I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day. We were discussing the explosion of Social Media use, and the growing demand for a strategic approach to Social Media use from organizations down here.

In New Zealand the awareness for Social Media seems to have grown to a critical mass in the last 12 months. People are using MySpace, Facebook and other online networks, the TV stations and newspapers are including Social Media features in their websites, and organizations are increasingly asking for Social Media features to incorporate in their communication.

The reason as to why this is happening is that the entry barriers are being lowered. More and more people have access to broadband, and even though the price of broadband is still quite high compared to the US and Europe, more households are able to sign up for it. Also, more households can afford a computer – the strong NZ dollar has brought down prizes for consumer electronics (they are still expensive compared to bigger markets in the US and Europe, but it is much cheaper than just 3 years ago).

These economical factors are enabling a shift in society: people want to connect with other people. If you’re living in a remote country at the end of the world it is very important to stay in touch with friends and family who are on their big OE (a Kiwi tradition – most people go overseas after school or Uni for a year or more to work; very often in a pub in the UK). And it is absolutely vital for an economy like ours, which depends on exporting and importing goods to stay in touch with business communities overseas.

Though the shift is happening, and organizations are recognizing that, some are still very reluctant to embrace it. I think it’s because of a lack of knowledge about what Social Media involves. It takes a lot of research and analysis to figure out how Social Media affect your business and which ones you can employ to benefit from them. That is what makes it very exciting to me: it’s unchartered territory, and it means that people like me who are working in the field get to flex their analytical and creative muscles even more than in the area of traditional communication. I love my job!