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WhY MUST I REMEMBER ThAT NOThINg ON ThE INTERNET 23

status updates, blog entries. You can also do so by reposting information
that might be useful for individuals in your network. Finally, you can
join professional conversations in discussion threads like those hosted by
individuals and organizations on LinkedIn. 17

Business Uses of Social Media

Although the primary focus of this book is to provide you with advice for
improving your personal communications at work, we would be remiss if
we did not mention business uses of social media. Businesses are increas-
ingly going social. According to University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
researchers, as of 2012, 28% of Fortune 500 companies had a corporate
blog, 73% had a corporate Twitter account, 66% had a Facebook page,
62% had a YouTube channel, and 2% had a Pinterest account. Why are
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businesses using social media?
Many businesses use social media as a means of sharing informa-
tion, and not just about product sales. In 2013, the Securities Exchange
Commission ruled that corporations can share material information
with investors through social media. Businesses also use social media
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to connect with consumers and drive sales. For instance, WalMart’s Face-
book-based CrowdSaver app offers a discounted product to consumers
if enough people “like” the deal. Once the threshold of likes is reached,
consumers can purchase the discounted product. In doing so, WalMart
is connecting with consumers by giving them some sense of control.
To be able to “like” a deal, one must first “like” WalMart, a move that
allows WalMart news to be fed to one’s Facebook news feed. Southwest
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Airlines has gained notoriety for its Nuts about Southwest social media
site. The site started as a blog, but has developed into an integrated site,
featuring the blog, videos, podcasts, Twitter feed, and more. The airline
uses Nuts about Southwest to understand its consumers and to create a
sense of community. In fact, the site’s “About” page reads, “We want to
build a personal relationship between our Team and you, and we need
your participation. Everyone is encouraged to join in, and you don’t need
to register to read, watch, or comment.”
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Whatever the reason, most businesses have decided to use social media.
And social media is not simply the domain of those “communication