The new way of communicating is not about Social Networks, Community Managers, complex technologies, the social-hype or last-generation software. It’s actually something basic, something simple. It’s about human relationships, connectivity, resonance and people sticking together. This is what Human Media is about. However, in a new environment where everything still remains to be defined, we misdirect our energy towards the moment called “now”. Human Media goes beyond the current moment, it helps you compete for relevance and influence on the long-term – dealing with people, not robots.
The vast communication that goes on over the Internet through Social Networks is human, to start with, and then social. The true importance of the new communication does not only rely on social – classes and groups, segments, lifestyles, behaviours, profiles, tendencies and culture -, but on the human side of it: feelings, emotions, values, aptitudes, philosophy, personality, resonance and connectivity.
Beyond Technology
Technology is brilliant when it humanises the processes and creates connectivity in the real world; when it supports the backwards transfer from 2.0 to 1.0 and vice versa. What I mean is that Social Media, as it is, won’t change the history of humanity, but it’s very probable that what’s happening with the help of Social Media, could actually bring about change: human interactions that is.
This convergence between the new communication and the information technology allows us to witness the eruption of noise, broadcast and digital saturation. Every day we express the need for more and more human interruptions. Disruption media deals with this convergence between the three components: the new communication, technology and human interactions through online media.
By simply understanding that the idea of “staying human” is the key, we will see how this perspective drives a fundamental change in the way we relate with other people within interactive environments.
Human Media Strategy
The strategic side of Human Media is being supported by the following principles:
- Find the true meaning of what you are doing and help others to do the same: a genuine and authentic interest in people. Human Media is oriented towards helping people, through the Social Web, must achieve their objectives and find the relevant meaning of their actions. Inspire to inspire others.
- Use Social Media as a means of expression in order to drive change and mark the difference: at your workplace, in your company, in your department, with other people or simply in your personal life.
- Your ROI is the ROI of the people around you: teams, clients, friends, people you find through the Social Web.
- Your actions must be oriented towards the objectives of the main objectives: this doesn’t change the sales objectives or leads that one must accomplish at the end of the month; what changes is the way to do it.
- The degree of empathy should be elevated: through online media we have the chance to educate, lead and provide tools.
- Develop the necessary skills and abilities for people to be able to have a successful trajectory within this human-technological environment; creating digital leaders or what I call Human Leaders.
- Use feelings and emotions to generate resonance within groups of people that could become your affiliates: love and the story behind every individual or group is the only thing capable of touching people in a profoundly meaningful way.
- Human Media is not about “heavy users”, but “attitudes”: being able to interconnect from a human point of view is a lot more valuable than simple technological insights. The value rests within the human being.
The Impact on the Web
The other day during the Panama 2.0 conference I was asked whether I believed that the connection between people is generated by the new technological findings such as the HTML5, Social TV, open graph, Siri, the New SEO… My response was simple: “Of course they help, but never forget that behind all that there is a person who’s creating the necessary movements with the intention to connect”.
Human media realises that if there is no connection, there is no engagement. Therefore, the management – or, better said, the leadership – is not related to platforms, media or tools, but feelings, sense, emotions or actions. And that’s when things get more complicated.
The opportunity rests in what remains to be defined, the unknown, the conversation generators (not noise creators): the human interactions, which happen throughout the Social Web. One can’t disagree with the fact that all the tools, channels, networks or APPs are helpful, but omitting the human factor would be a huge mistake. After all, there’s no APP, social network or online medium that could replace people.
The Impact on Business
The main challenge that businesses face is to create and launch something truly attractive and engaging. The Social Web is nothing but the means. Business has always been personal, but now more so than ever. Until now PCs were unable to transmit feelings; now this is possible.
Businesses should not follow a Social Business model, but adapt to the Human Business one. Nowadays, brands/businesses/companies try their best to transfer everything to online. But throughout this process they forget what’s most important: to also transfer their identity and culture and do it in the most human way possible – not social way.
Brands, companies, organizations should “electrify” the way that the Internet and the Social Web connect us and make transparency a must when it comes to sharing information and doing business. This factor, together with a few others (authenticity, humility, empathy, humour, inspiration or the emotional contact points) supports the human relationship between both points of the interactive bridge. The way to define that depends on you. Human interactions may happen with difficulty or with ease. But if they don’t end up in the 1.0, the interaction is not complete.
The unifying net between businesses and the social web is actually people.
what’s your opinion?
About Isra García
