How Technology Has Changed Skills Necessary for Communicators

How Technology Has Changed Skills Necessary for Communicators

Not only do communicators need to develop fresh skills in light of new technology, but companies and their employees need to understand the effect of technology on communications. While once a bonus tool in the marketer’s tool box, for many of today’s companies, “social media is not only part of the company’s core training curriculum, but also a key element in their recruiting message, stressing the employee benefit of receiving social media literacy training” (Meister, 2015).

If you remember a few years back when a couple of Dominoes employees decided to post a video on YouTube. In this case, the employees were fired and arrested for food tampering, and you can imagine the impact it had on Dominoes’ business (Meister, 2015). Employees need to understand social media and how to use (and not use) it. So, not only the marketing director or company spokesperson needs training – all employees need training.

Without training, a company could be the victim of an epic social media fail. Feloni (2015) points out that one common element to many social media fails was that “the social media team was not listening.” He goes on to say, “listening does not just mean talking to customers -  It means being aware of the company's place in the Internet's culture and knowing that customers do not appreciate mass-produced responses” (Feloni, 2015).  One main reason company social media attempts fail is that “brands and businesses don't actually communicate with their customers on social media on a day-to-day basis or understand sentiment on social media” (Heggestuen, 2015).

Another thing that communicators must be aware of is scheduling posts in advance. Costill, (2015), talks about Apple’s social media embarrassment. “Apple had a pre-negotiated deal with Joan Rivers to promote the iPhone 6 on her Facebook and Instagram accounts” – the problem? “The posts went live two weeks after Rivers died” (Costill, 2015).

According to Amy Jo Martin, “Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo, or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand” (n.d.). Social media is also changing perceptions of companies– both positively and negatively.

References

Martin, A. J. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved August 16, 2015, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/amy_jo_martin.html

Costill, A. (2015). What we learned from these 15 epic social media fails. Retrieved from http://www.searchenginejournal.com/learned-15-epic-social-media-fails/121432/

Feloni, R. (2015). The 10 biggest social media marketing fails of 2013. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/10-worst-social-media-marketing-fails-of-2013-2013-11

Heggestuen, J. (2015). The reason so many brands fail on social media is that they don't actually talk to their customers. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/leveraging-customers-on-social-media-2013-11