HalfBaked Project Competition - Photo by TechZulu
Miami is one of the cities that is creating awareness about social media and the way this is playing an important role through the internet for many communities, organizations, and most importantly people. Last weekend, Miami hosted SocialMediaCamp, an event that “brings together the brightest minds in Social Media with people interested in learning more about the power of Community Based Marketing”. One of the characteristics of this social media camp was the constant interaction among the audience members who shared their knowledge to inform others. Some of the presentations were very productive and the attendee always had the choice to leave the room if the topic was not of his or her interest.
During the event, Erica O’Grady mentioned that social media is based on relationships and dialog. However, This creation of new relationships are based on trust and an embedded culture where social capital is the key point to maintain it. She used a quote by Mahatma Gandhi, ” You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Social Media is a powerful tool that is being used and can be used to create change because there is a new influence where people exchange ideas, engage in dialogue, and change their minds.
Matthew from Clearcast Digital Media shared how social media is changing the old way of thinking. One of his examples was the impact of social media in engaging voters for local elections. The turn out was the increase of the number of voters from a ten percent to a twenty one percent thanks to the use of social media. He added that internet users and bloggers have an online community that consumes positive content that has useful information.
Overall, Social Media Camp was successful because it generated a social platform to establish real relationships. It generated dialog and it served as a vehicle to exchange information. People paid attention to what they thought it was new and important. Some people in the audience were twittering about some interesting points made in some of the speeches. Everybody had the chance to present a product, a service, or an idea that maybe was useful for someone in the audience.This was an opportunity to interact and build relationships that in the long run will help to consolidate the social media movement and learning community in South Florida.
