversation. and you can leave any time!
also, it’s a nice way to connect to more of a variety of people.
for people who are not complete social butterflies who are never really intimidated by groups or people in general, it is nice to be able to approach someone so easily, and form a connection without that person’s friends bouncing around them, pulling them into other conversations, etc.
specifically, i like twitter because it’s silly. little sentences that sum up what you’re thinking/doing/etc. especially since it’s usually mundane stuff that people post about! things that no one would really care about in ‘real life’, but online it’s like “haha, i was thinking that too!”, etc.
i like fluther because the jellies are an interesting and diverse group of folks.

i’m also interested in the different ways people can present themselves. we use clothes, makeup, hair styles, body language, and tone of voice to present ourselves in person. online, you’re focusing more on verbally presenting yourself. well, in most cases…

Jenniehowell's avatar

Self promotion/social currency & in turn more money after ranking top 3% in Twitter- access to great info/people – more frequent contact with new & old friends allowing a better cultivation of those relationships- great advice for free & of course a little money can’t hurt

bennihan's avatar

@Allibaby808 deleting your facebook while studying interior design? you can’t do away with all of you contacts like that its madness.

thanks for the luuuuurve. i think that this site is great for connecting people who are looking to share information with the spam or advertisements

Allibaby808's avatar

@bennihan haha yeah it’s temporary i’ll be back on there eventually…just for now people seem to create too much drama that is unnecessary =[

garydale's avatar

I have met many new people around the world online, many of whom I have met personally as well. I have been contacted by old friends, colleagues and school mates who I haven’t seen in years. I have promoted my business. I have arranged conferences in Dublin, Prague, Dubai, Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Tunis by using contacts I have found online. I have gained publicity for books I have written and blog postings. The list goes on and on…

augustlan's avatar

@garydale Welcome to Fluther!

quasi's avatar

i generally use it to connect to people, not companies or products. the less i feel that i am being marketed to the more willing i am to connect, on any real level. i think social networking is about our desire to be able to actual connect with people, unfortunatly it has to happen in the most isolating of ways, through a screen or web browser. but, at least the feeling seems real sometimes. but this yearning for a worthwhile connectedness amongst other human beings, is sure to be a great way to generate commercial profit.

bluedoggiant's avatar

I love Twitter, it’s the best way to just broadcast and spread the news

read http://www.mashable.com

they are a very popular social media blog

LeetaLuminate's avatar

mostly sharing my daily activties with them, or promoting stuff. i work in tourism and using social media thing help me lots to found out that people interested in tourism and need my help to do tourism in my country :]

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Woodruff's avatar

1st, connecting to relatives and families around the world. 2nd generating money from it socially. 3rd doing business. 4th motivating and inspiring other social media users that is a lost souls.

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