How to bake a yummy social media souffle

Fun article...ties into my lessons/research for my social media class.

How to bake a yummy social media souffle

Kicking and screaming into social media

Let me preface this post with a fact: anyone who knows me well knows that I have entered the world of social media kicking and screaming. I'm a child of interpersonal communication. That was the specialization of my master's program. It's what I know and love.

But in today's world, the days of the so-called interpersonal communication as I know it, is becoming extinct or at least it is morphing into something else. Try to get a teen or college student to actually respond to a phone call, and you will see the dramatic change. They don't talk. They text. Call them and leave a message, they will text you back. And, when they go out into the "real" world, they are flustered when they have to actually communicate face-to-face, actually speak to people. No cell phone. No texting.

Personally, I use Facebook here and there, but am getting a little bored with it. I keep a page for work purposes -- primarily for news, postings, pictures. I understand that it can be a powerful communication tool, don't get me wrong. But, it appears that people are using it more to tell me what they had for lunch or that they don't like their job (bad idea by the way). For me, we are in an age of TMI.

Twitter has me perplexed, primarily because I really can't figure it out or even how to set up the page/site (I guess I will be learning!). I haven't quite figured out it's main lure yet -- just seems like texting to me (with followers). So, I will be interested in delving more into this medium and hopefully figuring out how/if it fits into what we are trying to do at work.

Our organization has been using LinkedIn and believe this is a social medium that truly has some great benefits for us. LinkedIn provides a professional focus for users. I have termed it the "grown up" version of Facebook. I am amazed at the amount of networking, job postings, etc. that take place on this site. It really makes sense what's going on here. And, it's something that is an easy sell to my constituents.

Other than that, I use very little social media. I know, I'm sure you are scratching your head on that one -- yet, here I am in this class! But, after all of that, as a communicator, I certainly understand the buzz. I get it. These are outlets for anyone -- no matter where you live -- to exchange information, share ideas and search for answers. It is truly opening the windows to the world for people who may never have had the opportunity to do so without these social networks. And, while I struggle with many aspects of social media, the idea is very cool.

As we look to move forward into the social media world, my fears are two-fold: one, who can keep up and how do you keep up? The age of this new medium is changing so fast. One day a new application or program is here, the next day we're on to the next best thing. How do we as communicators handle the reins on this bucking bronco of social media, and steer it in the right direction?

Social media doesn't seem to be a one-size-fits-all approach either, yet so many companies are trying to take on everything that is out there. My organization is sort of running down that path, trying to do everything, when maybe everything isn't the right approach.

And secondly, there doesn't appear to be much accountability around social media/digital communications (professionally or legally), so how do you reel all of that in and create communication that people will use/believe in? We looked at how a lot of companies are using social media, and there are some innovative ideas/approaches out there.

Let me end with this. I'm not naive; I know in order to do my job and do it well, I need to be in tune with these changes. That's why I'm here and anxious to learn more about the various approaches to social media and how I can best use these outlets to reach constituents. I am hoping to figure out which social media tools make sense for us and how we can use it and use it well, particularly considering it will be run by a one-woman show.

I am really glad to see the mention of Mashable in this course. I think it offers some great information, in mostly easy to understand terms/examples. I think there are some great tips out there, including this great video series on using it in your business -- and using it the right way.

Link: http://mashable.com/2009/10/27/social-media-tools-video/

Who determines privacy?

This week, in our final week of the intro to digital marketing course, we tackled the issue of privacy, particularly children's privacy, as it relates to marketing.

What we found is that all of us, including those who don't have children, agreed that the privacy of children needs to be protected. The Children's Online Protection Privacy Act was established to shelter children under the age of 13 from marketers obtaining names, ages, mailing/e-mailing addresses, unless the parent/guardian provides consent.

The youth market is big business -- each year, kids' spend $30 billion of their own money on various products. I'm sure that makes marketers' eyes pop out of their head; I know mine did! And, in addition to the amount kids spend, they influence another $150 billion in household spending. That is a huge market, so it is easy to understand why marketers want to get their hands on that information.

But what is troublesome about marketing to this group is that children under the age of 13 often have not fully developed their cognitive skills, so making sound judgments may not take place. Many adults struggle to determine fact via fiction in the various digital mediums.

In research published by the American Psychological Association, the authors noted that two important information processing tasks must take place in order for a person to achieve a mature understanding of advertising messages. He/she must first know how to tell the difference between an actual ad versus the program being watched. The study showed that kids under the age of 5 "do not consistently distinguish program from commercial content, even when program/commercial separation devices." The second cognitive task that arises is "a mature comprehension of advertising is the ability for kids to understand/recognize the persuasive intent of advertising."

The article provides some really interesting research. I recommend checking it out at: http://www.apa.org/pi/cyf/advertisingandchildren.pdf.

While I totally understand the need for marketers to understand their audience and develop products/services to serve that market, there is a very edgy line to tip toe around. Parents must decide what is right for their children, and if they believe that providing that information is okay, then marketers can obtain that information. But, in today's society where Internet crime is rampant and sexual predators are constantly lurking around cyberspace, I'm not sure that even teens (ages 13 and up)always make the best decisions on what information to give out.

Save Your Local Bookstore!

This week in our digital marketing assignment, we faced off on the destiny (or fate) of the traditional, brick and mortar bookstore. And, as I did my research on the issue and tried to take my side, I was saddened by which side I took. Unless we put our faith (and money) back into our local bookstores, it won't be long before they are few and far between.

Marc Fisher of The Washington Post wrote a great article about what's happening with bookstores. And, his conclusion is one I agree with: we, the readers, are killing the brick and mortar stores. Read it -- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/20/AR2009042003286.html -- it's true.

Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty. I buy books from Amazon. As a matter of fact, I've gone to my local bookstore, found a book I liked and ordered it online. Oh the shame!

But, at the same time, there is a part of me that still very much enjoys my walk through the stacks of the store. I like the smell of new books. I like the colors. I can spend hours perusing the various releases, reading the inside covers to see if I can be enticed into making a purchase. And, after researching/learning about where we're headed with our traditional stores, I may not get to enjoy those feelings much longer.

Now, after noting in my paper that on-line stores were the future, I still want to believe in my local bookstore. I want to believe that there is hope for the "shops around the blocks." As many offerings as the on-line stores can provide, they still can't provide you with the personal touches that truly do make traditional stores so endearing to customers. You can't go to the book signing of your favorite author via a virtual bookstore. You really can't enjoy a reading from a new author or book (well, I'm sure there are some "video readings" out there). You can't enjoy a warm coffee or hot chocolate while reading your latest purchase if you're living in an online world.

And, most importantly, as noted by Fisher, you can't support your local community online. If we want local businesses to thrive and be a part of our community, we have to support them. Your local bookstores bring jobs, taxes and greater sense of community to the towns in which we live. Those of us who go online to save a buck are simply hurting those people we interact with daily.

Yes, Virginia, I have to believe that because of all of those wonderful qualities, our traditional bookstores will remain an integral and wonderful part of our lives.

Sell me a smartphone

It's hard to believe that a little smartphone can carry so much power. As I'm writing this blog, I bet I have seen four or five commercials touting the latest applications for the iPhone or the new Windows phone.

In this new age of digital technology, not only can I call my friends and check my e-mail, I also can get information on a song I hear on the radio (via Shazam) or get directions to the subway (NearestTube). It is truly fascinating that such a small piece of equipment can offer so many possibilities. As someone noted in our class discussions this week, it's really a mini computer that you can use to make calls.

According to a study by In-Stat (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10203051-94.html), the number of smartphone application users will quadruple by 2013 to more than 100 million users. For developers, this is great news, especially if you have the magic app. And, if you can sell it to Apple, that is even better news since Apple has hold of 33 percent of the overall Internet traffic (the next closest is Nokia with 7.1 percent). In the US, that number is even greater with Apple maintaining nearly 50 percent of the market.

The technology and applications will change like the seasons. Being innovative and creative in developing applications that help to simplify our lives, provide opportunities to have fun and enable us to do our work better will help mobile businesses be more successful.

As I say this, I can honestly tell you that I have had little time or much desire to look into the possibilities and opportunities available to me via my Blackberry. Maybe when that magic application comes my way, you will find me taking advantage of this new smartphone technology.

Kawamoto, D. (2009, March 24 ). Report: Mobile-app store users to quadruple in 2013.
Cnet. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10203051-94.html