My "Socially Kait" Social Media Journey on Storify

Below you will find a link to the very rough draft of my final Storify paper. As you can see, it is a work in progress, but I'm hoping to gain some initial insight and feedback from you over the course of the week.

You can access my Storify paper by visiting http://storify.com/KaitSmithCOM610/kait-smith-comi610-final-paper.

Can you offer insight into my analysis
of this semester's social media activities?
If so, head to my Storify then comment below!

I've made it so the Storify paper opens in a new window; this way, my blog will remain open and you can leave me comments here as you read my paper.

Here are some questions I have for you, members of #Marist610:

-Am I using too many "Storified" examples in my "Activities" section? If so, what would you suggest I cut? Or, if not, what would you suggest I add?

-What sections of the paper leave you looking for more information? What sections feel like they include too much detail?

-In comparing my "blogger" images to other classmates, mine seem off. They don't include the headline for the post. Can you offer me any insight on how to fix this? (SEE BELOW)


Of course, you can extend beyond these questions in leaving me comments and feedback. I'll be sure to update this post when I've changed and edited sections of the Storify paper.

Looking forward to working together during this "home stretch" of our course!

UPDATES:

3/11 at 4:30 p.m.
We're in the home stretch, and my Storify paper reflects it! I've beefed up the analysis section, fine-tuned the plans and policies section, and did some minor editing in the activity section. All that's left is the conclusion, minor edits as suggested by future comments, and peppering in course readings when applicable.  Your feedback is still welcomed and appreciated!

3/9 at 8:30 p.m.
My paper has been updated to reflect some of the suggestions you've given me in the comments. More specifically, I've added Scott's Twitter reply, developed the "Plans & Policies" section more, and did some fine-tuning to the activities section. I will be working on the analysis and conclusion in the days to come, so please continue offering feedback!

3/5 at 10:20 a.m.
Classmate Adrienne offered some great insight (via a comment ) as to how to make my headings appear in my blogger. When I follow her advice, however, only some of the headings appear! The rest (the ones I need for the paper, ironically enough) appear with just the title of my blog. It seems that the ones with headers appear as RSS updates and the others appear as Blogger updates. Below is a screenshot; I'm going to do some searching for the answer, but if anyone else has figured this out please comment below!

Social Media Privacy: Team 2

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am the discussion leader for team 2 this week. Bearing that in mind, I've borrowed a great idea from classmate Adrienne and included links to team 2's posts on social media privacy below. I hope you find this useful - especially if you're a member of teams 1 and 3!

Are you being smart on social media? Read Team 2's posts to
find out more about social media privacy.
Image via Creative Commons.

• In her post, "Privacy on the Digital Stage," Tara Bischoff recommends rechecking your privacy settings now and again to ensure you maintain "Pentagon-like parameters."
• Amanda Brief warns against being too specific when posting online in her "Unlocking Social Media Security & Privacy Policies" post.
• Did you know the government is archiving your tweets? Learn more in Mike Kinane's post, "Social Media Self-Defense."
• Kristen Spirko's response "Think Twice Before You Post" features great password advice, including an information video on two-factor security authorization.

Happy blogging!

You Are What You Tweet

As the discussion leader, I'll be focusing on driving the conversation among members of team 2 rather than posting my own response to this week's prompt.

However, as my teammates work to complete their social media privacy checklists, I do wish to add some informal input on the topic.

Over the last two years, I've given a presentation to several student groups at Marist College (resident assistants, emerging leaders, career courses, student athletes, etc.) called "You Are What You Tweet." During this session (which can take the form of a training, a lecture, a discussion or an interactive workshop), I talk about common college student social media blunders, the concept of a "digitally projected self," and how what we post on social media can affect how others (including employers) view us. The common lesson from these chats: In social media, "private" can easily be made public.

Knowing that your privacy is always at risk on social networks, even when you take caution to safeguard an account, is an important reality that I believe all should accept. It's one of the many reasons that social networking policies should exist for employers, but I also encourage that organizations - colleges, workplaces, etc. - be proactive rather than reactive regarding social media training and education.

To illustrate my point (and, perhaps, to help you as you participate in this week's discussion), here are some articles that discuss social networking privacy issues:

• What Does the Internet Know About You? "Now employers can fire workers for expressing opinions they don’t like, strangers can stalk you with mobile apps and college administrators can judge the quality of applicants by the number of drinking photos posted to their account." via Mashable.
• That's an Order! 10 Facebook Privacy Tips from the Marines. My brother is a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, and I've seen first hand some of the precautions he must take to safeguard his privacy, especially while oversees on missions. The tips in this article echo some of the things we learned in discussion module featured in this week's discussion prompt. via TechNewsDaily.



On social networks, even private information can
become public. Image via Creative Commons.

• Your Business' Security Is Only as Strong As Your Employee's Weakest Tweet. We can't eliminate social media risks completely, but companies can certainly work to manage them. This includes training that covers privacy settings, which 25 percent of Facebook users don't bother using. via the Huffington Post.

My "You Are What You Tweet" presentation also covers identity construction via social media, but we won't get into that today. Although, I did a quick Google search using the title of my program, and it seems I'm not alone in using that catchy play-on-words - looks like it's back to the "workshop title" drawing board for me.

Conversation Monitoring and Customer Service

Here’s some food for thought: 42% of consumers who connect with brands online say they expect a response from the brand within an hour (Akbar, 2013). One hour. That’s it! Talk about instant gratification. While it’s seemingly a short amount of time, organizations who are in-tune with the needs of their customers will respond before that 60 minutes is up. Why? Because they are already actively participating in the conversation surrounding their brand.

One of the many benefits of social media, according to David M. Scott (2013), is that actively participating in in online communities with consumers enables an organization to build and earn trust, sympathy and “patience when something goes wrong” (p. 67).  Be it an online forum, Twitter, Facebook, or some other form of social media, the Internet serves as a “massive focus group with uninhibited customers offering up their thoughts for free!” (p. 64). 

That’s one of the greatest lessons in Scott’s discussion of social media and a brand’s targeted audience: that conversation monitoring and participating in discussions (be they good or bad) is critical. Having a social media presence proves “that you care about the people who spend money with your organization” (p. 64). 

Scott uses two examples on opposite ends of the spectrum to illustrate his point:

• SONY BMG. After discovering that the anti-piracy software on Sony CD’s installed malware on his computer, Mark Russinovich took to his blog to air his grievances. Others quickly chimed in or wrote their own posts on the topic, calling for a boycott of Sony and accusing the brand of treating customers poorly. While the criticism gained momentum, Sony remained silent; it took five days for the President of the company to respond. Though an exchange system for the malware-affected CDs was eventually instituted, the damage had already been done; several lawsuits were filed (pp. 61-63). 
• B&H Photo-Video. When Nikon released a hotly-anticipated camera, many turned to specialty store B&H Photo-Video to order the product. The only problem: Nikon changed its distribution model and included chains like Best Buy, so B&H couldn’t fulfill all of the orders it received. The backlash from the situation occurred in an online forum; the difference, however, is that a B&H employee actively participated in the forum while the conversation was happening. The employee was honest and apologetic in posting responses to customer concerns, and the tone of the conversation ultimately became less critical and more positive (pp. 66-67).

Overall, these examples illustrate how participating in online discussions surrounding your brand can help build and maintain an organization’s reputation. On the flip side, it also proves how avoiding these conversations can be detrimental. Even further, we see that immediate response is critical (42% of consumers demand it!).

References:

Akbar, A. (2013, Nov. 5). The Impact of Social Media On Customer Service. HubShout. Retrieved from: http://hubshout.com/?The-Impact-of-Social-Media-on-Customer-Service-[VIDEO-&-INFOGRAPHIC]&AID=1060

 

Scott, D.M. (2013) The New Rules of Marketing and PR. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

The Content "Like" Cycle

While browsing my Feedly this morning, I came across an infographic on Likeable that directly relates to our class discussions.

 

Per the strategize section, 60% of businesses do not have an integrated social media strategy. Seems like some business leaders can benefit from participating in the discussion we had on our blogs last week!

The Importance of Strategic Communications

A strong communications strategy is critical
for organization success.
Image via Creative Commons.

Strategic Communications

The team of Argenti, Beck, and Howell (2005) assert that, for organizations today, “developing an integrated, strategic approach to communications” is critical to success (p. 83). I absolutely agree with this characterization of communications as a key part of any company’s strategy. In our increasingly social world, we’ve seen a significant increase in the demand for corporate transparency; we’ve also seen several blunders from brands that have not prioritized the development of a communication strategy, especially in times of crisis. Aligning communications with corporate strategy, as Argenti, Beck, and Howell (2005) suggest, ensures that various constituents understand a brand’s purpose, vision and function – and encourages audiences (both internally and externally) to “move behind it” (p. 83-84). 

Integrating the Message

This concept of strategic communication is the driving force behind the practice of integrated marketing communication (IMC): that messages emanating from every channel related to a brand are clear, consistent and in line with corporate strategy. Each communication-related function (media relations, employee communications, investor relations, etc.) serves a specific role within an organization, but these often-separate departments must work in harmony to ensure a brand’s message is effective across all channels by all audiences. 

In order for strategic communications and IMC to be effective, an organization must understand the kinds of messages to deliver to each audience, and how to deliver messages. This chart explains the various communication functions within an organization, the objectives of each function, its constituencies and channels (Argenti et. al, p. 87). 

Social Media and Transparency

Social media offers yet another way for organizations to engage with constituencies, and gives organizations an opportunity to implement communication strategy in real time. Argenti, Beck, and Howell (2005) noted that “effective strategic communication is based on truth” (p. 87). According to Gleeson (2012), utilizing social media “ensures a certain level of accountability” from an organization (para. 8), thus building trust and loyalty from audiences.

Alignment

Created by Kait Smith

Qualman (2013) said, “As a result of our ability to have constant connectivity, people believe that immediate, simple, and constant communication matters” (p. 149, para. 1). This belief effectively summarizes the need for strategic communications and how social media can enhance brand communication. In order to build trust among constituents and to keep a brand on the forefront of audiences’ minds, everyone within an organization must be on the page. Having a communications plan in place – and using the right channels to deliver messages – keeps an organization relevant, builds trust, and positions it for future success.

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References:

Argenti, Howell, & Beck (2005). The strategic communication imperative. MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved from https://www.dartmouth.edu/~opa/communicators/fall08/reading/Sloan_MIT_Strat_Comm_Imp.pdf

Gleesen, B. (2012, Oct. 31). 6 ways brands build trust through social media. Forbes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2012/10/31/6-ways-brands-build-trust-through-social-media/ 

Qualman, E. (2013). Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

A Blog About the Blog

This photo was taken outside of the Dyson building on
the Marist campus. If you're ever in Poughkeepsie,
be sure to visit!

Though I'm no stranger to blogging, I am new to the concept of a course-specific blog, so I'm looking forward to this newest IMC-endeavor!

As you may know from my iLearn forum introduction, I'm Kait Smith, a part-time IMC student in my second year of the program. I work full-time in the Division of Student Affairs at Marist as a Coordinator in the Office of First Year Programs and Leadership Development. Though my work is primarily assisting first-year students with their transition, I manage all of my office's communications, including social media sites, so I'm looking forward to applying lessons from this course to my responsibilities on the job.

I've always loved writing; I was a journalism major as an undergrad and worked at a magazine for a year before beginning my current position. My hope is to take my knowledge from this program and combine it with writing skills to begin a career that combines editorial with marketing, perhaps on the content marketing side of things? Time will tell!

As I said above, I'm no stranger to blogging. I've freelanced for several blogs, and have managed various personal blogs over the past several years. My personal favorite is my senior capstone project, Kicking the [Marist] Bucket. Keeping up with a blog has been a big challenge for me over the years; I know a successful blog requires focused content, but I find my interests are so varied that my writing focus is constantly shifting.

I'm hoping this course gets me back on blog track! Looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you all.