Madisyn's Blog

There is a difference between a social organization and an organization that has a twitter and facebook account. After this class, I now have the resources to help positively influence an organization in the future. The process of becoming a social organization involves implementation.

There are many reasons an organization may fail at becoming a social organization. One reason includes focusing on technologies rather than achieving a purpose through those technologies. Another reason an organization might fail is because they lack knowledge of mass collaboration. I believe that this is a reason many companies struggle with social media. The fundamental principles of mass collaboration is crucial to know when working to become a social organization.

The way that content is both developed and shared is crucial for its effectiveness. In modules 3 and 4 of Hootsuite social content marketing and social advertising fundamentals are discussed. Content that is tactical and helps to achieve a company’s social media objectives is necessary. The content your company posts should also support your social media strategy. It's important to share content that will bring value to your audiences. To do this, it will require evaluating brand resources to determine content that will ultimately be worth sharing. Keeping track of the content posted using a social media content planner is helpful. It is also worth using some sort of criteria to evaluate whether content could bring value to the audience. Many audiences prefer certain types of branded content like GIFs or infographics. Keeping this in mind when selecting branded content is beneficial to help resonate with audiences.

The way the content is shared is just as important as the content itself. I learned from module 3 that there is a general set of best practices you should exercise whenever your company posts. One of these includes a strong headline or caption that is able to grab the reader's attention. Another is that when you share the same piece of content across multiple networks, think about how you choose to present it on each platform. There are many different ways to present content on different platforms that make it better.

Instagram has become an extremely popular platform for companies and brands everywhere. Module 3 describes that Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes posts in specific ways. One is interest and another is timeliness. So, how much a user interacts with similar content in the pact will affect the posts in their feed and more recent posts are prioritized before older content is. Because of this, it is important that companies post engaging content regularly. “Over promoting” content is also something to be careful not to do. It is advised by experts to post only 20% promotional while the rest should tell the brand’s story. Optimizing Instagram stories and IG TV is another great tool when engaging an audience as well as reaching outside of your audience.

Paid Social Media advertising has become a huge component of a cohesive marketing plan for all sorts of businesses. Social advertisements that are done right can help to get your company in front of people that are more likely to be interested in the company and what it offers. Social advertising gives a company the potential to reach the targeted audience and ultimately grow the following on their platform. Developing and sharing effective content is so important to becoming a social organization. Effective content attracts and engages your audience. It also can create conversation and help build relationships which leads to community. When you share content that does this, it will help to reach your organization's objectives and goals too. The way in which you share your content can help to reach those people that will become part of your organization's social community.

References:

Building the correct online community is so beneficial for the success of so many organizations. After reading chapter 4 and 5 of the Social Organization, I learned about many different effective principles when shaping your organization's online community. One principle that stood out to me was applying understanding to the organization's goals and cultures. This involves a strong link between community collaboration and organizational goals. Some benefits that derive from this principle include helping to combat the detrimental perception of social media and helps to capitalize on existing organizational support. Another important principle to keep in mind is the importance of purpose. To keep people compelled, an organization needs a meaningful cause. If your organization does not have a purpose, the audience will ot participate. It is also important for this purpose to align with the organization's goal (Bradley & McDonald, 2011).

In chapter 3 of The Social Media Course on Hootsuite, we learn about creating a content strategy for social media and the value and importance of one. Content strategies are important for many reasons including building and engaging an audience. Posting the right content is crucial to keep your audience informed and engaged. Before making a post, make sure the content is relevant to the audience’s interests, goals, and pain points. It's also important to remember that the content is mirroring the organization’s brand and taking the needs of your organization into account. A social media content strategy should flow from the organization's social media strategy and its objectives (Hootsuite Academy). Think about these objectives while planning out your strategy and content to be posted. I am working with Zeta Tau Alpha of CMU for my client project. This organization puts a major focus on its philanthropy, Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. This is one of the organization's many values that is shown through social media. The principle of content reflecting the goals and values of an organization is extremely important to this particular organization. Zeta Tau Alpha engages its audience by posting content about its philanthropy in which many audience members share a connection with. Continuously sharing the values of the organization is one way to strengthen the link between the community and the organization itself.

References:

Bradley, A. J., & McDonald, M. P. (2011). The social organization: How to use Social Media to tap the collective genius of your customers and employees. Harvard Business Review.

“The Legal Side of Big Data” discusses big data and hacking of this data within businesses and the government. We are all familiar with some type of big data leak/hack in our lifetime. One I remember well, is when Target customers had their credit and debit card numbers stolen as well as millions of records stolen.

Businesses need to be aware of the potential that their business could be hacked. No one is safe from hackers and it can happen to any company at any time. And what happens if your company is hacked? Taking preventative measures to ensure a company has a plan in tact for if this happens is important. Doug LaLone says in the video, “Think ahead of the ball, getting ahead of the hackers, they’re here to stay.” Immediately he follows this with that even the government has not taken proper security measures to protect data. There seems to be no certain solution to stop a hacking problem. The main solution to the hacking of big data is simply to be better at assessing the risk as well as to prepare, rather than just be willing to fix it, if it happens. To prepare, a company can ask themselves some questions. These include “How likely is the hack to happen?”, “What’s it going to cost?”, “How will it hurt your organization?”, and “How less competitive will you be?”

Protecting data is extremely important. Some ways to do this is by using a Trade Secret. Keep the data housed properly while making sure the wrong people do not have access to it. A company should also ensure that contracts and confidentiality agreements are in place. Even making sure that employment agreements are up to date and giving limited access are important to look into.

Consumers also should be aware of the potential that their information can be hacked from businesses. Before college, and learning about big data, I never realized the extent of just how far information of mine can get. Whether it's information I choose to put on social media, or what I choose to tell the cash register when I check out. Consumers should always be aware of what data they choose to share and with who. Of course, there are some that are impossible to avoid, but maybe think twice about that semi sketchy boutique website next time you choose to shop online.

Big data can be extremely helpful and beneficial to companies too. So how does a company balance these opportunities and threats? When using and acquiring big data as a company, make sure to always have preventative practices in place to protect the data of your consumers and your company. Having a hack happen can destroy customer loyalty as well as many other aspects of your business. Make sure your company is taking/asking for information that is appropriate to your business so that it can still use it as an opportunity, but also be prepared for any threats.

Three Reasons Junk News Spreads So Quickly Across Social Media by Philip Howard and Samantha Bradshaw talks about the rise of “junk news” including false content, conspiracy theories, and political propaganda. This type of junk news spreads incredibly fast and is something that so many people become familiar with and believe.

Algorithms: Algorithms provide a way to search and sort through an abundance of information which is very helpful and convenient. But, algorithms can also have a down side. Social media platforms use algorithms to decide how news and other content are shown and consumed by viewers. Facebook, Google search, Twitter, and Tiktok use algorithms all the time. These algorithms prioritize content personally for the viewer based on what they like and know they will engage in. I have used this example in a previous post but Tiktok is where I especially notice algorithms at work. My “For you” page is completely different than my friends. Mine shows many videos that I find entertaining and continue to engage in. There are rarely any videos on my Tiktok now that I will not like. For example, mine has a lot of animal videos versus my friends that have a completely different “For you” page filled with completely different videos.

Advertising: Social media platforms make their money from showing advertisements to its users. Even more than that, they collect their users data and sell it to other companies. When we say that social media is “free” it really is not at all because it takes and sells personal information about its users without us even knowing. Facebook is a particular platform where I see many advertisements that are targeted especially towards me. They often show clothes on these advertisements. If you look at my parents Facebook advertisements, theirs are completely different and based on their likes. In the article, it is expressed that social mediacontributes to the spread of junk news in two major ways. One way is that the advertising model itself promotes viral content and ultimately promotes clickbait. Clickbait is designed to attract the attention of viewers by stimulating emotions in order to receive a click and further engagement.

Exposure: Exposure allows people to select what they want to view on their social media platforms and choose to ignore what they do not want to see. Many websites allow for social filtering of content shown which leads to diminishing the diversity of information that its users are exposed to. Because of this, people are more willing to demonstrate and share information that already conforms to their pre-existing beliefs. This is especially concerns people on a political standpoint. People do not obtain a representative, balanced, or even accurate selection of information and news, especially during the time of an election. People love to have their beliefs confirmed. Social media platforms only encourage this. People continue to pay attention to political content that fits into their current ideological views. Once someone has expressed a preference for a particular candidate or viewpoint, the messages that strengthen that view will be shown, not the content that weakens it.

Social Media consultants must have many important qualities to effectively do their job. Of course they need to know all things social media marketing and what types of things attract a social media crowd. I also believe that it is important for a social media consultant to be able to coordinate the company's specific values, goals, and objectives and display them accurately on a social media platform. This means taking time as a consultant to really research and communicate with the company you are working with. It is important to display the company in the way that they want to be seen. Taking a “one size fits all,” approach will not be appropriate when thinking of a social media strategy for a client. A consultant must think of a strategic and useful approach, unique to that company. Having a passion for what they do is one of the most important qualities anyone can have for their career. Especially as a social media consultant. Passion drives knowledge, creativity, and success. With passion, anyone will perform better at their job. Since nearly everyone in the world has social media, creativity is so important. When we stumble upon an account that looks just a little different from everyone else’s, it's exciting and more interesting. Effective and social media posts and accounts take a unique and creative approach when communicating to its viewers.

Social media was created on a platform for good. Right? These social media platforms have connected family members, found lost pets, raised money for amazing causes, and much more. But there's another side to these platforms. Including the aspect that anyone on a platform is being watched. They know everything. Not just how long you’re on the app - but if you're happy or sad, looking at your ex's profile, and introvert or extrovert. From this information, they are able to predict what we will do and target ads for us and engagement popups to keep us on the app. Simply put, this is terrifying.

I know we have all joked about how we were just talking about how pizza sounds so good or how bad we want this new pair of shoes and BOOM an advertisement for that pops up on your phone. This is purposeful, but have we ever really thought about how or why this happens? We are told that these social media platforms are free. So how do they make money? A quote from “The Social Dilemma,” that stood out to me was, “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.” What this means in this particular case is that social media platforms make money from advertisements that are being shown to us. And also, from the data they are getting from us. They can shape these advertisements to our likings based on the information they have retained about us through our social media pages. Basically, there is no privacy on social media, whether your page is private or not.

Big data can be defined as “storage and analysis of large and or complex data sets.” And these big internet companies take full advantage of big data. An unbelievable amount of data can be stored because these tools are so powerful. And this data comes from us on the Internet. And maybe if all of that data just stayed put, then it wouldn’t be so bad. But then there would be no point to it. This data can be packaged, analyzed, and even sold. And if it were data about you, you would never know.

Why can we not get off the app? Algorithms. They are designed to keep us there and keep us engaged. For example, Tiktok. Everyones For You Page is a little bit different and always shaped around what they like and want to see. Just today I was having a conversation with my parents about a Tiktok I saw and went on to say that about every other one I see is of a cat. My dad then replied that on his For You, it's all hunting Tiktoks. This is an example of Tiktok taking our liked videos and the ones we view the entire time, and putting similar ones on our pages to keep us engaged. Their algorithm is designed perfectly to keep us on their app for as long as possible.

Besides social media and the internet taking away all forms of privacy, it is extremely addicting and creates the need for people to crave social approval and perfection. The like button has become so dangerous to many people's mental health. Depression and anxiety has increased immensly in teenages since social media. Social media allows for an unrealistic view of beauty and lifestyle. But there's photoshop! Which can also be used in a negative way. An entire generation has shown how social media has and will continue to change the world, and not in a good way.

Social media and just screen time in general is something I spend hours on each day. After tracking my screen time for 24 hours, I came up with some methods to help me try to decrease my overall screen time that ended up being 5 hours and 1 minute.

1. A New Way to Start the Day:

After completing Part 1, I was surprised to see that the social media screen time was only 1 hour and 20 mins. Honestly, I did record data from a busy day, knowing that on an average day, my screen time would most likely be much higher. I usually start off my days checking Instagram, Snapchat, and responding to texts as well as spending an abundance of time on tiktok. Instead, when I woke up, I decided to simply turn off the alarm clock and get right out of bed. This already saved me about an extra hour that I would have been still in bed and on my phone. I found that I accomplished much more than usual at a time much earlier. I also felt more refreshed and in a more positive mood. I will admit that I gave myself about 10 minutes to look at emails and text messages. I know that if I hadn’t, I’d stress that I was forgetting to do something important or that someone needed to be in contact with me for something important. Since I kept myself busy from the moment I woke up, I did not have much of a desire to check my social media accounts. Instead I cleaned the house a bit, went out for lunch and coffee, and started early on my homework assignments. Once I had been doing my homework for some time, I did find myself wanting to go on social media, but I turned on do not disturb and put my phone a few feet away so that it was not as easily accessible.

2. Do Not Disturb:

Do not disturb is the absolute best way to keep me from checking my phone. I have done this multiple times before but usually only when I am cramming for an exam or have an important assignment I start on a little too late. I also made sure to turn it on on my laptop as well since I am able to get text message notifications on it. When I was finishing up my homework for the day, I really had no issue not opening up my phone. I didn’t slip up at all. It was when I completed my homework that I wanted to check my phone, and I did. But, it wasn’t for long. I responded to some texts and had a FaceTime call trying my hardest not to cave into pointless scrolling.

3. Reward Method:

Max Stossel presents “We’ve Been Sneaking Into Your Brains,” which focuses on how addicting and distracting technology is and then provides ways to combat this issue. He immediately talks about how a phone has the ability to be everything: a gps, a flashlight, a music streaming device. These things have been designed for us to use in so many ways that we want to constantly have it on us. He also gives a great example involving social media. When we are tagged in a story, we only have 24 hours to view it until it’s gone. Meaning, we want to right then and really cannot go over a day without looking at social media posts, specifically in this case, stories. I really enjoy when Max talks about the red notifications that we see on our phones. We want to open and see those notifications and if we don’t, anxiety often arises. I can personally relate to how those red notifications draw someone in. At this point, it is almost a habit to do so. It also brings out curiosity. If I cannot see that notification right away, I wonder about what it could be. For example, even in class, I am guilty of opening that text message or Instagram notification during a lecture both out of curiosity and habit. It is also something we expect from others quickly. If we send a text message, we expect someone to be on their phone or on their phone soon to answer. And if we do not get that response, it can create further addictive actions on your phone.

How many apps and games make us feel good when we close them? This is a very interesting question to me because it should be all of them. We want it to be all of them...don't we? Max talks about how that really is not the case at all. The results for the apps that make us feel good include mostly utility apps. The ones we get in and out of quickly and help us to accomplish something (most of the time) productive. On average though, we spend very little time on these apps. Especially when we compare this to the apps that do not make us feel good. Such as gaming apps, dating apps, and social media apps. People that are happy with their use spend a lot less time than the people that are not happy with their use, which really is a deep and dark rabbit hole that many people experience.

In Emma Rathbone’s article, “Before the Internet,” she repeats things over and over that happened before the Internet. All of the things she mentioned seem pleasant and stress free. They also involve much more face to face interactions. But the one thing she mentioned that really caught my attention was when she wrote, “You could move to a new state and no one at school would know anything about you. You’d have no online history. You could be anyone.” This is especially relatable because there are countless times in everyone’s life where you refer to someone's social media to learn who they are. Whether it's showing a friend someone knew you met or trying to find someone that you’ve had in one of your classes. Now, it is even common for future employers to look into someone's social media pages before they determine whether to hire them or not. Everytime you put anything out on a social media platform, you can never be sure who is going to see it and how long it will be out there for. Social media makes it very easy for someone's life to have absolutely no privacy and leaves reason for curiosity about someone and who they are. Social media and what you put on it paints the picture for you. I think everyone is guilty of looking at someone's social media and judging them for what it looks like and what it is not; whether it's in a good way or not.

Hello!

My name is Madisyn Roderick. I am a senior at Central Michigan University studying Marketing with a concentration in professional sales. Last year, after learning how important systems have become in business, I added an Information Systems minor. Ideally after graduation, I hope to find a career in Marketing. I’m not sure exactly what type of company I want to work for or the size of it just yet but hope to find out early on in my career path. One goal I have had for many years is to end up in a big city after graduation. Being from a smaller town, I have always dreamt of a career opportunity that allows me to live somewhere big and busy.

One company I think has made a great platform for themselves on social media is Barstool Sports. https://www.instagram.com/barstoolsports/?hl=en

Barstool Sports is a digital media company that almost everyone is familiar with, especially college kids. We see it on all outlets of social media including Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok. It is huge and it is everywhere. Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports started this company many years ago but it did not get recognition until he took the business online. Originally, he started it for Sports betting, writing articles and promoting it in local bars (The Success Bug, 2021). After introducing the company to social media, it became a huge sensation for content that is focused on sports as well as pop culture. Dave Portnoy can be considered a social media influencer himself which has only helped his company grow. In the book, The Social Organization, components of mass collaboration are outlined. It includes social media, community, and purpose (Bradley & McDonald, 2011). Barstool Sports has nailed each one of these components to create the ideal mass collaboration of their company. Barstool Sports social media is excellent. They are on every platform keeping it up to date and drawing people in. The community both inside the company and outside of the company is huge and shares the same interest in the sports and pop culture content that is covered. Lastly, Barstool Sports' purpose is obvious; to entertain and inform.

References:

Bradley, A. J., & McDonald, M. P. (2011). The social organization: How to use Social Media to tap the collective genius of your customers and employees. Harvard Business Review.