The impact of social media is something which people have underestimated says an article published on Michael Geist's blog. Geist, a University of Ottawa professor and writer, says that the growth of the Canadians Proroguing Parliament Facebook group, with over 200,000 members, proves how the Canadian political community misjudged the power of social media.
“Political parties invest millions in ad campaigns trying to garner public support, but Facebook advocacy is potentially more effective because it's all about word of mouth,” says Geist. "...behind that click is a trusted network of friends and colleagues providing their personal recommendation."
Tim Shore, who works for the Toronto website, BlogTO, says that social media is still in its early stages and that it will keep growing. “We're at the very early stages of social media. As popular as Twitter and Facebook are right now, 5 years from now things will be so much more advanced we can't even fathom,” he says.
In fact, BlogTO is one of many websites that has benefited from social media. “Twitter is one of the websites that has definitely helped us reach a new audience as well as develop our relationships with the site's regular readers.”
With the popularity of social media websites, it’s no surprise that Toronto is hosting it’s first Social Media Week this week. This event is set to address the profound impact that social media has on culture, business, and society as a whole.
To learn more about Social Media Week in Toronto click here.
