By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Patrick Schwerdtfeger social media expert
1) Making money using social-media seems a more viable and accessible way to generate profit, but is online business also making people lazier?
Social media and the internet in general have allowed people to start businesses right from their own homes, eliminating the need to fight rush hour traffic or apply for traditional jobs. But that does not mean it’s an easier route to take. Those looking for the “easy life” are usually shocked at the work required to build and sustain a successful internet business.
2) Is the future generation going to be stuck using social-media online business and less traditional and natural ways to run a business such as face-to-face interactions?
Unlike their parents, the younger generation feels more comfortable online than offline. They believe it’s more personal, while their parents believe it’s less personal. As they mature and older generations migrate to new online business structures, traditional face-to-face business interactions will diminish.
3) Social-media makes people hide inside a computer and not interact in the real world. It also creates the illusion to make people believe they have 1000 friends in FACEBOOK (they are some cases were that might be true for some, but not for everyone) If people are affected by social media, what makes anyone believe that people won’t be also affected by using social-media for marketing or online business purposes?
As a result of social media, the term “friend” is acquiring a new meanin. Online connections do not have the same personal intensity of traditional friendships. However, the level of trust developed through online channels does appear to be sufficient to justify purchase decisions. The number of business transactions taking place online is skyrocketing. So while the essence of person-to-person friendships is changing, the motivation behind purchase decisions is not.
4) What are the true benefits for using online marketing?
Every year an increasing percentage of people are looking online to get their questions answered. In many cases, the answers to those questions involve a product or service that is available for sale. Any business that wishes to capture that increasing revenue potential needs to establish an internet presence and engage in online marketing.
5) Social media is now a reality, but is there something else coming up for us, or is social-media the ultimate way to look at life now?
The original web represented one-way communication. Web 2.0 represented two-way communication, with the introduction of user-generated content. Social media is simply the next logical step, facilitating communication between users. The next step will be the integration of the online world and the offline world. Augmented reality will allow people to interact with the world through a technology filter, providing a host of fascinating functionality along the way.
Jaime Ortega interview: Patrick Schwerdtfeger social media expert.
The Daily Journalist.
