Just a few years ago the Internet was a place where you sent the occasional email or read an article from some outlandish website stating that the NASA moon landing was a hoax. Now it’s a bustling place to buy anything under the sun and grab all the information you’d ever want to know.
But the real phenomenon brewing is how people are speaking to each other on the web. They’re talking to old friends, making new ones, and even keeping up with family members. Through websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, we’re getting messages across in ways only seen in Stanley Kubrick films 40 years ago.
For some of us “Old School” people it’s a little strange to have that much access. But it’s becoming more common for members to interact with each other online. And that’s where Mid-South Synergy comes in.
As our members become increasingly younger and new homeowners are surfing the web, it’s becoming ever clear to this Coop that we have to think outside the box.
Old meets new
“Newspapers, magazines, and TV will still remain important,” says Dianne Sechelski, Chief Member Services Officer at Mid-South Synergy, “but we’ve started to look at new ways to communicate.”
These new ways include internet video, social networking sites, and electronic newsletters. Online formats were once trivial but now are becoming a vital part of Mid-South’s communication plan.
“With almost a third of our membership paying their bills online, it’s easier to see that the Internet is playing a more important role in their daily lives.” says Sechelski.
And Mid-South has kept close attention to this change in trend. With the recent launch of a Twitter account, Facebook profile, and Youtube channel Mid-South Synergy is staying in tune with the times.
You tubed what?
In the past, when you wanted to show your family a home video of your daughter’s recital or that funny video of Spot chasing his tail, you would have to rely on dubbing the VHS tape to another tape, sending it in the mail, and hope that it wouldn’t get lost or broken.
In 2005, three Paypal employees realized this was not practical. Hence, the idea of Youtube was born. And quickly what started out of convenience became a powerful tool for anyone to share a message.
As of 2008, Alexa Internet data services reports that Youtube is the third most visited site under Yahoo and Google. All of this means Youtube is quickly becoming an industry standard for online videos.
In the efforts to reaching members in this forum Mid-South Synergy has launched it’s own Youtube “channel.” The channel has a new video each week and goes over anything from safety tips to new events happening with the co-op.
I just want the facts
There are some of us though that really just want the low down of what’s happening. If there’s a blackout, we want to know it’s being fixed. A hurricane coming? Tell us your plan. That’s where the social networking sites come in handy.
Facebook and Twitter are networking sites that allow people and organizations to give constant status updates. Usually through text, some of these updates are casual but others can be important.
“Just think about weather on the level of Hurricane Ike,” says Sechelski. “In a situation where you might not be next to a TV or radio, the status updates might just be the better way to find out what’s happening. Twitter is great for that. It’s instant knowledge and a click away.”
Also, if you have a profile, you can have these updates sent to your mobile phone. As long as you’re getting cell coverage you’ll know what’s happening with Mid-south Synergy.
And Mid-South Synergy “tweets” just about everyday. If you don’t know what “tweeting” is, don’t worry, it’s not a bad word. Your grandchild will tell you all about it.
Sticking to the Basics
It’s truly becoming a computer world these days. Our members our seeking information in ways that seemed like distant ideas just a few years ago. But, as Dianne Sechelski says the traditional ways of speaking with members “won’t be abandoned.”
So whether you’re a Mybooker, Facespacer, or any other new-invention-the-internet-can-conjure-up type, just know that Mid-South Synergy will be getting the information to you. But for the rest of us, we’re just happy to keep on reading this magazine. Life just seems easier that way doesn’t it?
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