If one thing is changing the world as we know it today it’s either President Obama or social media. For the purpose of the assignment I will leave my political beliefs aside on focus on this viral, world-changing phenomenon we have come to know as social media. Communication will never be the same. Facebook found a way to incorporate all areas communication into one site, and one page. All of the applications on facebook could be done the traditional way but it would take more time, more money, and more energy – things that nobody has room to spare these days. I could put together a photo album, bring it to your house, and show it to you. I could mail you an invitation to my party. I could write you a letter, call you on the phone, grow a farm, be part of the mafia, give you a thumbs up, send a gift, wear flare, and make new friends in person, but that has become too time consuming, too expensive and way too much work in today’s culture. Although I see the esteemed value in facebook, I can’t fully support it without addressing that it does have some negative side effects. People are too comfortable with these informal methods of communication that they are losing important interpersonal communication skills. Ok there I said it now we can move on! First, check out the video below...if you know anything about facebook the song will make a lot sense.
I find facebook to be my preferred social media site. I am truly astounded at the options and capabilities that facebook has both for the user and the advertiser. The basic idea, though, is that once you're in Facebook, you'll stay there -- to communicate with people, get information, post photos and videos, play games, maybe even consume music and videos, or shop. With a newly powerful search engine and other tools, users may not want or need to open a new browser to search in Google or Yahoo or go to a Web site for whatever news and information they seek.
Facebook provides advertisers to have an unprecedented amount of control over their targets and their ads. The profiles that all facebook users fill out help advertisers deliver messages to specific demographic slices. As you create an ad, you can add demographic criteria and keywords and see how many Facebook users fall into your target audience and modify it accordingly to get the most bang for your buck. Advertisers can elect to pay per impression or per click, set maximum budgets and schedule the ad to run on specific dates. Two examples I found of this really blew me away!
Chris Meyer a wedding photographer targeted women 22-28 who listed their marital status as engaged. The $300 he spent on his facebook ad has yielded a profit of over $60,000 and three quarters of his clients come to him through facebook. A San Francisco coffee shop can display ads only to local people whose profiles or group affiliations suggest they like coffee. Ads can also be aimed at people based on social exchange, such as a message or status update. “We can help you find customers before they even think about searching for you, “Tim Kendall said. “We’re very, very well positioned to generate demand, based on the fact that we know a tremendous amount about the user.” The reason that facebook and all social media are effective is because it is less about selling and more about interacting. The more the customer or supporter feels connected with the company or organization the more likely they will be to buy or donate. But it doesn’t stop there, social media allows content to be passed on by the audience, and that has real credibility.
Switching gears to another social media that I am beginning to embrace – twitter. The thing that makes twitter unique is that it can reach an unknown audience. Twitter pages are simple and direct with their message; you get a list of all the updates in one location. According to twitip and many other sources there are 5 main benefits to twittering:
1. Research Tool
2. Branding
3. Collaboration and Networking
4. Socialization
5. Direct Traffic
I have a friend, Jared, that had an internship at Henry Ford and he changed my previous negative perspective on twitter to a positive one. At The Henry Ford (Museum, Greenfield Village etc) the Media and Film Relations staff used Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter to inform people of events and exhibits and to engage fans and followers about topics they were interested in. The multimedia content that can be posted on those pages, coupled with the traditional forms of communication provide a well-rounded outreach to audiences of all ages. Sometimes museums have a hard time attracting college-aged visitors, but an intriguing YouTube video or blog post just might be the right thing to help them see the value of history.
So how do I get more followers? Provide engaging content and be interactive. It is not rocket science, it just takes work and thought. One helpful tip Jared gave me to help created interesting posts is to,” follow people who are smarter than you are so you can learn something.” Although there is much value in twitter for businesses and organizations, there is not always a value in twitter. Think before you tweet. Tweeting too many pointles and useless tweets will discredit your profile.
Relating social media to the topics discussed previously adds even more value to its industry. Facebook does not require all users to have a certain amount of friends, or post a certain amount of updates. They do not discriminate against anyone based on income, skill level, education, or popularity. Sure, many celebrities and sports stars have facebook and twitter accounts but the percentage of them are small compared to the rest of the accounts. Social media provides an opportunity for everyone to share their voice and an opportunity for everyone's voice to be heard. These themes correlate strongly with the idea of “The Long Tail” and the power that exists in the “non-hit” world. The freedom that is available for all people to search and find what they truly want, not just what they are given.
Social media also works as a force of democracy. Through group invitations, fan pages, and re-tweets, a message can be shared with millions of people though the click of a button. The internet has created advocacy messages that have become more interactive and engaging, which prompts more people to take action. The action that is taken can be monitored and shared throughout the entire world.
Creative work can be posted and shared with other individuals using social media. A virtual portfolio can be created in your profile. You can post music, art, photography, poetry and any other type of creative work. Through the use of creative commons, that work can be spread across state lines, oceans, languages, and cultures and used in ways you never thought possible!
Links I used in the creation of my blog. Check them out for more info..
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/twitter-could-become-a-recruiters-best-friend/?scp=6&sq=twitter&st=cse
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/08/28/facebook-to-nonprofits-more-pages-fewer-apps/tab/article/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/business/smallbusiness/12guide.html?_r=1
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/feb/10/peter-horrocks-social-media
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=168485
http://www.twitip.com/
Pictures and video:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3141182898_47f209477e.jpg
http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/01/02/stoptwittering.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSnXE2791yg&feature=fvst
Great blog post. I also found a great video regarding social networking, but I didn't think it was covered under Creative Commons, so I didn't want to risk using it. How did you search Youtube for that video under CC? I was trying to figure out how to do this.
ReplyDeleteI love the video! I learned alot from your blog. I too like using Facebook best and may consider ways of making money there. I wish I weren't so leary of the entire social media scene. Being of an older generation I suppose that could be part of the reason, but mostly it is just not having enough knowledge, which I am gaining with this class and blogs such as yours. I agree with the loss of real interaction as being a negative of social media, but I think people will manage ways to always include some face-to-face connections and not all become isolate hermit types of people.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog and great video as well as your pictures and that cartoon is cute!I also like that quote that your friend gave you.
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog! It was funny when you put "grow a farm, be part of a mafia".
ReplyDeleteI had always thought of Twitter as sort of a stalker-type thing. Like you can post exactly what you are doing for the world to know. I never really thought about it in a business sense, but I am thinking a little differently about it now.
You hit the nail on the head in the first paragraph, as great as Facebook is, it actually makes us more isolated from each other, in that we no longer have to look at someone to talk to them. Ironic that something designed to bring people together is also spreading them apart.
ReplyDeleteI loved the tale of your friend working at The Henry Ford, it's a good example of how business can tap into the social network boom. My father runs a Golf Course in Holly MI, and he puts exclusive offers on Twitter, in a sense rewarding people who are obsessed with Twitter while advertising his business. Win-win for all involved I say!
Overall a very entertaining and informative blog. Well done.
Your post is very informative yet entertaining. I used to think Facebook was for people who were bored and Twitter was for people who wanted to be stalked and like to be stalked. My views on all social media sites have changed ever since taking classes like this Jass 403 class.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that social media is a force of democracy. People have freedom of speech on these websites and users are the ones that monitor others.
I noticed how a lot of Facebook ads are geared to catch my attention, with ads for things I'm interested in, like an art school or film school. If I click the little "x" on the top right corner of the ad, Facebook asks me why don't I want to see the ad and I can choose from a drop down menu. The ability for advertisers to have such a precise demographic for their ads is very beneficial to the companies.
Great post!