Social Media: It's Here to Stay

Hello all! My name is Kayla Wolthoff.  I am a senior Public Relations major with minors in Marketing, Interactive Digital Studies, and Journalism at the University of Northern Iowa.  

We all have that one friend (or maybe multiple) that literally seems like they're online 24/7, constantly liking every photo and tweet their every move.  I like to think of my love for social media in that obsessive range, however I'm not as vocal or visible about it as much as your average social media addict.

  

I pretty much consider myself the ultimate creeper (I don’t mean that in a creepy way) but what I do mean is, I find myself investing a lot of my time on social media.  Before I know it, two hours have gone by and I’ve done absolutely nothing with my life besides finding out that my friend got her haircut recently and that my other friend is taking his dog for a walk.   

Anyways, I think you get my point, we’ve all been there, we're all kinda creepy.  And if you can't relate, then, well, this is awkward. Some of us use social media as a way to interact with friends and family.  Some of us use it to share pictures, and some of us, like me, use it to put off doing other things. 

Nonetheless, social media isn't just for personal use anymore. In fact, Social Media Marketing is on the rise.  Though traditional marketing will always be a major component, the internet has dominated the way we share information and businesses are taking full advantage of this.  

Many think, "Oh, it's just a trend, it will die out like flared jeans." But let me tell you, this whole interactive digital platform is here to stay.  

Lets think about this.  Why would it die out? It's a two-way communication channel...Talk about a great way to establish a relationship and build trust with your audience. Not only is it very inexpensive, but it's also measurable and it's only just begun with it's potential. 

In the coming weeks, I will be discussing why Social Media Marketing has become such a key role for businesses to acquire and learn and the best ways to use it.  I promise, I'll try and keep it interesting. 

I also think it is in your best interest to follow me on Twitter, sometimes I can be funny and awkward, just like the end of this post.

....See awkward pause....am I not right?!?!