JOUR 4460 Blog 3: Business to blogger, the new B2B communication

A political science class over presidential elections taught me the importance of utilizing opinion leaders. Well, I think the same can apply for businesses and the opportunity to communicate online.

More and more I am receiving news in the form of YouTube videos or Facebook posts. It is evident that our opinion leaders are no longer talking about revolutions in French coffee shops, but sharing things with others via Twitter posts or through blogging.

A post I read by Brian Solis, a social media and marketing blogger, referred to this group of people as “Generation C.”

“They rely on shared experiences of strangers to guide their actions,” said Solis.

Solis’ point was to be empathetic toward this newly emerged group. If someone were trying to get their name out, then thinking like somebody in this group would certainly help. I think these people can also be utilized in ways to help communication.

I think it would be beneficial to not only think like a member of Gen C, but to also communicate with members of Gen C.

In my last PR 4460 class we were assigned the task of creating a social media press release. One of the target audiences listed to receive these was bloggers. Bloggers can be opinion leaders and use the agenda setting principles for their followers. These people discuss things that some readers will hear for the first time. They bring certain things to light that I would have never known about if I hadn’t read their post. For example, I would have never heard about a new app called Glympse if it was not for blogger Peter Shankman.

Solis bolstered the importance of Gen C by saying how difficult it is for potential customers to find your business through traditional media outlets. This is especially true for startups and smaller businesses. After discovering Glympse through a nontraditional media outlet, I know something about the product and have something to impress my friends with. I don’t think I would have discovered Glympe through a newspaper or radio advertisement.

Brian Solis. Are you connecting with your new generation of customers…Generation C? September 10, 2012. Web. <http://www.briansolis.com/2012/09/are-you-connecting-with-your-new-generation-of-customers-generation-c/>