Grassroots is at the Heart of Social Media
Posted on Tue, Oct 25, 2011
By Kathryn
Okay – I admit I am late to the game. Not in using social media, but in reading the book “The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal.” We all know the story behind Facebook, how it began in a dorm room and is now part of more than 6 million individuals’ daily lives. But what is most interesting about the book and the company itself is the grassroots approach Facebook used to grow its business.
Rather than drawing on old-school PR methods -- an official company launch, a press release, media interviews -- Facebook founders started with their friends, their personal networks, and the demographic to which they best related, and then expanded out slowly campus by campus, building a groundswell of followers -- a pure grassroots marketing effort.
Companies sometimes overlook social media and the principles upon which it is built in favor of advertising or traditional media relations, but the overwhelming adoption of Facebook and social media around the world should draw attention back to the value of grassroots PR and marketing for promoting flourishing startups.
Unfortunately, what is not discussed in the book is how the social media revolution -- including Facebook -- has changed the way we communicate in the business world. To learn more about this, you’d have to read Fortune’s David Kirkpatrick’s book The Facebook Effect, which provides a much more comprehensive look at the impact Facebook has made on our world and the way we communicate. It's also a less drama filled book but it will leave you understanding how much we have all changed as a result of Facebook and social media in general.
We have seen a dramatic shift in business communications due to the instant nature of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other online sites. Social media is no longer an optional PR component – it is a MUST have for any company that wishes to be a leader in its market.