With increasing frequency, I see Tweets requesting referrals and recommendations for social media coaches and consultants. Daily, I'm asked by colleagues, friends and family about social networking – what is it, how do you do it, what’s the point . . .
Until recently, many of my own colleagues were late adopters of any form of social media and while a few have begrudgingly joined Facebook, most continue to refuse to join Twitter and only lamely at best use professional services such as LinkedIn or Namyez with anything resembling seriousness, let alone organized, purposeful approaches.
The advent of recent events in Iran have fueled the fire of curiosity about social networking as the supreme leader’s crack down on the traditional media forced the world to rely on CNN's iReports, YouTube videos, and Tweets as our main source of information on news about Iran's civil unrest. It has been inspiring to witness the Iranians boldly defy their government, deftly using social media to communicate their message and actions to the world
This is social media as news delivery system, as an organizing tool, as a way to move and inspire mass groups of people.
As the Iranians have courageously taken to the streets defiantly chanting the name of the young martyred woman, Neda, how many of us will they inspire to pick up the tools of social media and give voice to our own self expression? What a strange twist of fate it is, that the example of a nation defined by oppression should be the catalyst that awakens us to the power of social media. If there were any doubt as to the importance of social media and to the powerful role it could play in communications the Iranian’s have put it to rest.
These will be days to be remembered.
