I read a Tweet from a popular national sports personality who reasoned all content put out in social media is meaningless and it all boils down to making money. What a sad, and untrue, outlook. It runs away from the responsibility that comes with having an audience. Whether it is a thousand or a million, what is shared has a real impact on real people.
Recently, a young man invited the world to “Storm Area 51.” The idea caught on like wildfire, as media outlets everywhere, starving for the next novel thing, threw gasoline on it with story after story. This one little joke post reached millions and directly impacted thousands. The post’s creator obtained immediate notoriety and is hopeful he can continue riding that wave. The approximately 3,000 who actually came to rural Nevada seemed to have had an enjoyable experience. Meanwhile, $300,000 not-budgeted funds were allocated on local emergency preparation as officials prepared for potentially 30,000 people to show up in a county of 5,000. For locals, this was an unwanted potential catastrophe.
This example shows the immense impact one little social media post can potentially have. It affected a lot of people in a lot of different ways. Some positive, others not.
There’s an unwritten agreement between the media outlet and the audience. The outlet asks for the audience’s time. The audience agrees to give it, with the understanding that value will be provided. The key is to be genuine to that purpose. Whether that is providing balanced coverage of the news, expressing an opinion, satirizing, or selling the latest clothing line – make sure the audience understands that purpose and abide by it.
If content is disingenuous, misleading or abusive, it causes problems. If it is true to the purpose for which the audience was built, then it can make a positive impact. Always keep in mind the potential impact of having an audience and be true to a worthwhile purpose.