We've all heard the phrases, "Everyone's doing it", or "Anyone who's anyone will be there". To me, these cliches epitomize the world of social networks. Though the social networks I'm talking about are the posh "electronic type", people (PR people especially) have been taking advantage of social networks for years.
Basically the gathering of poeple who share the same values, beliefs, friends, dislikes, or visions create a social network. However, online social networks are the new(ish) way to connect with people who share such similarities.
Facebook (2004) and MySpace(2003) are the two networks that have been in the spotlight for several years now. The polls are up and down regarding which is "better" or "more popular". However, one thing is clear: social networks are PR practitioners opportunity to connect with the masses.
Like any other newfangaled form of Internet media, there are pros and cons of using social networks. MySpace, in particular, has many design problems due to the fact that most designers are amatures and create HTML codes that are OUT OF CONTROL. This often makes pages load slow as molassas or creates additional problems.
However, despite the inevitable short commings of social media, creating profiles can serve as a valuable tool to attract followers. This task should not be taken lightly! The average Joe could spend countless hours on MySpace and Facebook with no purpose. In accordance, someone with an actual goal in mind would need to learn how to navigate the system and work functions in order to have a noteworthy profile. In addition, constant (shall I even say relentless) monitoring is necessary to keep up with the myrad of requests, notices, etc that come with having a social network profile. WHEW, that's a lot of work to tackle!