The Social Network

After watching the lecture on implementation, I understand how difficult it is going to be for my company to implement my recommendations. Since my client wasn’t very interested in hiring new staff for social media or having an individual budget for it, I believe that it will take a while for them to build a social media presence. Due to the lack of interest or dedication to the subject, it isn’t going to be a priority for the company. It is going to add more work to the current staff and without a budget, there won’t be much time spent on the social media platforms. 

Also, with such a large group of people having access to the company’s social media, there won’t be any single person that feels obligated to keep up with it. There also won’t be adequate training with a lack of a budget. Since nobody will know what to post without training, the posts won’t follow the strategy and might confuse their followers.

Hello Everyone,

After watching the video lecture on implementation, I was able to take a deeper dive into how recommendations for organizations can be implemented into that organization. The social media consultant & team must know how to effectively utilize different social media in the way they were meant to be. Utilizing social media is a great way to reach out to Generation Z & Millennials as they grew up in a technologically advanced society. Social media can help different organizations accomplish the goals they’ve set for themselves. Different social media channels that are popular in society today consist of Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Facebook. All of these different social media channels have tons of different ways for users to interact and engage with their audience.

The client I chose to work with for this semester to improve their social media presence was Central Marketing Society. The organization might encounter a few challenges while implementing my recommendations but not too many. The biggest challenge they will face is being able to stay consistent with posting content on all of the different social media channels. Staying consistent is key in terms of ensuring you’re reaching out to your community frequently. Another challenge Central Marketing Society will face is the ability to create unique and creative content. The last challenge they might run into is not being able to adopt new practices and challenges because they know how to utilize the different social media channels but not effectively.

Thank you,

Week 7 Blog Post 

The Hootsuite modules laid out how effective content is to be developed and the best practices to sharing the content. The first being that there needs to be a content strategy. There are a few problems that arise when an organization does not have content strategy such as irregularity of posting content, messaging sounds disjointed and makes it difficult to see progress. These issues can be resolved with a content strategy and a calendar with scheduled posting that make it clear the type of content that needs to be produced. Secondly it is important that an organization take stock of the type of content works best for their brand. The content shared on social platforms should be tailored to the audience and product. Organization can choose to share two different types of content. There is created or curated content. The modules explained that for most organizations the best path is to use a mixture of both. Doing this allows for balance and highlights the value and provides space for an organization to have their call to action. For example, do not only share videos or conversely do not only share photos. An organization needs to share a combination of both videos, photos, text, and graphics to be successful in content development. 

The modules from Hootsuite also described how content can effectively be shared across several platforms. A blog was the first recommended way to share content as it is a proven way to establish a strong relationship with people. The key part of using a blog is to make the voice and design the same of the organization’s website. The blog is more detailed because it can be longer which can build a strong relationship with the audience while the company website is short and to the point. The advice for posting on Facebook is to regularly post users of Facebook want to interact with others on the platform so it is helpful to create content that does this. Instagram is very similar to Facebook however there are more tools for organizations to use. For instance, Instagram not only allows for posts but stories, reels and IGTV’s. These are great ways to post the same content in different ways. Stories are short fifteen second videos while IGTV are long videos without a time limit. Twitter users should write clear and concise messages for their audience as there is a limit of characters allowed. Compared to Facebook and Instagram, Twitter is a platform that needs regular posting daily because this best fits with how it operates. Content can be shared many ways using social platforms each of them have their own strategies to getting the best engagement. 

After completing modules three and four on Hootsuite, I learned what it takes to develop and share effective content. To my surprise, there is a lot that goes into social media content. Without effective content that will engage your audience, social media is pointless. The first thing an organization should do is create a content strategy. This will make sure that what you are posting is relevant and entertaining to your audience’s interests and goals. It gives your content a purpose and tells a story about your organization. 

After you have a clear strategy, Hootsuite suggests creating a content calendar. This is a weekly/monthly calendar detailing what you will be posting, when you will be posting it, and what time it should be posted. This will keep everything organized, and it will allow you to observe how your content is doing. Here is an example of a weekly calendar I made for my client, Boomerang Backpacks, a non-profit organization geared towards feeding hungry school children.

Another point Hootsuite makes is to know your platform. In the third module is goes through trending social media platforms and describes what effective content looks like on that app specifically. For example, Instagram thrives off visuals, while Twitter is based on shorter statements. 

Chapters 4 and 5 of the Social Organization are titled, “Forming a Vision for Community Collaboration” and “Developing a Strategic Approach to Community Collaboration.”

Chapter 4 discusses how social media can have a positive impact on pursuing mission and vision statements of a company. However, one big point Chapter 4 highlights is the understanding of when community collaboration is appropriate. “Community collaboration is more appropriate when large groups of people act independently to contribute and share open and complementary information that aggregates well into a bigger picture and results in actions that lead to heightened performance.” (Bradley, 2011, p. 42). “Community collaboration is less suitable for challenges that require deep analysis, where information is best provided by intermediaries who are often recognized experts and who influence one another. Also, if information is sensitive and requires significant safeguards in its use, then sharing it with the masses is less appropriate.” (Bradley, 2011, p. 43). Another huge takeaway from Chapter 4 that I recognized is the “Six F” Model of Attitudes Towards Social Media; folly, fearful, flippant, formulating, forging and fusing. Each of these characteristics determine an audience’s view on social media, and having a clear understanding of which attitude your audience has towards social media can be extremely beneficial when deciding whether or not community collaboration will help your company increase value.

Chapter 5 discusses the importance of purpose within a community collaboration strategy. When inviting your audience to participate in your community collaboration, the invitation is important. Having bland and boring invitations will not increase any engagement. When discussing the purpose of your community collaboration strategy, you must answer four questions: “Who are the target participants? What is the nature or focus of their collaboration? What’s in it for participants? What value will the organization realize?” (Bradley, 2011, p. 59). One of the biggest takeaways for me through Chapter 5 is “determining the power and potential value of a purpose by assessing it against the following characteristics: magnetic, business-aligned, low community risk, measurable, facilitates evolution.” (Bradley, 2011, p. 60-61). I think that this is an extremely important point because it gives you a guideline to determine if your company will increase value within community collaboration. A high-quality purpose for collaboration will have each of those characteristics. If it doesn’t, the collaboration probably won’t have that much value, and therefore may be a waste of time, or ineffective.

From the Hootsuite modules this week, I was able to establish the importance of targeting differently depending on the social platform you are using. Each social media platform has a different audience that needs to be stimulated in a different way to target engagement. The hootsuite modules this week give you “best practices” per each social platform, which I found to be extremely beneficial. The client I am working with for my project is my sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma. I think that these modules this week helped me have a better understanding of the main platforms used by my chapter, consisting of Instagram and Facebook. The modules gave me different suggestions to engage within each of these platforms, especially Instagram, by discussing many of the various features it has to offer, such as Instagram TV, Instagram Insights, Instagram Ads etc. These modules gave me a better understanding of all of the features Instagram has to offer, and how I can better engage my audience with these features.

Great job on your post! As always, I think you did a great job using quotations from the text and explaining key takeaways. I agree that it is important for people to ask those 4 basic questions when discussing the purpose of a community collaboration strategy. I feel like a lot of people don’t consider these things and rush into establishing a purpose, which can be a problem. A well-formed purpose takes time to develop and articulate. I also think the Hootsuite models provided good information on the advantages and qualities of each social media platform. Hopefully you are able to take advantage of this information for your project with Sigma Sigma Sigma. Good luck!

Hello Everyone,

While completing chapters four and five in the Social Organization this week I was able to expand my knowledge on many concepts related to community building. I was able to take a deeper dive into how to form a vision for community collaboration and how to develop a strategic approach to community collaboration. I wasn’t aware of the importance of building your community and how it has such a significant impact on different organizations. Both chapters had tons of valuable and relevant information within them that will be able to apply to my client, Central Marketing Society.

After reading chapters four and five in the Social Organization I was able to learn more about effective principles on online community building with social media. It’s super important for organizations to interact and engage with their community as this helps their social media presence. My biggest takeaway from Chapter Four was the ‘Six F’ Model of Attitudes Toward Social Media. The six attitudes play a huge part in the success of your organization’s collaboration efforts. The ‘Six F’ model consists of folly, fearful, flippant, formulating, forging, and fusing. Each of these different attitudes has unique characteristics and can help organizations build their community and social media presence. My biggest takeaway from Chapter Five was the ‘No, Go, Grow’ model that is related to empowering community collaboration. The model is a way of systemically determining if and how a community collaboration effort should move forward. All three parts of the model help organizations have a deeper understanding of how their collaboration will work with the community.

After completing the Hootsuite/Podium module four I was able to learn more about concepts related to growing an online community. My biggest takeaway from the Hootsuite module this week was that it’s crucial to utilize different social media channels in different ways. All social media channels have different and unique ways for people to engage and interact with their community. It was awesome being able to take a deeper dive into the popular social media channels that are currently in our lives. I was able to apply what I’ve read and put that towards my recommendations that I have for Central Marketing Society. The main social media channels that Central Marketing Society uses consist of Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The Hootsuite module covered different features that can be used to interact and engage with your community and network. These principles apply to Central Marketing Society because I will be implementing all of these unique features within their social media channels. The organization hasn’t been utilizing all of these features which could help them with recruiting potential members and gaining traffic to their social media platform.

Thank you,

Great post! Your posts are always very informative and professional, and I enjoy reading them. I think the “No, Grow, Go” model was my biggest takeaway from both chapters. I like how the model provides specific questions and directions that are helpful for leaders to make strategic decisions. I’ve never heard of the model before but I think it could be very useful to people when considering different aspects of growing your community. The Hootsuite module for this week was also very informative about the different advantages throughout each social media platform. Best of luck with your work for Central Marketing Society!

What I learned from “The Internet’s Original Sin”, Maciej Ceglowski’s talk, is that internet business models influence surveillance and data gathering on the internet. An example that he mentioned in his talk is that “Surveillance as a business model is the only thing that makes a site like Facebook possible.” The internet has come to be just full of advertisements and I think that’s due to the business model and data gathering. We are always being watched because we see things on the internet based on an algorithm. Data is being collected on us to find what to show next. Technology has changed the extent of what surveillance can do, and that can be worrisome, the advertisements from businesses are just another reason to hack into our privacy and collect data.

After watching “The Legal Side of Big Data,” discuss the following question: what should businesses be aware of when using big data?  What should consumers be aware of?  What is the best way to balance the opportunities and threats presented by the development of big data? Businesses and consumers should both be aware of their information being hacked. Peoples personal information can be hacked by anybody who tries hard enough. They can get your information through almost anything like how in the “the legal side of big data” he was saying he could lifted the mans finger prints off the cup.

When I think of a social media consultant there are many factors that make up a good consultant to ensure a client is getting the best possible aid. The first of many requirements to properly consult a specific client would have to be the discipline to make yourself well informed and knowledgeable on the business/service you are trying to endorse. Your knowledge on your client’s service/product will help you better understand how to go about relaying information, also where and whom your strategies will be publicized to. The next qualities that are without a doubt a requirement are creativity and optimism. In the world of social media today creativity means more than it ever has. The new theme of all social media platforms is captivation. Without a creative and optimistic mind, a consultant may find it hard to capture the attention of their audience.

Despite having benefited society in many ways, the propagation of junk news is a major issue that has resulted from the widespread use of the Internet and social media platforms. The article, Three Reasons Junk News Spreads So Quickly Across Social Media, delved into three main reasons behind the limits on dissemination of transparent, truthful information. In this blog post, I will discuss my view on the key roles that algorithms, advertising, and selective exposure play in strategically promoting false or misleading information.

Algorithms act as mediators between consumers of social media and the massive collection of information available on the Internet. In this role, algorithms have been given the power to make decisions for the user, determining what content will be displayed based on calculations that use data gathered on every aspect of an individual’s online activity. To put it simply, all of the information shown on our timelines has been carefully selected through an algorithm’s processes, with the goal of keeping us happily looking at our screens for as long as possible. If functioning ethically, algorithms would, in theory, produce a fair representation of results, where information freely flows to users (Howard). However, in reality, common algorithms generate results that are limited based on the user’s individual interests and online activity, showing information that will best capture the viewer’s attention rather than fulfill their desire for accurate, unbiased answers. In this way, algorithms have made it more difficult to find opinions or ideas that do not align with an individual’s personal thoughts or preconceived biases, since these processes entire aim is to use the data collected about our behavior to predict our points of view. By filtering information to a maximum, algorithms act to impede and obstruct access to truthful, reliable search results, thereby promoting the spread of misinformation.

Advertising contributes to the spread of inaccurate information by promoting viral content, which is itself spurred by the use of clickbait. The article defines clickbait as “content designed to attract attention – often by stimulating outrage, curiosity, or both,” and can be found in written forms, such as misleading titles in the news, and visual forms, like provocative pictures in advertisements. In a general sense, clickbait encourages viewers to consume content through the use of exaggeration and deception.

As a regular YouTube user, I am highly familiar with seeing clickbait images in the thumbnails of videos, clearly fabricated in such a way to invoke intrigue and capture attention. More often than not, these thumbnail photos have little to nothing to do with the video, or are a small fraction of the content within, leaving the audience frustrated while the creators profit from their views. As an example, YouTube channel ‘The Ace Family’ (The Ace Family’s YouTube Channel) has been called out in the past for their use of clickbait images, such as a photo of Catherine McBroom, member of the Ace family, on an operating table with a liposuction tube in her arm, displayed above a video titled “REVEALING MY NEW BODY! (MOMMY MAKEOVER)”. If anyone is interested… which is the channel’s entire goal here, I must add… here is the link to the 30-minute video. I would like to save a half hour of your lives, though, by letting you know that only two minutes of the video actually contain footage of Catherine in the operating room. Classic clickbait.

In addition to outside forces mentioned, we, as consumers, also play a role in the filtration of information ultimately shown on our social media platforms and the Internet beyond through selective exposure. As described within the article, people tend to engage with and share content that “conforms to their pre-existing beliefs,” (Howard). By determining what sources are worthwhile based on compliance with one’s pre-conceived biases or discomfort with challenging one’s assumptions, we limit ourselves to a small subset of the vast amount of information available on the Internet. The fact that “voters tend not to change political parties or favored candidates,” because they engage with content that fits with their established preferences, is a great example of the impact of selective exposure discussed in the text (Howard). It is easy to imagine that agreeable information is much more palatable than conflicting ideas, but the consequences of avoiding differing opinions from one’s own must be considered. When disregard is given to content that does not support one’s personal thoughts, individuals act to limit themselves from receiving all-inclusive, accurate information.

In all, businesses and individuals must be aware of the impact that algorithms, advertising, and selective exposure can have on the widespread consumption of false information. Knowing that algorithms can produce skewed results, people should actively seek out multiple points of view from several sources to better inform themselves on subjects of interest. Mindful of the deception involved in clickbait, consumers and companies should avoid relying on content that uses tactics aimed at increasing virality and attention over promoting valid information. Finally, to avoid the effects of selective exposure, individuals should consume content that challenges their own beliefs, whether that contains new information or an opposing outlook. By making conscious choices in relation to algorithms, advertising, and exposure, businesses and individuals can avoid associated obstructions to access to fair, truthful information.

Works Cited

Howard, Philip, and Samantha Bradshaw. “Three Reasons Junk News Spreads So Quickly Across Social Media.” Oxford Internet Institute, 26 Mar. 2018, https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/blog/three-reasons-junk-news-spreads-so-quickly-across-social-media/.

“REVEALING MY NEW BODY! (MOMMY MAKEOVER).” YouTube, uploaded by The ACE Family, 12 Oct. 2021. [Screen capture by Kellie Sauve], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDZ7_PUKseA

Hello Everyone,

While watching the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma I was able to expand my knowledge on many concepts regarding social media companies. The Social Dilemma focuses on how big social media companies manipulate users by using different algorithms that encourage addiction to their platforms. The different platforms of social media that we have access to in our life have a significant negative impact on our lives. My biggest takeaway from the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma is that there are people who are tracking our engagement times on each post we come across. In the simplest way, this doesn’t sit well with me and I find this to be super scary to think about. People are sitting behind their screens keeping track of every single thing we do while we use our social media.

Big data is the collection and use of information from multiple sources to help companies make better decisions & projections. Big Data is such a powerful tool because it helps different companies generate valuable insights about their consumers. Algorithms are such a powerful tool when it comes to technology because they generate content that we enjoy the most. The different things that go into big data consist of our engagement times, which influencers we watch the most, how many friends we talk to on certain apps, etc. For example, on TikTok, if you’re obsessed with cooking videos there is a huge chance that you’re ‘for you page’ will have tons of cooking videos. The different algorithms that are behind the scenes of these social media companies are accurate and precise with what the consumers like and want.

The dangers of big data consist of companies having all of this information about our private lives and being able to use it any way they want. They have access to anything we post and lookup for a certain amount of time. With this being said, companies can use our information to manipulate our decisions and this is something that should be taken very seriously. Lastly, all of this information that is being stored about their consumers have the potential to be hacked and have a detrimental security breach. The dangers of algorithms are insanely frightening to think about because all of the actions that we take online are being analyzed heavily. The different dangers with algorithms are so exact that they can exploit weaknesses in human psychology.

These problems can be dealt with on a personal level by ensuring you’re aware of what is truly happening behind the scenes of these social media companies. Once you’re aware of what they have access to then I promise you will try to limit yourself from social media as much. One thing that people can do to deal with these problems is to be aware of what you’re posting on your social media accounts as well as others. This is super important to be aware of because a lot of these social media companies keep what we send on file for a certain period. People can deal with these problems on a professional level by ethically using our private information in the correct manner. Different professionals should only have access to certain data that will help them have better projects about their business, the rest should be deleted and thrown away. Lastly, these problems can be dealt with on a societal level because these social media companies can help sometimes prevent a major crime or terrorist attack that is going to take place. Furthermore, moving forward in life I am going to try and limit my social media usage so I never have to worry about any of the things that were discussed in my blog post.

Thank you,