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The current state of social media ethics:  

What trends are happening in the industry? 

A trend that is happening in the social media industry is increasingly focused on transparency, data privacy, and accountability. This trend exists due to the audience no longer blindly trusting platforms or brands and expecting ethics responsibility. Platforms and users are paying more attention to how data is collected, how algorithms shaped content, and how misinformation spreads.  

What are two current cases related to social media ethics?  

One case is Meta (Instagram and Facebook) and concerns about user date and privacy about this matter ethically because users often do not understand how their date is being used. 

TikTok is another case where concerns over date, security, and algorism influence younger users. 

Outline the current code of ethics for social media by a professional organization you would be interested in joining as part of their social media staff.  

The Public Relation society of America (PRSA) code of ethics is important in emphasizes honesty, transparency, and accountability, which builds trust and credibility with the audience. This encouragesprofessionals to show sponsored content, avoid misleading information, and act of responsibility.    

What brands are utilizing proper social media ethical practices?  

Lego practices ethical social media by prioritizing child safety, positive messaging, and transparency which is important for an audience with children 

Are there any professionals that you feel practicing strong ethical behavior on social media?  

The sources emphasize honesty and transparency as ethical priorities, so professionals who consistently show partnerships, correct misinformation, and openly explain their processes align with ethical practice 

What are some takeaways you can bring forth in your own practices?  

Some takeaways I can bring forth in my own practice are prioritizing honesty, show partnerships, and take responsibility for mistakes which help build trust. 

What main concepts do you think are necessary to adhere to for your own personal conduct online? 

Main concepts I believe are necessary are transparency, accountability, and accuracy. These concepts ensure that the content is ethical. 

What main concepts do you feel strongly against and want to make sure you avoid on social media?  

I feel strongly against and will avoid misinformation and manipulation. These behavers can damage the trust build and harm the audience. 

List 5-10 core concepts that you will follow as a practicing social media professional.

1. Transparency and disclosure   2. Respect for privacy   3. Honesty and accuracy  

4. Accountability for mistakes   5. Avoiding manipulation or dark patterns   6. Inclusivity and fairness  

“PRSA Code of Ethics.” PRSA | Public Relations Society of America  Public Relations Society of America , www.prsa.org/professional-development/prsa-resources/ethics#code. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026. 

“Code of Conduct.” Legal, www.lego.com/en-us/legal/code-of-conduct?locale=en-us. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026. 

Nwatu, Adaobi. “Data Privacy & Protection Trends in Social Media: Yip Institute Technology Policy.” RSS, Institute for Youth in Policy, 17 Nov. 2025, yipinstitute.org/policy/data-privacy-protection-trends-in-social-media. 

MacFarlane, Rebecca. “7 Social Media Trends You Need to Know in 2026.” Sprout Social, 7 Jan. 2026, sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-trends/. 

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Vanity Metrics for a non-profit

By Noemi Guerrero 

In social media marketing, metrics like likes, views, followers, and shares often catch our attention first, as they are easy to observe and celebrate. These are known as "vanity metrics"—numbers that appear impressive but don’t necessarily reflect genuine engagement or impact. For nonprofits, especially community organizations like churches, understanding vanity metrics is crucial. While they can indicate visibility, it’s important to interpret them carefully and supplement them with deeper, more meaningful data. 

This blog reviews the vanity metrics of a local nonprofit church called Connect Church located in Framingham, Massachusetts, analyzes how these metrics work across different platforms, and offers strategic advice for enhancing them. It also suggests advanced, channel, and behavioral metrics for Instagram and Facebook, which are two of the church’s leading platforms. 

Assessing Vanity Metrics on Different Platforms 

The church has an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, which is common for faith-based nonprofits that focus on community engagement both in person and online.  

On Facebook, primary vanity metrics include views, likes, followers, comments, and shares. Hootsuite notes that a video view is counted after 3 seconds of watch time, a low threshold that can lead to rapid growth in view counts, even with only mild interest. For Connect Church, sermon clips, worship moments, and event videos are suitable for generating reasonable view counts, indicating awareness rather than deep engagement. 

On Instagram, views are the main vanity metric, also counted after 3 seconds. Reels and Stories tend to outperform static posts in views. Connect Church’s Reels and Stories have good potential for visibility through views but likes and comments are harder to earn and often reflect passive consumption rather than active interaction. 

YouTube sets a stricter threshold: 30 seconds of watch time. This results in fewer but more meaningful views. Connect Church’s full-length sermon videos typically have fewer views than Instagram Reels, but these views indicate stronger intent and higher audience commitment. 

Overall, Connect Church’s vanity metrics show decent visibility but limited interaction, a common pattern for faith-based nonprofits that rely more on informational and inspirational content than on conversational engagement. social media metrics: 

How the Church Can increase Vanity Metrics 

Facebook Improvement Strategies 

- Boost Views: Prefer native video uploads over shared links, as Facebook favors native content. Include captions for accessibility and autoplay-friendly viewing. 

- Increase Likes and Shares: Share community-centric content like testimonials, volunteer spotlights, and event photos that encourage members to share. 

- Optimize Timing: Post consistently during high-engagement periods, such as evenings and weekends. 

Instagram Improvement Strategies 

- Boost Views: Concentrate on short-form Reels (7–15 seconds) with engaging hooks in the first two seconds, as views accumulate quickly. 

- Grow Likes and Comments: Incorporate interactive captions, questions, and Story stickers like polls and Q&A prompts to foster engagement. 

- Hashtag and Audio Tactics: Apply relevant local and faith-based hashtags, along with trending Reel audio, to enhance discoverability. 

YouTube Improvement Strategies 

- Increase Views: Produce shorter highlight clips alongside full sermons to lower entry barriers. 

- Enhance Thumbnails and Titles: Use clear, compelling thumbnails and benefit-focused titles to significantly improve click-through rates. 

Social Media Analytics Tools - Hootsuite Analytics

Try the best social media analytics software and enhance your posts on social with Hootsuite. Sign up now to kickstart your growth.

Advanced, Channel, and Behavioral Metrics To move beyond vanity metrics, churches should track deeper impact metrics on Instagram and Facebook. 

Instagram Metrics 

Engagement Rate: Total interactions divided by reach. To improve: Post engaging content like questions and prayer requests, encourage saves, and replicate successful formats. Use it toidentify effective content. 

Reach: Unique users who see content. To improve: Regularly post Reels, collaborate, and post Stories daily to increase visibility and community awareness. 

Use it to monitor local reach. 

Profile Visits: Users visiting profile after viewing content. To improve: Add clear calls to action like “Visit our profile” or “Link in bio.” Use it to gauge interest. 

Instagram insights: https://business.instagram.com/insights 

Facebook Metrics 

Engagement Rate per Post: Interactions divided by post reach. To improve: Use polls, live videos, respond promptly to comments. Use it to identify engaging community posts. 

Video Watch Time: Total viewing time. To improve: Use engaging hooks and keep videos brief. Use it to refine message length. 

Link Clicks: Users click links to event pages or streams. To improve: Use benefit-driven calls to action and evaluate how content drives participation. 

Facebook insights: https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/facebook-pages 

Vanity metrics are not entirely pointless—they are just incomplete. For Connect Church, views and likes indicate awareness, but genuine success depends on engagement, behavior, and mission impact. By understanding how each platform defines and prioritizes views, strategically enhancing content, and monitoring advanced, channel, and behavioral metrics, the church can shift from merely being noticed to forming meaningful connections community. 

https://www.instagram.com/connect_ma/

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The beginning of my social media journey  

By: Noemi Guerrero 

While many textbooks define social media as an internet-based application allowing users to share and create content, form online communities from all over the world and so much more. However, it is not just a tool; my definition of social media is like a city that never sleeps. It is a huge, connected network where the line between our real lives and our online lives is disappearing. It is no longer a place where people share photos and update and events in their life, but it has shifted to be a place where people are constantly seeking validation and trying to fit in a world that is moving faster than ever  

Putting thought about how I would characterize myself as a social media user, I might consider myself as the listener/onlooker user. I observe the many different content creators and content that gets the most attention, however I do not post much. I tend to scroll through without leaving a trail behind; no liking or commenting. I do enjoy posting stories but can go for a while without doing so. But over the past year I have recognized the power of engagement, especially on platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and even YouTube. Social media is not just used for entertainment but also building a business name, becoming a content creator, or when an entrepreneur. 

As I evaluate my strength, challenges and understanding of social media, I realize I do not know much. Social media to me is like the profoundness of a sea that has not been discovered. If I had to choose a strength, I would have to be the skill of knowing how to use understand the real reason behind online content. Thers so much fake news and tricky technology today but I can be good to determine the difference between real and honest post to a paid adverting. I began to understand the “mechanics” of social media platforms such as the function of hashtags, the importance of posting a certain timing, and understanding the different platform cultures. One of my biggest challenges is using social media as entertainment and not to its full potential. I need to disciple myself using social media as a tool and not as a vacuum for my time. 

A little back story on why I decided to take this class, about a year ago my church needed help in the social media ministry as we realize it will be an effective way to spread the gospel and to advertise our church. I have struggled a lot but also learned a lot. However, I need to grow my knowledge not only for ministry purposes but for personal purposes. My goal from this class and beyond is to grow in areas I never thought I could do. To also understand the fundamentals of social media. To expand my knowledge and interest by adapting to my society, social media plays a big part. I want to transform from a simple understanding into someone who can master it. I am eager to learn the date driven side, how to create meaningful digital companies, and I would very much like to create a community from different parts of the world. I would also like to gain the skill necessary to use these platforms for brand building. I want to finish this course knowing I am walking away transformed.