If you didn’t get a chance to check out the Twebinar hosted by Chris Brogan then I have to say you missed out. It had plenty of corporate people talking about how they use social media and how it has actually affected their business. From service with their clients to how they dispel rumors from their competitors. It was a great event, the next few are coming up shortly. Make sure you register as space is limited. Not sure what a Twebinar is, here you go.

A twebinar is a webinar and Twitter mash-up where conversations take place in real-time before, during and after the webinar, on Twitter.

How Does a Twebinar Work?

It’s easy. Just follow the steps below:

1. Sign-up for a webinar on a topic that interests you.
2. On the day of the webinar, watch the presentation from your computer and receive information visually and verbally from the presenter(s).
3. During the webinar, a parallel conversation takes place as participants comment, ask questions, and/or discuss the webinar series on Twitter. Follow the webinar participants on Twitter and join the conversation.
4. Gather ideas and/or resources from a community of people with interests that are similar to yours.
5. The result? A twebinar.

This is definitely a must attend event! Don’t miss it next time.

Premise

While reading The Economist and Harvard Business Review I was thinking about social/new media companies and consultants and their relation/strategy towards rising inflation and market recession. With businesses who deal directly with consumers (B2C), how will inflation and a recession affect their consumers? And businesses who work strictly with business (B2B), how will they address the market when their customers put social/new media on the back burner because funds are not available for non-ancillary projects. Or are they missing the point because social/new media is ancillary to every business?

Is Social/New Media Strong Enough?

Have these new industries enough worth to justify spending money when the economy is in a downturn? While inflation rises and recession creeps its way in, many are losing money but for every person who loses money there is another who is making money. Is social/new media that industry? Are these companies/individuals in a place to weather this kind of storm? Has it even been considered? If so, then what changes? I’m sure strategy must change when facing such events. While looking back into history you find that people will resort to only spending money on necessities and small priced escapism. Is our industries addressing these concerns? Or is the economy in a completely different place?

Are We Prepared?

I can’t help but think that many who make their living by being everywhere and helping their customers, whether B2C or B2B, have to adjust their strategy and their plan. Sure we can get everyone at a site or view videos but are those numbers being converted to dollars, or even better euros? I believe that there is a strong case to be made, as Pew Research and Edison Research have stated that now more than ever people would rather give up TV than the internet so isn’t the time prime for our industries to make a move and profit from inflation and a recession. Or is that just false hope? You see the prices going up, you don’t have to be the Fed Chairman to know that the price crunch affects everyone at every level no matter your income bracket. If our industry is not prepared could this time be fatal for us all? If so, how do we come together to help each other rather than compete with each other? It is important that we come together to construct strategies and methodologies that will spurn growth and foreseeable income while eliminating risk. We have to be willing to work together, something that is always hard in emerging industries as it is seen as giving up what is pripreatory, sacred, or safe.

What are your thoughts?