'Social Media' or 'Collaborative Media'?

Image taken from www.mymartinigold.com

This is how my mind typically works. I take in a lot of information, read a lot online, listen to podcasts, watch videos. Usually all the information just simmers for awhile, and then a week or two later I have some new idea or thought based off things that I previously heard the week before.

So I wish I could remember where I heard a discussion between several participants, but it was about social media being very collaborative.I dont recall the discussion being about renaming ‘social media’ to ‘collaborative media’ or ‘collaborative communication’, but while I was listening I remember thinking that the term ‘collaborative’ would be much more accepted and understood by green-tabbers (or CEO’s in the civilian world) than the term ‘social’ is.

Using ‘social’ brings up different mental images for different people, but they all probably have to do with parties, chit-chat’s, and other social engagements. Now those of us that work in PA/PR know that personal and professional contacts are often mixed, and that maintaining and expanding our network, often done ‘socially, is relevant to how we work. But the ‘social’ in ‘social media’ is used to describe the interaction that takes place between all of us online. Using ‘social’ might be misleading to those new to the area that immediately think of cocktail parties.

Social media is very much collaborative – putting information, images and links out there that can be digested, utilized and then spread to others. Just look at the Social Media News Release (another one thats name is probably misleading). The SMNR is all about providing all the bits of information, quotes, and images so that the content can be spread throughout the blogosphere. All the text ‘fluff’ that normally accompanies a standard press release is gone, and only the stuff that can actually be used in collaborative communication methods remain (which is why it has been suggested it should be called the Social Media Press Kit instead). The whole purpose of a SMNR is to only provide content that is used within the blogposts or other online products that others make.

So neither Mike Nicholson or anyone else at this point would be able to change ‘social media’ to ‘collaborative media’, there’s just too much momentum behind ‘social’ and it is already a widely accepted term. But what I will do is use the term ‘collaborative media’ much more when discussing ‘social media’. I think it will make what we do a little more clear to those military personnel on the receiving end of a conversation who are still struggling with ‘social media’.