Abstract
Being online has thus changed the way peoples’ identities and relationships are developed as it ensures that people are always creating themselves for a predictable audience. Rather than authentically connecting with others online they perform for them, for instance the impact of social media on people who try and communicate themselves on sites such as Twitter or Facebook, express themselves but at the same time also construct something in the form of content for others to consume. As such, they find themselves visualising and playing to the audiences more and more in a time which they are believed to be showing their true self. Humans have developed beliefs about reality through experience (Kent, 2007; Pera & Viglia, 2016). For this reason, social media platforms can be used to tell stories and to build a community around a specific brand identity, hence it is imperative for an SME to inspire people to talk and share experiences. Consequently, when people appreciate the motivation or reasons behind the behaviour of others, this will improve mutual understanding and relations (Cushner & Brislin, 1986; Rahinel & Redden, 2013).
Social media success is made by always putting on a show for the benefit of an audience and always telling stories to keep that audience engaged and informed (De Villiers, 2011; Olotewo, 2016). People are not simply participating online, but they are also sharing with everyone what they are doing and building online relationships on Facebook, as social media technology does not just merely limit interaction to the physical. In the new age of digital media, recommendations can travel faster and further than ever before. This is because the world has become a global village where gossip travels around fast, because it takes a leading consumer to go online with a feeling of delighted or disgusted with a brand interaction to make or break the brands reputation (Jaska & Werenowska, 2014; Moodie, 2010).There will be no difference between the digital self and what the authentic self is but the task then for brands will be for them to hold on to the former, without losing the latter when building a relationship online.
Information conveyance should be looked at from a consumer perspective because communication tools have moved towards new technologies such as the social media.
M.A. (Strategic Communication)