Prelude

Over the past 20 years, the way we communicate has fundamentally changed through the use of social media. We have entered a new era of communication that gives us unprecedented reach, connectivity, diversity, and speed. We are more closely connected through social media than ever before in human history. At the same time, it feels as if we have never been so lonely, insecure, and divided.

Before the era of social media, there were comparably few ways to connect with others and communicate beyond the boundaries of our own community. We could make phone calls, write emails, postcards or letters, send a fax or talk to others in person. However, the development of the Internet, and especially the rise of all the social media channels, has completely removed these limitations and brought us a large variety of new ways to communicate with each other.

Disruptors and boosters

Messenger: One of the biggest disruptors to direct networking was the introduction of real time communication within the respective social media channels. In the past, we often waited hours or even days for a call or even a written response by letter or fax. Even e-mails were originally invented as asynchronous communication channel which we normally do not actually answer in real time.

Today, however, we can respond instantly to messages and notifications and communicate directly with our friends, families and colleagues. We can even tell by dots and check marks if the message has been received, read and is being replied to. Isn't that great and terrible at the same time? The pandemic that we all somehow had to go through between 2020 and 2022 has pushed the asynchronous communication variants to the background and pushed the synchronous communication channels like WhatsApp, Telegram, Teams, Zoom, DMs and many others. This shift has fundamentally changed the way we interact, the way we communicate in our personal and professional lives.

Communities: Another significant change in recent years is the emergence of online communities. I used to have to be physically in one place to get in touch with like-minded people. The regulars' table in the pub, the countless associations and interest groups, all the sports, cultural and political initiatives, needed the presence and exchange of real people. Here, too, the pandemic has forced a development that had already been foreshadowed, but which can now no longer be reversed. Today, we can network online with people all over the world who share our interests - no matter how specific, strange or bizarre they may be. In the process, social media in particular has enabled us to make new digital friends, like-minded people and allies we would never have met otherwise, and expanded our opportunities for social interaction. On the one hand, that's wonderful, too. On the other hand, we increasingly move only within our own world of ideas and thoughts and maybe without noticing it, end up in one or the other idea, opinion or conspiracy bubble.

Opinion multipliers: Social media has changed the way we express our opinions and views. Before the Internet, I had no choice but to go to an event, write a letter to the editor or express my opinion in a conversation to be heard. Today, we can share our thoughts and ideas on a minute-by-minute basis through social media platforms such as X (Twitter), Threads or WhatsApp, reaching a wide audience. This has led to people today being much more open and confident in expressing their opinions and having their voices heard. A lot of positive things have come out of this. But of course the darker sides have also been able to emerge, such as radicalization, cyberbullying and the brutalization of manners in all their facets. The fact that many liberal and cosmopolitan democracies are currently tottering also has a lot to do with the way social media is handled in these societies. Democratic, modern and liberal governments, which depend on social, positive, humanistic and mutually supportive interaction, frighteningly underestimate social media as an opinion-forming and influential form of communication. Surprisingly stupid and naïve, they continue to neglect these changes in modern communication, thereby indirectly ensuring the rise of populists, extremists and radicals who play the keyboard of social media better and don't give a damn about ethical or moral boundaries. Radical populists and fascists win because they are better at using social media tools. It's as simple as that.

Moving image: Another important factor is the expansion of visual communication. In my youth, we had to limit ourselves to written words or verbal communication to express ourselves. Today, we can create and use photos, videos, and GIFs to express our thoughts and feelings with just a few clicks. In seconds, artificial intelligence tools create visuals to match our ideas. Emojis can be customized to fit my persona and integrated into communications, and typography is a breeze to animate in an emotional and exciting way. Visual communication is now an integral part of the way we communicate and at the same time the dopamine booster that makes channels like YouTube, TikTok or Instagram so successful. Just to give you a number: In the 150 years since the invention of the camera until 1970,
14 billion photos were taken by all the humans living on earth. This is the same number as the number of images generated only by AI in the last 15 months, since the release of DALL-E.

Corporate Communications

External communication: Social media has changed the way companies communicate with their customers, employees and partners. They can now interact directly with their customers on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Xing and Facebook, providing a more personalized customer experience and creating emotional touchpoints at all stages of the user experience. Social media has had an extreme impact on how companies plan and execute their marketing campaigns over the past 15 years. Social media marketing is now an important part of any sales strategy in successful companies. However, it is always surprising to me to see how many companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, still ignore the topic of social media marketing and thus let long-term sales successes fizzle out. I'll be deliberately provocative: any company, large or small, that doesn't have a social media strategy and doesn't rely on social media for customer communication is becoming irrelevant and putting its own existence at risk.

Internal communication: The use of social media, especially in the form of countless intranets, has simply revolutionized internal communication in companies. Where once bulletin boards, employee journals, memos and meetings were used, today digital platforms such as Teams or digital solution providers like haiilo or Staffbase offer a direct, interactive and timely form of communication. These often enable a dynamic dialog where employees can openly share their thoughts and ideas. Through these social media applications, companies can directly disseminate company updates, announcements, and important information, often enhanced with visual and multi-media elements that increase employee engagement. They can respond directly and ask feedback and questions, fostering a transparent and inclusive communication climate. In addition, the use of social media in internal communications promotes the development of a company's own culture and thus strengthens togetherness. Employees of different genders can form virtual teams, work on projects together, and even organize social events, which contributes to overall satisfaction and community. In short, social media has fundamentally improved the way companies communicate internally while creating numerous benefits for the work environment.

Looking forward

The future of communication is currently being shaped by new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IOT). But trends and hypes such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are also influencing communication topics. One thing is certain: social media plays a significant role in all these developments. Take, for example, the integration of artificial intelligence into communication. Chatbots and automated responses to queries on social media channels can already offer a great deal of relief for companies, and we will certainly see some exciting developments here in the future. We will go into this point in more detail later in this book.

In addition to technological developments, however, it is also important for us as a society to be aware of the impact our communication style on social media channels can have. The Internet does not forget anything and our statements and actions can have far-reaching consequences - in private as well as in professional contexts. Appreciative and respectful communication on social media can help us feel safer and more comfortable online. If we don't, tendencies arise that can be dangerous for any society: from the distorted self-perception of the individual, to radicalization, fake news, troll campaigns and shitstorms against companies, to online addiction and the loss of humanistic and positive value structures in our society. That's why, despite all the enthusiasm for new trends, there are always words of warning in this book.

Overall, over the last 20 years we have experienced impressive development and very big changes in all areas of communication due to the...