Megan’s Blog

[megandoyleblog]

~ Week 14 Blog ~

After going through the Hootsuite Module 5, I learned a lot about how effective content is created and shared with others. Content calendars and content strategies can be very helpful and let you organize and plan your content in an effective way. Using created content AND curated content is a very important piece to having effective content. Curated content is content gathered from other sources, whereas created content is unique original content made by your own business. Promotional content should only take up about 1/3 of your total content. These both will help grow your audience and provides balance to promoted content for your business.

There are a number of best practices for creating and sharing content. One way to effectively share content is to plan and think about how you will post something differently across all platforms. Posting the same picture with the same caption can get boring. Try using videos and photos for the same post but on a different platform. Using questions and polls can also switch things up. These different ideas will help make your content more valuable. In this example below, Target posts different types of content so they do not seem repetitive.

Becoming a social organization has to do with this effective content in a number of ways. One way is that social organizations are different than personal social media. When you become a social organization, you look at the bigger picture. You want to have your posts planned out and organized in an efficient way to make your business run smoother. You want to use curated and created content to grab the viewer’s attention. If you are becoming a social organization, coming up with pleasing content is one of your main goals. Social media is such a crucial tool when you are trying to become a more social organization.

[megandoyleblog]

~ Week 11 Blog ~

After reading the Social Organization chapters, I learned a lot about effective principles for online communities through social media. One principle is to know when it is appropriate to use community collaboration. It would be appropriate when large groups of people bring in their individual ideas and information that comes together and allows the community to have a better understanding of something. Community collaboration is less useful for small groups or individuals working one on one with another. Another principle of this is to know where community collaboration will show the most value. For example, if you are trying to sell a certain product, or get reviews on a product, you could use collaboration through the target audience for that product. A great example of this is Toys R Us. They target to people with children specifically.

Business organizations also must know their company’s goals and culture. Connecting the company’s goals with community collaboration will prove that social media is more to help businesses promote more than just plain old technology.

My client is a small business, so I don’t think this would work for them, because they would need a bigger audience. I think that most big organizations like McDonalds or Amazon would use community collaboration because they would be able to reach more people and get feedback from a bigger group.

[megandoyleblog]

~ Week 9 Blog ~

After watching “The Legal Side of Big Data”, I realized that both the consumer and businesses need to be aware of big data and what legalities come along with it. Businesses should make sure that they protect the big data that they have collected from their consumers. They need to be aware how important this is, because that data can get in the wrong hands. Vendor agreements are very beneficial, because they tell who owns the data, and what can and can’t be done with it. Some companies have access to social security numbers and credit card information, and when that data gets hacked or released, that can have a major impact on both the business and consumer. I think that there are just as many opportunities as there are threats, but big data needs to be shared and stored in the right hands through privacy policies and vendor agreements. Things that consumers can do to be aware of this are just to be careful of who we allow our information to go to. For example, when I was younger, I remember my mom telling me that Yahoo had a big data breach, and users were hacked and data was stolen from over 500 million Yahoo accounts. That is just so scary and unsettling to me. So as a consumer, just be aware and know what type of information you are giving a website or business before you click accept.

[megandoyleblog]

~ Week 8 Blog ~ Why Junk News Spreads So Quickly

#1: Algorithms

Algorithms are a big way that false news is spread so fast. Algorithms prioritize things to show up in our news feeds before other things. Artificial intelligence trains these algorithms to find and make decisions with the news that it tailors to a specific person. For example, these algorithms are what make certain websites show up for you that you favor or have personally clicked on in the past, to make it easier to believe the first website that you see.

#2: Advertising

Advertising is another way that junk news is spread so quickly. News sites will use “clickbait” to lure viewers to click on a certain article. The headlines also determine if people will click on them right away or not. Advertising has also been used for political campaigns to target certain voters to vote a certain way. For example, if someone is a republican and they have given any website that access to information, they will specifically be shown news articles about the republican side of politics.

#3: Exposure

Selective exposure is another major way fake news can be spread like wildfire. People select and have a preference on what shows up on their news feed, and companies track that info, which filters certain types of news or ideas onto their feed. Those people only see what their preferences are, and so that news is the stuff they believe and will share with everyone they know. For example, when those little boxes pop up and say “see more of this kind of content?” Users click yes or no, and if they click yes, that selectiveness exposure will cause them to see more of the news they choose to see.

[megandoyleblog]

~ Week 6 ~

After reading “The Internet’s Original Sin” and watching Maciej Ceglowski’s talk, I learned some valuable information that I didn’t know about data and internet business models. It is pretty scary to think about how much data everything we use on our phones takes from us. If we delete something, it isn’t permanently deleted forever. It will always be stored somewhere, and that is one reason why big data can be dangerous. Also the fact that anyone can access that information, especially for advertisements for a company’s own personal gain, is wild to me.

“The Internet’s Original Sin” was also similar to “The Internet With a Human Face” in many ways. It talked about how many companies use targeted advertising and use data to make a profit. The “pop-up” ads are how many businesses trick people into buying their products. They create specific and alluring ads to make sure that they make a profit off of the data that they have collected.

Surveillance is a way that businesses make sure that they are making money off of those ads. They have people that spy on consumers and make sure that they are making money off of them. This is why most things on the internet are “free.” Data gathering and surveillance is a startling concept and we as consumers need to be cautious when we are posting things on social media.

[megandoyleblog]

Week 5: ~ Big Data ~

Big data has taken over our phones. Businesses have now gained access to a bunch of data and analytics and can use that to help them make a profit. Dada is being sent to businesses if you search on the web browser or even through talking near your phone. That is very alarming to me, because I had no idea of half the data that was being taken on my phone. The dangers of big data are that everything on your phone can be tracked, you can be spied on, and the risk of getting hacked. I feel like the way to limit harm with big data would be to actually read the terms and conditions. Businesses should also be careful with who they sell data to.

The Social Dilemma documentary was very interesting to watch. It talked about social media and how users are being “controlled” by their phones. Social media has a big impact on today’s society and although it does have some advantages, social media can be dangerous if you give your phone enough info. One thing that stood out to me in the movie was that we don’t pay for social media. The fact that the apps we use are free makes me wonder where they make profits, and they make it through data and advertising. This is called surveillance capitalism. Companies profit of off personal data. I started using social media in middle school, and that means that so much data has been collected from my phone and continues to be collected. The documentary also said “social media is a drug.” This was eye-opening to me because I feel like I am way too addicted. I check my phone so many times today. In the movie, it talked about how refreshing the screen every second is like gambling at a casino. This was so true, because again we feel like we want something more, to feel completely satisfied.

[megandoyleblog]

Week 4 ~ Social Media Experiment

My Social Media Log

For the first part of this social media assignment, I tracked my screen time on Saturday, September 5, 2020. Since I didn’t remember to write down every exact time that I picked up my phone, the Screen Time function in my iPhone was very helpful for helping me remember most of it. From 12am to 4am, I was on my phone a lot. Then, I went to bed for about 8 hours. When I woke up, the first thing that I did was check my phone. Then, I used my phone to play music while I got ready for work. After I was ready, I sat around using my phone. Then once I got to work, it wasn’t busy, so I picked my phone up and started using it again. Pretty much the rest of my shift if I was done doing everything that I needed to do, I would go sit down and be right back on my phone again. When I got out of work, I sat at the bar and continued to use my phone. Once I got home from work, I laid down in my bed and got distracted by it again. Then I started writing this! I checked my Screen Time on my phone, and to be honest, it surprised me. The total hours of screen time for just Saturday was 8 hours and thirty minutes. I spent two hours on TikTok, an hour and a half on Facebook, and fifty minutes on Snapchat. Those are the minutes joined together that I was on all of those apps. Those aren’t even all of them but those are the main ones that I use. That concerns me. I had no idea it would be that much. This opens my eyes and makes me realize that I need to cut back.

My Experiment

On Thursday, I decided that I was going to cut back on my social media use. When I woke up, I checked my phone, but then I put it on silent until after this class was over. Then, I went out to lunch and tried not to use it at all (except to take pictures of my food of course.) After that I got ready for work and didn’t use my phone. So that was about a two hour period with no social media. The only time I really used my phone during work was when it was slow. So for the experiment, I cut down my social media use substantially. Even though the periods weren’t equal amounts, it definitely was way different than how I usually use my phone. What I got from this experiment was that cutting back on social media allows you to be present in the moment and actually listen to what people are saying when they talk to you. I know I listen when I am on my phone anyways, but when you are 100% just listening with no other distractions, it definitely makes the person you’re talking to appreciate you more and it helps you to be a better listener. Another way this experiment changed me was that I felt happier. Sometimes when we see things on social media, it can put us in a bad mood or bring our self-esteem down. I felt like I was in a good mood that day and I felt less stressed. Overall this experiment has helped me realize how much of an impact social media has on my life and I think it has partly taken over my life so I am going to try to cut back and live in the present.

[megandoyleblog]

~ Week 3 Blog ~

The Max Stossel video and Emma Rathbone article were very relatable and informational.

In the video, Stossel made some very good points. One that stuck with me was that notifications were made so that you want to look at things right away. Businesses use notifications to grab your attention at that very moment. Another point was that those red badges on apps on phones are annoying and I feel the need to make them go away to be satisfied.

Snap streaks are another way that social media causes you to feel the need to be on your phone all of the time. If you do not Snapchat someone in 24 hours, you will lose your streak. People feel satisfied by having a high snap streak. That is just one example of why people use social media to be satisfied.

Another point Stossel made that was relatable and interesting was that we always say “one more game” but then after that one game, we are always wanting more. This is relatable because my boyfriend is always playing video games, and he’ll always say “just one more” and it will really be like ten more games before he finally gets off.

Social media affects my daily life because I am always constantly going app to app checking my feeds. I feel like social media is nice to communicate with friends and family, but there is also a lot of cons about using social media. One bad thing about social media that affects me is that I am always comparing myself to others. Especially on Instagram, there are a lot of models and influencers that have perfect bodies and show off their perfect lives. Another bad thing about social media is that it can pull me away from face-to-face conversations that I am having if I get distracted by a notification.

Not having access to the internet for even a couple of hours bothers me. That is how I know that I need to cut back on social media. For example, whenever I go to my cottage up north, we don’t have WiFi or even service. Whenever I’m up there, I’m constantly standing in the middle of the road trying to send a text or Snapchat. At the same time, not having service allows me to focus on the simple things in life, such as reading a book or just spending uninterrupted time with my family. I can appreciate being without my phone for a while, but I feel like my phone is a part of me.

[megandoyleblog]

BIS 315: Week 2 Blog ~ Introduction

Hello followers, welcome to my page!

My name is Megan Doyle, and I am a senior at Central Michigan University. I will graduate this December with a Bachelor’s of Science in Photojournalism.

After I graduate, I hope to take photos for a magazine, whether it be concerts, fashion, or nature photography. I am taking this social media class because I hope to grow my personal brand through social media and freelance or maybe even start my own photography business.

Through this blog, I hope to learn more about the blogging world and how it helps businesses and brands. I hope to gain knowledge and skills about effectively using social media for business and how to connect and network with others in a more professional way.

Social Organization Example: Target🎯

One company that I believe is very advanced on social media is Target. Target is a big company, so they have a lot of employees who can regulate their Facebook page, Instagram, etc. On Instagram, I really appreciate how often Target posts new photos. They post almost everyday, and the photos are very pleasing to the eye and catch your attention.

Target also has an app, which I feel like that is a major component to have when you are a big company like them. They make it easy for customers to order, track, and review their products. They even respond to their customers which I think is a great way to be a social media organization. Target realizes the power of mass collaboration. They are very involved with customers. In our reading, one of six principles was persistence which I believe Target implements well. They allow customers to see other customers reviews and responses.

Target carries themselves as a collective community, which gives them a competitive edge to the business. They allow customers to post and send in pictures of them wearing products or using products and Target puts them right on their website or app so that other viewers can see them and it feels like the company and it’s customers are all one big community.

Here is the link to Target on Instagram: https://instagram.com/target?igshid=129m51tq0c4jt

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