Groundswell is in, Tradition is Out, Part One

In “traditional advertising,” groundswell didn’t exist. Today, as the Internet exponentially grows, groundswell is in effect without you knowing it. So by now, you’re probably asking yourself “what is groundswell?” like I was in reading this textbook and why do I care? Well, more companies and organizations are using this method to reach their customers, receive feedback from their loyal customers, reach new customers, and it’s easier than ever to carry out the “groundswell effect” for all companies and organizations.

Groundswell is “a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than  from traditional institutions like corporations,” according to Groundswell  page 9.  In other words, its people using various Internet sources to get what they want or need. For example, if you’re looking for a book to read for class or for pleasure at Amazon, you’re able to read reviews. This is a prime example of  what the groundswell, which is a description of people sharing with others and helping one another out by providing information on any topic or product.

So why should everyone care about the Groundswell Effect? As I read this text, it’s vital to everyday connections and communications. Three important forces drive this effect which are people, technology, and economics.  People are more than ever are able to connect instantaneously. Technology connects people who connect  based on technology. Economics is geared toward advertisers because online ads bring traffic, which means that Internet users pay attention to their ads generating revenue.

Futhermore, not only can companies benefit in understand how this method works, but also to implement strategies using this method to connect with its customers. As a result, companies are able to receive feedback, comments, and have customers help them with their new products or come up with other ideas to expand their brand, which is why you should care.

Active Blogging

Through my recent blogging, I have noticed that I haven’t received comments or ratings. First, I thought I’m a “beginner blogger.” However, the more I blog, my statistics  stay the same even though I publish my blog posts on Twitter. Reading novels such as “The Whuffie Factor” and “Twitter Power” have made me realize that it doesn’t matter what you blog about or how much you blog.

 What matters to increase your blog posts is to comment on other people’s blogs and rate them.  By doing this, not only will people begin to give you feedback, but also increase your popularity on various social media websites. The result is rewarding because you make connections with people who you never thought you would. So commenting on other people’s blogging increases your popularity on social networking websites, which will result in connecting with other people. It is important to see what other people are saying on various topics, not just what you’re interested in. For example, even though I’m interested in the public relations field,  I still read other people’s blogs that discuss fitness, politics,  businesses, etc. Not only does this give you ideas to blog about, but it also gives you awareness on what people are talking about, similar to “trending topics.”

My lesson that I have learned is to comment on other blogs and end my blogs with questions so that people can comment and discuss your blog topic.  What is your advice on commenting other blogs?