Digital Communications and Social Media

Digital Communications and Social Media
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Digital Communications and Social Media
The advancements in digital communications platforms have triggered notable changes in key global industries. Presently, businesses and institutions have a wider reach when it comes to customers. On the same note, information flows faster than it happened a decade ago. With all such changes, industries such as public relations must revitalize their architecture to address the new needs. However, even amidst the positive outcomes that social media and digital communications have created, some concerns still arise for PR firms. Ethics and understanding the wide-range consumer needs mark the challenges that PR organizations face in the pursuit of social media-led campaigns. This paper focuses on the changes that social media and digital media continue to impose on the scope and practice of public relations. Understanding the nature of social media and digital communications and their implications in the scope and practice of public relations should help in constituting the best practices anchored on the viability of such platforms.
Social Media/Digital Communications
More people are seeking the inputs of social media and digital communications in their lives. Social media usage statistics indicate that more people are becoming accustomed to digital interactive platforms. At the end of 2020, 3.96 billion people were using social media. That was a significant increase from the 2.07 billion people who used social media in 2015 (Thayer et al., 2021). The average person also holds 8.6 social media accounts in 2020 compared to 4.8 accounts per individual in 2015. The average growth of social media usage has stood steadily at 12.5% since 2015 (Davis, 2021). The growth is also global, and the developing world is leading in the influx towards social media platforms. In the 2019-2020 period, Asia led in the number of users joining social media with 16.98%. The other regions also showcased a significant amount of developments in social media usage, including Africa at 13.92%, South America at 8%, North America at 6.96%, Europe at 4.32%, and Australia at 4.9% (Cindy et al., 2020). Every region in the world is showing an affinity to escalating usage of social media tools.
The increase in the applications of social media platforms has instilled changes in communication and the general human interactions in society. Communication has grown to be more efficient and fast over long distances (Thayer et al., 2021). People can easily share and receive information through social media tools. The outcomes of sharing on such platforms are instantaneous, thereby differentiating it from traditional communication tools. Studies indicate that people feel more connected with friends and family using social media tools more than any other platform. Individuals have also indicated that they find it simpler to develop friendships using social media tools. Social media has also become a platform where organizations can learn about their customers. In most cases, businesses need fast and efficient feedback from their customers, something that digital platforms and communication through social media have enhanced. With ...