Pause for Mass Collaboration

For this next post, we may have bitten off more than we could chew, but we just couldn’t resist.

After viewing Us Now, a documentary film from the UK, we realized that social media isn’t just impacting our online social lives but it’s leading a shift through a political revolution. Contributor to the film and renown author of Wikinomics, Don Tapscott, encapsulates this idea by saying that “If you can create an encyclopedia with 1 million people you’ve never met but the quality is just as good as Britannica, what else can you create?” The rise of online communication tools has provided the opportunity for mass collaboration and self-government. We are literally on the brink of taking away the power of the few and dispersing it to the masses.

There are a few things to consider when empowering online communities. First, you must put your trust in others. And we see this occurring. People are beginning to trust others almost more than authorities. The impact of someone’s blog has the power to be greater than a live broadcast. Trust builds reciprocal relationships that translate into power. The idea is that if you put out trust, you will attract the same in return.

Second, we must underline the importance of transparency. While PR people may have always advocated for transparency, it has ceased to be an option. Mass online information sharing requires organizations to open the shutter. Don Tapscott said a clever quote that resonated, “If you’re going to be naked, you better be fit.” Being transparent is no longer what sets you apart, it’s what keeps you alive.

Third, the cost to share within social media is less than the benefits we receive. This is critical since it builds mutually beneficial relationships with one another. The reason people want to review products, speak out, or offer their couch to strangers (in the case of couchsurfers.com) is to receive more in return: invaluable advice or even a free place to crash on an upcoming trip.

Finally, how mass collaboration relates to government. If we are presented with tools to reorganize our lives and the way we share information – we are becoming engaged in a process. We are not merely confined to voting and being bystanders of the political system. We have a chance to let our voices be heard. We can engage leaders and governments, which impacts policy. Social media is allowing politics to transform into a mandatory two-way communication system. This new model is precisely how we all become part of the government.

What Made Me Pause:

Well, if public relations is about collaboration and building mutually beneficial relationships, then the digital arena is opening an unprecedented amount of doors that will not only facilitate our work, but will add a greater value and credibility to the discipline. Through social media, people are learning to connect the dots themselves. As PR people, we no longer have to hunt for those links – we simply have to tap into them and be sure to listen, monitor, analyze and engage.

Melissa

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