March 2011 arTSOE.ca - Arts Ottawa East / Arts Ottawa Est

Interview with Pierre C. Bélanger on Social Media
By Mercedes Déziel-Hupé
Social media is the hottest trend of the digital age. Should we develop our Facebook and Twitter profiles? What is a “following” worth? An
interview with Pierre C. Bélanger, Full Professor of Communications at the University of Ottawa, brings the ’status‘ up to date.
“We must not deceive ourselves, there is one giant among social media – and it’s Facebook. The others are far behind. Everyone is a victim
of the effects of fads,” explains Prof. Bélanger. He then adds, “Facebook creates a false impression of social media and we must put things
back into context, but they do encompass a mandatory transition.” Twitter is the next most popular, says the professor, but with only 140
characters of content at a time the possibilities are limited.
For the artist in 2011, success depends not only on their experience, but on the professional links they create; thus the importance of social
media, but to what end? According to Prof. Bélanger, it is not enough to talk solely about one’s work, one must at the same time become a
key figure in one’s field and therefore establish oneself as a reference by sharing relevant information. The clincher is that when information
is diffused rapidly it becomes repetitive. “Social media has brought us an abundance of redundancy.”
What we are not told is that attached to social media is the obligation to perform. “we must manage the content, the traffic and the direct
interaction with our friends or fans. We agree that the ‘social’ character of the medium is actually fed by conversation and therefore the
public’s expectations are heightened; we must reply quickly to the comments and messages generated.” Professor Bélanger reiterates that
to be active in social media requires several hours of involvement daily. “One can also use multiplying agents, such as fans, to raise interest
in one’s page. But be careful; if you wish for popularity, you just might get it!”
The Five Pillars of Social Media
According to Bélanger, the characteristics of social media are found in five pillars: fragmentation, frequency or renewal of content, short
duration of campaigns, quality of content and constant commitment. “We live in a scattered world, seeking to fulfill a plethora of needs,
which leads to the fragmentation of media consumer markets,” says Prof. Bélanger. “Material should be posted often and should be original
or recycled into something new since so few things have a long shelf life on the Web.” He continues, “we have to share information, not only
commentary. It’s through this referencing of related content that ensures the popularity of a blog, for instance.” Finally, we must accept the
imperative: “It requires a daily commitment or else one loses rapport with their following.”
“Social media has brought us an
abundance of redundancy.”
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