http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/03/how-social-media-internet-changed-experience-of-japan-disaster-074.html

We are all familiar with the disaster that just happened in Japan. The article linked above comes from the perspective of a journalist who also covered the earthquake that occurred in 1995 in Kobe, Japan. At that time, he was living in Japan while he was reporting, but he says that he received more information today, thanks to social media, than he did when he actually lived where the disaster occurred.

There was access to information through TV, iPads, Twitter, and Facebook. He also notes that a photo slideshow on the front page of the New York Times a few hours after the earthquake provided interesting information.  

This phenomenon just goes to show how quickly social media has allowed information to spread. Not only is the rapidity a positive thing, but the author also notes that it has more impact on people than when there’s newspeople talking. He says, “The media and communication technology of course do not change the scope of the disaster but do change the way we are able to experience and share it.”

I believe that we can apply this to marketing for a company. When you have a product or promotion, get people talking about it through social media and it WILL spread...quickly. You can post information and send it to your followers and if it’s a good product or promotion, your followers are more than likely going to talk about it. We saw from the article that the information is like a virus.

Word-of-mouth marketing is arguably the most effective form of marketing, and social media is the best way to reach millions of people. GET PEOPLE TALKING!!