The Social Media Housewife

So, I can no longer deny it. I am obsessed with reality television.

You name the show I watch it. I either watch it religiously or I have seen an episode or two. After watching three Housewives reunion shows tonight, I started to notice how much they mentioned  social media and the benefits of it for them as a brand. They often mentioned their blogs, twitter accounts and even Facebook.

 Part of what makes the Housewives Reunion show so popular is that Andy Cohen, the host, has the foresight to give people the opportunity to share their stories around the show and directly interact and engage with him, the cast and the network.

All the questions he reads come directly from a twitter followers of Bravo and the show.  It seems that their audiences love following these so-called "celebrities" and it is working very well for them. This genre has really boomed within the social media conversation and through these tools, the starts of reality shows have been able to optimize an online presence and create strong and certainly long lasting connections with their audience. I have never personally submitted but a question but it makes a huge impact as a viewer to know that I have the choice to become a part of the conversation. I recently read a quote from a Marketing Director that perfectly exemplified my feelings about social media and reality TV, it said  "“Social networks aren’t about Web sites. They’re about experiences.” The interaction between reality television stars and their audiences is all about creating an experience and not just about clicking on a website.

Hey, this book isn't about Twitter....

 

    It was a little ironic to read the title of the book when the book was not about Twitter nor any other specific service really at all. It was more along the lines of a manager’s guide to the social web and how it would be of value to businesses and personal use.

    Euan organized this book in a way that was easy to assimilate and relevant to anyone who wants to understand more about social media in the real world. This is a sterling guide, with each chapter only a few pages long and concluding with key points at the end of each chapter.

    I thought that Euan held our hands through the highs and lows of the new media opportunities and guiding us methodically through the chapter summaries gives us a idea of how important social media is to the world.

    One of the steps to success that he mentioned during the reading that emanated in my mind were first not to have a clear idea where you are headed, but instead follow the energy. I completely agreed with his idea that the more fixed you are in your aspirations the less likely you are to achieve them. It is more about taking a chance and being prepared to go wherever other’s use of the tools may take you. I thought this was very inspiring especially since social media is constantly adapting and changing and there is more chance of the community surviving if it is their sense of direction, which they arrive at through interactions with each other.

    This book felt like a conversation over dinner on how social media works rather than a structured lesson. It is a real hands-on guide giving actionable and useful advice.

    Blogging about my reflections on the book has really made me self-aware and able to reinforce my learning from Euan’s book. Happy to once again have been illuminated by the power of social media!