At the beginning of the decade, it seemed as if the Internet was the bane of the music industry’s existence. File-sharing programs such as Napster, Morpheus and BearShare popped up, and musicians, for the most part, were up in arms about the fact that music was being distributed for free. Never mind the fact that mix tapes and bootlegs have been around as long as the industry has.
Call it the preference test. Call it the blind taste test. Or even call it what many in Internet marketing call it today: A/B testing. Whatever the term, it’s one of the oldest ways in which organizations determine what their customers prefer.
Years ago, while still working in Career Services at a Cleveland-area technical school, I had built a database of businesses and organizations that could have an interest in what we had to offer. At the same time, students were completing their programs. The question for me then became how do we communicate with both groups without being too intrusive, but at the same time keep us fresh in their minds.
As with any new technology, social media, for businesses and individuals, should not be taken lightly. Individuals will find that social media can provide a greater pathway to selling themselves as viable job candidates, not to mention uncover a job market not readily available to them on traditional job boards.
With businesses, the use of social media is slowly emerging into an essential component, capable of tracking customer feedback, broadcasting company news real-time and providing a mechanism to increase visibility.
