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Week 8 Blog post

I think my client will have trouble keeping up with social media depending on the level of interaction they want. Social media marketing can be a lot for a company to handle, especially if it is a small organization. Because my client is an organization within CMU, I believe the social media strategies could be kept at more of a casual level, while still having interaction with audience and keeping track of what posts do best. I think another challenge would be to stick to a schedule and make time for social media because the organization is made up of students with busy schedules. This being said, I do believe if a simple plan was implemented, it has the potential to be successful and to reach a larger audience.

Week 7 Blog Post

For effective social media content, the 3 main goals to keep in mind are to make sure you’re connecting with your audience, make sure all posts reflect the brand and its values, and to make sure you have a strong strategy.

I think connecting with your audience on a human level is one of the most important aspects because they are your customers and the way they view the company is a major factor in their purchases. To connect in this way, its a good rule of thumb to keep content 40% created and 60% curated and to make sure self promotion is only 1/3 of content. This will ensure that your company has more human qualities that the audience can connect with.

A strong strategy will be based on research and analysis of the current content. It will also include target audiences by platform and content specific goals. An example of a content specific goal would be to reach 30 more people on twitter within 1 week. A content calendar is a great way to keep track of goals, posting, research, etc.

I thought this infographic perfectly tied in to what we learned about effective social media content.

https://www.socialsamosa.com/2020/10/infographic-rules-effective-social-media-automation/

Content for Community Building

Something that stood out to me from this week was that different platforms are better for different aspects of business. I think this is common knowledge but I never dove deeper into the subject to learn about the details. I also thought the concept of breaking apart content and sharing the pieces on different platforms was interesting and something I hadn’t thought of. I think it is also important to take into account the qualities of the platform and base your content off the platform so the audience gets what they expect. Another element that caught my attention was only posting a certain amount of promotion and also sharing other content such as behind the scenes or interacting with others to build relationships and trust.

Something that applies to my client and I’m sure many others is to have one main message, and share it in different ways across different platforms. It is also important to engage with your audience by liking, reposting, asking questions, etc.

I thought this infographic was interesting because it shows different statistics for different platforms such as how engagement with brands on Instagram is 10 times higher than on Facebook.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AezWhZ6iChi0dRjfRpUvGakdOxJEger4q0R09Q4adseP-bIvovWbUSk/

Big Data Awareness

In “The Legal Side of Big Data” I learned that there is no actual legal definition of big data which alone, was concerning to me because it shows the complete lack and disregard for laws and regulations relating to data on the internet. I also learned that Target, Home Depot, and the federal government had issues with data being hacked. I think this just adds to the idea of a lack of attention to big data although data being hacked presents great danger. In Maciej Ceglowski’s talk, he explained that the government can easily access any information on the internet and that we really are not aware of where most companies store our data and how it is protected (if at all). He also explained that the web is completely based on advertising which is why its free. In the article, “The Internet’s Original Sin” it went off of Ceglowski’s talk and added that a lot of the bad things happening on the internet started out as good intentions, but quickly turned sour. It was mentioned that pop-up ads were created to better target a consumer. It was also explained that advertising is the default model that supports the internet and this leads to targeted data and algorithms, which in turn have created ideological isolation, which is something I have become more aware of recently especially with apps like Facebook and TikTok. To help resolve the harm caused by big data, I think businesses should be aware of potential dangers, and they should take into account that there are humans behind the screen, not just opportunities to make money. I also think businesses should take accountability for data and disclose to consumers measures to protect it. As for consumers, I think we need to be aware of the fact that any time we are on the internet, data is being collected from us. I also think we need to be aware of the dangers that come with algorithms, and the fact that many businesses try to illicit intense emotions from us to keep us on the screen longer. I believe the best way to balance threats with opportunities regarding big data is to create regulations! The simple fact that Ceglowski’s talk was from 2014 and no serious action has been taken since then is alarming to say the least. Users need to be aware of what data companies are collecting, and how the data is being used and protected. Users need to have the right to opt out or delete data, and big data needs to be decentralized so it can improve.

This graph shows information collected through a survey of how companies use the data they collect.

https://chipcast.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=4fe95594-73e5-4b1a-8a3c-83896b88b6d9

https://vimeo.com/102717446

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/08/advertising-is-the-internets-original-sin/376041/

https://www.bigdataframework.org/formulating-a-big-data-strategy/

Manipulation in Social Media

From the documentary ‘The Social Dilemma’ we can see how harmful social media is in numerous ways. They explained how data, algorithms, and other tactics used by social media companies are continuing to become more and more accurate and how with more accuracy, they take more of our time. These social media platforms are not just for connecting with people. These companies are trying to get more of our time and data- which makes us the product being sold. The algorithms used are tailored to each individual which will make you see whatever you want to see on social media which gives you a false sense of harmony within your community. I think this is especially harmful because along with misinformation, this can lead to extremist groups to band together and cause harm. We know that diversity leads to growth and innovation, so a lack of diversity, or in this case- being surrounded by people that think exactly like you in social media communities- leads to a lack of innovation, growth, and learning.

I thought this photo was also interesting because it shows how much the amount of paid government commentators has risen over the past few years and as a result how much misinformation is circulating.

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2017/manipulating-social-media-undermine-democracy

Social Media Experiment

When I tracked my social media consumption/ screen time, I found that I spend a TON of time on TikTok, especially first thing in the morning and last thing at night. My average screen time on Monday was 5 hours, 51 minutes with 4 1/2 of that time being spent on social media. Out of that time, almost 3 hours were spent on TikTok. Personally, as someone with ADHD, I don’t think spending 3 hours a day on TikTok is good for my attention span and it is probably worse that it’s the first thing I see when I wake up.

For my social media experiment, I wanted to focus on getting my screen time down before bed and right when I wake up because that seems to be when I am on my phone the most. I also try to be fairly conscious about not being on my phone too much because it distracts me from schoolwork, human interaction, etc. As you can see from my screenshots, I am normally on my phone for quite a while when I first wake up, I feel like this can really make an impact on my day and set my mood for the rest of the day. Whenever I am on my phone first thing in the morning I find myself staying on it until the last possible minute before I have to get ready and I think that adds stress and anxiety when it could easily be avoided. I have to admit, it was really nice waking up and just being able to zone out with my thoughts instead of immediately seeking gratification from my phone. Although I did have to fight my reaction to check it a few times, I think it is extremely beneficial to my mood, health, and productivity.

I really enjoyed this experiment, and I will try to continue to stay off my phone in bed, hopefully I will make it a habit.

Technology and Mental Illness

Unfortunately, technology and specifically social media have close ties to mental illness. Depression, anxiety, behavior issues, etc., have all been linked to an increased use in technology which I don’t believe would come as a surprise to anyone given that it seems to be the norm in todays society to struggle with some kind of mental illness. In the clip from “We’ve Been Sneaking Into Your Brains” Max Stossel describes how something as simple as the little red notification icon on your phone is a source of anxiety, so imagine all the other ways our phones and technology can be anxiety and depression inducing. Although there are many helpful, innovative outcomes from technology, there are many harmful elements that come with it as well. In the article “Before The Internet“ Emma Rathbone describes different scenarios in a time before the internet where you could “move to a new state and no one at school would know anything about you“ or maybe decide to “laze around on a park bench in Chicago reading some Dean Koontz“. In these scenarios there is a common theme of a lack of knowledge/resources but also more creativity than what is typical today. While personally, I feel as though I exercise my creativity in different ways, I do see many children that are glued to technology such as phones and ipads and I can’t help but think of how damaging it must be for them and especially their creativity. I think kids need room to imagine, and although technology provides endless technology and resources, it provides instant gratification and no room for creativity. Because of the speed at which technology progresses, there aren’t many regulations on it even though it is proven to cause health damage. I hope one day there will be more of a balance with technology.

Sources:

https://www.statista.com/chart/19262/impact-of-social-media-on-mental-health/

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/26/before-the-internet

https://vimeo.com/370135963

Week 1 Blog Post

Hi everyone! I’m Kylen and I am a senior at CMU majoring in fashion design with a minor in entrepreneurship. I am from the Grand Rapids area which is about 1.5 hours south west of Mount Pleasant. I also have a 3 year old cat, am vegan and am interested in all aspects of sustainability. I hope to have my own clothing business one day, so I think this class will be very useful to me! In this blog I hope to gain understanding of social media in business by making connections in my own writing, engaging with others, and simply by posting on social media in the process.

A company that I’ve always thought does a good job regarding social media is vans. https://www.instagram.com/vans/ Vans has done a great job at creating their community on social media and they have done this in multiple ways. One way has been through collaborations with a variety of people that are featured on their page. This can bring in a larger audience that may have not been there before and gives the audience purpose which “draws people together into a community” as well as leading “members to contribute” (Bradley, 2011, p.11-12). Another way is through their other pages listed in their bio. This includes @vansskate @vanssurf @vansbmx66 @vanssnow @vansgirls @vansvault @houseofvans. This builds “collective intelligence” as well as “interest cultivation” by breaking off into smaller interest groups (Bradley, 2011, p.20-21). I think all of these elements build a strong sense of community in Vans’ social media presence.

References

Bradley, A. J., & McDonald, M. P. (2011). 1-3. In The social organization: How to use Social Media to tap the collective genius of your customers and employees. essay, Harvard Business Review.

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