The biggest advance since the Industrial Revolution is upon us, and it’s giving the consumer a global voice. Social media has given the people a platform on which to be heard, and they now have the opportunity to speak, and be heard around the world. Experts of Social Media has defined social media as ‘online platforms for interaction, networking and relationship building.  It enables people to create and communicate like never before.’

Utilizing social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and FlickR, people can brand themselves according to who they are, their personality, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes, what they do for a living. They can communicate with friends and family, meet new people around the world, post home videos, and family pictures.

People were once defined by the position they held in a company, rather than as a unique individual, and individuals became Mr. Nobody’s — faces and names without depth or personality.  Social media brands a person for who they are, for their own merit, and allows them to be real, as a person, not just a position in a company.

Having recently become more mainstream, social media has enabled instant, worldwide connections, and that has placed the power back into the hands of the people.  We, as the people, have a stronger presence than ever before.  Collectively, the people now have a louder voice than all the news stations combined, louder than celebrities, louder than politicians.

The power in our voices is changing the way companies do business.  People will no longer allow companies to produce low quality products, provide poor customer service, or take advantage of the consumer, for people now have a global platform with which to voice their dissatisfaction.  The voice quickly becomes viral, and people, instantly, all over the world will hear about the consumer’s dissatisfaction, potentially driving a loss of business.

Companies need to be more conscious of their consumers. They need to be genuine, to display integrity. Because the same thing happens when consumers have a positive experience: they voice their satisfaction.