Social media and its benefits
Social media have both positive and adverse effects depending on how people use the platform
Dr. Usharani Boruah and Prodip Kumer Aich
Lightning killed 30 persons all over Bangladesh on March 29-30 this year; this has not been unexpected for this time of the year. When lighting strikes, people know very little about what to do. At that moment Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) initiated an awareness campaign on Facebook on how to manage the hazard that befalls people unawares.
The photo with the simple text was posted on their facebook fan page at about around 11.30 am on Friday and by 9.30 pm there was a magic more than 175,000 had the glimpse of the post and five days later nearly 500,000 people viewed it. The post has been able to quickly sensitize about the need for lighting safety.
Holey Artisan Bakery the caf located in Dhakas diplomatic area Gulshan came under terrorist attack on 1 July, 2016. As a result, 28 people including 20 foreigners were killed.
After SITE Intelligence group posted pictures of five attackers, former classmates and friends started identifying the attackers. Four of the five attackers have been identified by the social media persons. These are only a few examples that show how social media can be powerful media for information dissemination within a short time and by a limited effort.
Capitalizing on the power of social media, Information professionals can effectively use online tools to communicate, teach people different skills, and promote their service faster, cheaper, and collaborating with others more effectively.
Additional features for Facebook ability to create fan pages and groups that share common interests or affiliations upload video or stream videos and hold discussions in relevant forums.
Social media tools are much popular with new users generation specially students. As they are growing up having access to new information technologies. They rely on social media and use it as a tool for communication, information sharing and coordination.
Social networking offers marketing services more than just traditional ways. It endorses users to create, connect, converse, contribute and vote and share information. It helps in meeting information needs and in getting closer to the online users. One core and seventy lack people are estimated to be using facebook in Bangladesh. Through mobile phone users constitute about 30% and 80% are college and university students have at least one social networking account.
Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Whats up, Viber, Imo, Skype, and YouTube were found most recognizable name. According to the latest figure by the telecoms regulator (BTRC), the number of internet users in Bangladesh has now crossed 60 million.
Information services among online community different applications of social media are very helpful for information marketing. Professionals can post upcoming events, new arrivals and editions of books with the help of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn so on. They can also market their different programs conferences, seminars, webinars, and workshops by uploading videos on YouTube.
Therefore, marketing by social media is one way to go forward in transforming for the future. Information marketing simply means we push out services and facilities that we can provide users and demonstrate their benefits. Professionals can use blogs to create professional experience and their ideas among other professionals.
Blogs and RSS can be used to create market services among distance learners. This can republish and syndicate the contents on the web with the help of RSS. Instance messaging (IM) via Facebook, Gtalk, Messenger or so on can fulfill quick need of the information seeker.
By using different applications of social media they can obtain their patrons feedback and ensure maximum user engagement in the production of their products and services.
Social networking can ensure those services such as circulation of news or information for the users, Provide links to recommended internet resources, book review, and information about new books, provide news or information for libraries, book discussion, provide research tips, communication among libraries.
Some of the librarians of the Dhaka city use Google alert service and other social media tools such as facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter to disseminate information. Researcher and scholar people often come to their library and they are satisfied more than before. Librarians also said it is easy to collect information now and with no cost yet to be paid for it.
Rural people cannot connect continuously with internet because there is no broadband connection and the price of internet connectivity cost of modem or phone internet is comparatively high; they dont know how to use social media application tools so that they are unable to harvest benefit from new technologies like Facebook, Twitter and so on.
Social media have both positive and adverse effects depending on why and to whom people use the platform. Finding the scope for positive use of these emerging new media, social networking sites like facebook can be rationally used to reach people fast at mass level irrespective of their class, social position and place.
Hence, this is undoubtedly a great platform that has tremendous potential to share information for quick knowledge and awareness.
Dr. Usharani Boruah is Librarian of Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) and Prodip Kumer Aich is Library Assistant at CIRDAP
