Technology is revolutionizing communication, and it isn’t just the fact that you can call for service while stranded in the middle of nowhere. Here are some ways technology is transforming the field of communications. We’ll explain what is driving these changes and how they are affecting the world, as well as a little history behind them.
New Media versus Old Media
Old media of the 1950s through the 1990s could be described as centralized. There were a few news bureaus doing most of the reporting, though there were local newspapers with their own reporters and niche investigative publications that hoped to scoop the big boys. There were several major news stations that broadcast essentially the same television shows to everyone.
Cable allowed for a proliferation of channels, and the internet enabled everyone to find news and commentary that reflected their biases and covered topics of interest to them. This is why top-rated TV shows in 2017 have a fraction of the overall audience of the top shows of the 1960s. When people have so many entertainment and news options, it is an accomplishment to have 20% watching your show. The internet has also given companies a new way to reach potential audiences.
Streaming Media
Streaming media means that your audience can watch the recently broadcast episode in their own time and either pay for the episode or pay a subscription to watch the shows as often as they want. Streaming media has also made it far easier to monetize “catalogs” of old shows, whether showing them to those with subscriptions or displaying advertising.
This makes streaming media a mixed bag for traditional media. On one hand, you have new ways to earn money and monetize old content. On the other hand, you’re competing with far more channels, including the people doing outrageous stuff for kicks or streaming your content without attribution. Issues like this are discussed in an online master of communication management degree. You can run video or banner advertising on any online and popular website. You just need to create a video or banner like flyer marketing templates and put it on the desire channels. You may have to pay few bucks for it.
New Methods of Marketing
Peer to peer marketing for all of human history was word of mouth referrals. Your friend was recruited by a multi-level marketing company to sell you things because you’re more likely to buy based on a friend’s recommendation than that of a stranger. The new incarnation of this is social media marketing where friends review products, though you can also interpret online reviews by verified customers and people in your community. Instead of TV ads based on the general demographics of who watches the show, you get highly targeted ads based on key search terms or the audience of a YouTube channel.
The value to companies that use detailed demographic analysis and customer behavior analysis is a far higher conversion rate. You will learn how to mine Big Data and use tools to tease out answers while attending an online MCM program at the University of Southern California. You’ll also learn how to use tools like customer relationship management systems to market to each person while making it manageable via automation.
The world of media & communication is ever changing, and current communication students and majors have to stay abreast of these changes if they don’t want to be left behind.
