As much of the world knows, two particular people were married at Westminster Abbey today. Whether or not you attended in person, watched on TV, or glanced at newspaper headlines, it was hard to ignore a certain royal wedding.
I’m not qualified to comment on the religious, historic, political or fashion implications of the event. But I must confess great interest in the real-time reaction to the event as expressed — not by professional journalists and commentators — but by ordinary folks via social media. Whether you chose to follow Twitter or Facebook, there was a lively commentary that ranged from hilarious to touching. Equally, for those of you who didn’t want any part of the hoopla, the Huffington Post published tips on How to Block the Royal Wedding on Twitter and Facebook.
While it may be the social event of the season, this wedding has also been a social media event:
- The engagement was first announced via Twitter and then the Queen responded with congratulations via Twitter.
- From the beginning of April, there was a significant increase in statistics relating to the royal wedding’s social media sentiment.
- There was an official Twitter hashtag, #rw2011, for people tweeting the wedding.
- The official wedding program, including the order of service, was available online for download before the event.
- There was a Royal Channel on YouTube that allowed you to watch the event and record your congratulations.
- Major news outlets created social media campaigns to drum up audience participation.
So one of the most conservative institutions in the world, the British Royal Family, has embraced social media. Do you think it’s time another conservative institution did the same?
Which institution? Your law firm.
[Photo Credit: doyoubleedlikeme]
Above and Beyond KM 