Assistant (to the) Regional Manager

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone. -AH

[sarahcabble]

Challenges of growing film appreciation and community at the Redford Theatre through social media

While the Redford Theatre has a strong vision and purpose and there are people, like me, that have a strong and shared passion for film, there are still challenges that will arise from creating and developing a social media community and becoming a social media organization. Over the past eight weeks, I have analyzed and offered recommendations based on my learnings on social media organizations through readings, like ‘The Social Organization’ by Anthony J. Bradley and Mark P. McDonald. and through modules provided by Hootsuite. I have noted the strengths and weaknesses, and where things could be improved, through social media to help increase the Redford’s presence and build its community. However, even with the best laid plans and intentions, things do not always work out according to plan and here are some challenges that I could see the Redford Theatre facing when attempting to implement my recommendations.

The Redford Theatre is an all-volunteer organization and many of the people that are volunteers have been with the Redford Theatre for decades, while some volunteers dedicate time as availability permits. Many of the volunteers have been with the theatre for a long time and have specific jobs within the theatre and it may be difficult to transition someone to be active within the social community. Finding dedicated volunteers that are available to be consistent and engaging with the community and what they are posting could be a struggle and challenge.

Another challenge would be using multiple social media platforms, because I have recommended utilizing Twitter more frequently as I think it is a strong platform to use and share content quickly and easily. I think through the use of a platform like Hootsuite, which allows multitasking through various social media platforms in one convenient spot, it would be easier to create or curate content for the various platforms. I know that the Redford tends to garner the most interactions through Facebook and then followed by Instagram, so those platforms tend to have the most content. I think utilizing Twitter more often would open up more interactions and content could be shared more easily between the three platforms. It would take commitment from someone to dedicate themselves to creating a content calendar which would make creating content easier to publish and dividing time on various platforms for when and where things are posted would alleviate that, but it would require time and dedication from those involved with the Redford Theatre.

The Redford Theatre is a unique business model being a historic marker in the area and is run through the efforts of dedicated volunteers and shows classic films and is growing into presenting live theatre and independent films. It has built a strong community in the area it is located and in the Metro Detroit area. Continuing to grow its community through social media would open the theatre up to a wider group and increase patronage to the theatre as well as allow the exchange of suggestions and ideas from the community on how the theatre can better serve its patrons and the community. It also has the potential to share the value that comes from the creative pursuits of film and sharing history through film.

[sarahcabble]

Social media content is about more than just posting

When a business decides to start using social media, it is not something as simple as just creating an account and then posting as the mood strikes or as often as possible. It is important for businesses to be strategic and creative in their social media efforts. This can be done through various ways, such as a content strategy, content calendars, and through deciding what kind of content to share and post.

In developing a content strategy, it is important to align the strategy with the goals created as they pertain to social media and also with the goals and mission of the company itself. Ensuring that social media is being used to help establish a company’s brand will also help create a community that is dedicated to the company’s brand and trusts that what the company is sharing matches what the company is about.

Content calendars are great tools that help social media managers and social media coordinators keep track of their social media feeds and deliver content that is consistent and relevant. Using calendars allows the company to track upcoming special events or product releases, which will allow the business to promote or create content that will entice followers and visitors to follow a call to action to learn more about the event or product. Through creating a calendar, it is a best practice to have detailed weekly calendars but to not plan too far ahead. The world of the internet is fast paced and constantly changing, and events around the world could change the impact of what is happening on social media. It is important to stay on top of what is trending and be aware of other global events or crises that might result in altering what is being posted or refraining from posting.

Using content that has been created by others to share on a company’s social media platforms is curated content, while original content created by the business itself is created content. Having a blend of both curated and created content is the best practice for keeping social media feeds interesting while also sharing content with followers and visitors that establishes an online persona for the business. Curated content also creates partnerships or builds communities by using the platform to promote other social media networks or users. Created content is a great way for a business to tell a story and establish its brand and voice as well as create unique content for the community to engage with. Below is an example of each from ModCloth’s Instagram feed, with the curated content coming from a follower who was excited to have their image shared on social media.

Having goals established when it pertains to social media is important in becoming a social organization, and through those goals, the content that is developed and shared has intent behind it, which creates a stronger bond with the community. By becoming a social organization, businesses are able to engage with their community and use their platforms to share personal stories about the business and build trust with the people that connect to the business in some way. People know when there is real passion behind something and they will recognize and reward that, which is why it is important to really think about and develop social media strategies and generate content that personifies the company so that people can relate and connect with the business.

[sarahcabble]

Social Media Community Building is Gardening for a Business

Social media is a valuable tool, especially for businesses, when used well and having the right intent behind using social media for a business. I think it’s easy to look at social media and see it as a personal use media or something that will not add value to a business, but when a plan and vision are developed, it can be an essential tool to the success of a business. Building a community, even just for employees, can strengthen a business model, help develop and create business strategies or products, share best practices, and understand the strengths and weaknesses of one’s business. Personally, I have seen through my job at Sam’s Club, the sharing of ideas on our intranet that showcases displays and creative first feature set ups that show best practices and give other stores ideas for how to make products exciting for member’s to look at when they enter the store. Stores individually post pictures to our company’s website and then the company oftentimes will share some of the best features onto the main page, which is a great tool for building the community of our associates and managers to want to put in effort into creating these displays and then share them with other stores across the country.

It’s valuable to understand the value you are offering to the community you are trying to build rather than the value you will be receiving from the community. If the focus is solely on what you can gain from creating the community, then chances are the people that would be contributing are not going to see their efforts as being worthwhile since they do not seem to have anything to gain from it. The perspective one has going in to building social media community is also a very important principle, because you do not want to just create something and hope it works or attempt to provide something but have a negative approach to what this tool would provide. It is easy to read into the ideas behind something, and if it does not feel as though there is excitement and dedication behind a project or social media effort, people are likely to not contribute to building that community up.

Building a community is important and some principles that will help in doing so include engaging with the community members, building a brand advocacy program, and understanding what social media tools will be best used to build a community for one’s business. In working with the Redford Theatre, the best social media tools it can use to its advantage are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, because it allows the Redford to easily engage with its members, share relevant posts and create discussions with followers, and have open discussions about what movies people would want to see at the Redford, offer teasers about upcoming films, and share fun trivia that pertains to the films they are showing or the history of the theatre itself to excite followers into wanting to visit the Redford Theatre. Building a brand advocacy program for the Redford Theatre would be more about connecting with relative companies, such as other historic theatres in the Metro Detroit area, filmmakers or production companies, historians and film historians, or blogs and Instagram accounts that share posts about classic films and film history (such as the Instagram account @thiswashollywood which shares classic clips and images relevant to classic films for film lovers).  Staying engaged with replying to comments or creating posts that allow for meaningful discussion allows the Redford to generate interest in seeing films at the Redford and sharing the information with friends and relatives, so the community continues to grow and people continue to patronize the Redford Theatre.

As with many things in life, in order to grow and cultivate a positive community, it needs nurturing and someone that will tend to it. Through creating goals and visions for what is expected out of the social media community one is trying to build, it is easy to help guide the community in the direction and provide the tools and resources to successfully build and establish a social media community.

[sarahcabble]

Big Data’s Big Impact on Businesses and Consumers

Data breaches and hacks are a big deal, especially when they happen with companies and organizations that people would think would have the ability to protect themselves, and yet data breaches continue to be something that occurs and oftentimes it is a result of the business or corporation not being fully prepared. Would being prepared prevent data breaches? Probably not but having plans in place and having risk assessments done would definitely lower the probability and being transparent with users about collecting and sharing information would probably allow users to agree and understand the risk involved in that regard.

I have shared this sentiment before, but I have nothing against targeted marketing, at least in the retail market, because then my timelines feel like they aren’t being filled with sponsored content that disrupts the flow of scrolling through my social media feeds. The content that is sponsored to me adds value to the vibe of the content that I already enjoy, rather than detracts me away from it or feels displaced among what I am reading or looking at while browsing my social media. However, I think businesses and companies should be transparent in what they are sharing. When I visit a website and it asks me to accept cookies or that it shares my data with third parties and I have to accept the terms before I can visit the website, I am pausing to think about my actions before I continue on with accepting the terms or leaving the website entirely. After that, whatever decision I have made, I know I bear the consequences of those actions.

This is businesses being transparent about the data they are sourcing and inevitably sharing. Should companies be more forthcoming with who they are sharing that information with? Probably. Will it happen? Most likely not. Would I have more respect for companies that did so? Absolutely. Users and consumers should always bear it in mind when they are agreeing to something and always accepting those End User Agreements without at least skimming through the contents probably means you are allowing data and private information to be shared and we are all blinding allowing it to happen because it’s a lot of text that takes a lot of effort to read and a lot of time to go through that most people don’t have the time to spare.

In combination with that, companies should always create plans to prepare for any data breaches that may occur and have action plans in place so they aren’t reacting in a way that will negatively impact the business and consumer traffic, but instead allows them to be proactive in having action plans to open up consumer awareness of the breach and provide honest information about the extent of the breach. Companies and businesses do regular audits and financial assessments, I think companies should also make risk assessments a regular part of their business plans. The more that can be done to find any weak points for a company, the more likely that company can find and correct any areas that need protection or rebuilding to prevent any data breaches, hacks, or data attacks.

In balancing the pros and cons of big data, I think it is always important to understand the information that one is putting out into the internet. A curious google search could end up haunting you for weeks on end with advertisements on other areas of the Internet reminding you about your curiously weird brain during a random time of day. Limiting the Internet’s access to data, which is difficult, but some steps can be taken. Take control of what is being shared to the cloud, be aware of what private information is being entered into websites and what is being stored (social security number, credit card information, addresses), and try to know what websites track your data or sell information to third parties. When using retina scanning or thumbprint identification, read user agreements to know how those technologies are being used or if they are being shared. Research how data breaches can affect someone and take precautions to prevent your information from hitting the black market but be prepared in case something happens and it becomes necessary to know what to do to protect yourself. You can’t change the past, but you can protect the future.

[sarahcabble]

Creating algorithms that promote advertising to control your exposure on social media

After reading the article, Three reasons junk news spreads so quickly across social media, I thought about the topics introduced regarding algorithms, advertising, and exposure on social media and how “news” spreads through the internet. In exploring those topics, the essence of it all falls back on allowing ourselves to be the product and the lack of privacy that exists on social media through free accounts.

With algorithms, information is being filtered based on things such as our age, gender, location, political affiliation, interests, and things we specifically say we like. When signing up for an account on Netflix, you go through a process where you select films and TV shows you know you like so that it can use it’s algorithm to recommend films and TV shows to you that it knows you will like based on that information. Tumblr also asked for selections of your interests to promote certain blogs or give you recommendations for blogs to follow. Twitter gives recommendations based on who you follow and tweets you like. These algorithms perpetuate certain mindsets and oftentimes won’t share certain information with you if it doesn’t fit into the algorithm you’ve allowed to be created on your behalf without being fully aware of that.

Through advertising, there is viral content and clickbait content. This is not really a new concept, but it has become a larger problem through the Internet. Supermarket checkouts had tabloids and rag newspapers that constantly had “junk news” and articles that exaggerated or completely inflated certain stories, mostly surrounding celebrities, that were sensationalized to spread gossip. Supermarket tabloids didn’t have the ability to target individuals using algorithms and focused on mass targeting in hopes of appealing to practically anyone. Now, it is much easier target people using search histories. I’ve found myself in a rabbit hole of clickbait articles that were related to Buzzfeed posts I had looked at or Snapchat stories I had watched that had certain advertisements in between that correlated to what I was interested in.

Exposure is controlling what information people are exposed to or what information they choose to receive. Since the article focused in on political views, I will continue with that stance. Staying in line with what fits me ideologies means that I get to see the best side of a candidate I like and see all the negatives of a candidate I don’t like. My father and I are polar opposites on where we stand in the political atmosphere and we tend to disagree on many positions and topics touched on through politics. Because he focuses so distinctly on one side and I am on the other, Facebook groups and posts he would see, whether they were accurate or not, were then shared with me in an attempt to ‘prove me wrong’ on my political viewpoints. On my end, since I don’t use social media for political information, I feel I am more open to viewpoints and I am able to disregard articles or information that I know is biased. For my father, though, I think it is hard for him to separate or allow himself to be more open-minded to things that fall into the opposition of his viewpoints, because he has biased social media news that caters to his beliefs and ideologies that back him up on what he believes is true.

I think businesses and individuals should always try to be as informed as possible and understand that just because something is on the internet, it does not mean it is true. Find reputable sources for information and understand that when something is free, there is a cost behind it and understand how that cost affects the individual or business. It is important to always look at sponsored posts as being targeted advertising and decide if that is something you want to give into or if you want to avoid adding to algorithms being created around your internet clicks and searches. It is always important to value your beliefs and what is important to you as an individual or business, but still remain open minded to other people’s experiences and beliefs as well.

[sarahcabble]

Social Media Presence on the Internet

I think in being a social media consultant, there are important skills to have beyond just having an understanding of how social media works, grasping technology and how to use it, and Internet literacy. Some essential skills beyond those would be adaptability and an ability to think outside of the box, creativity, and problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Adaptability – Being social media adept requires having an ability to adapt, as technologies are always changing and how the Internet is being used is also always changing. New social media platforms are always emerging, so it’s important to be able to learn and understand new platforms along with updated platforms that exist. Adaptability is also important in being able to change a social media strategy, especially if something that was planned changes or does not work, it is vital to be able to see a problem and have multiple solutions or back up plans in place.

Creativity/Originality – Using other social media accounts for inspiration is definitely something to utilize to one’s advantage, but I think it’s important to be able to use fresh and creative ideas in your social media presence, as that will draw people in. Not every post or usage of social media has to be completely unique but being able to do things that stand out against competition or even just using social media in unconventional ways to represent the brand/business will set the account/company apart from what everyone else is doing.

Problem solving – Sometimes being a social media consultant is not just about building and developing a social media presence but finding a solution to help improve an existing social media presence or taking it to the next step. Being able to identify the problems that exist or where something can be improved is important. It is also important to be able to come up with solutions and backup solutions, as I’ve mentioned before with adaptability.

In my own personal use of social media, I know that I would need to build up my professional presence a lot more. I have many social media platforms, but many of them have developed and grown as a personal account with friends when I was younger and have just grown with the same accounts since they were first created. Earlier tweets do not represent the person I am now. I actually had an incident where I was volunteering for the CMU ERPsim event and my Twitter account was not professional and I had to create a new account for the event. I would advise myself to create a more professional presence in social media, as it is something that would reflect on a professional career in the future and should represent my best self and the self that I would want to represent the company.

Since considering my professional presence on the Internet, I have scaled back certain things and have been more aware of what I am doing on social media. I went through my personal twitter account and unfollowed a majority of accounts, and eventually I would like to clean up the tweets to the account. I still have my second, more professional account that I will use, but since the first account exists and would be easy to find, I want to ensure that it’s something that I wouldn’t find problematic if a future employer were to discover it. I have been growing my LinkedIn network and utilizing that more often that I have in the past. In the future, I would like to create and have a second, professional Instagram account so that I can have my private, personal account and a second one that is more business professional where I can develop my professional brand.

[sarahcabble]

Big Data’s Hand in the Internet

Internet advertising has evolved over a very long time through the course of the Internet, and as someone who has come from the original era of advertising that had no personalization whatsoever. These ads were often pop ups, some of them made noise and it was an adventure in itself trying to figure out where the sound was coming from, and many of them were easy to skip by because they had no connection to me as a person. Now I see advertisements that are related to something I was looking at on a clothing website or they serve as a reminder of that thing I was really thinking about purchasing but decided against, and now it’s being dangled in front of saying “Did you forget something?”

The deeper impact of this, however, is something that needs to be looked at and taken seriously. While this information is sometimes convenient, because sometimes being shown that item again has made me decide to purchase it, which means American Eagle has made a profit through this advertising, and I’ve got new jeans and a sweater that I decided I couldn’t live without. I never questioned why it was through Instagram that I decided that this purchase was necessary when while I was on American Eagle’s website, I decided that it was something that could wait or that I didn’t really need. It’s the impulsive nature of the Internet and effective advertising that happened here as a result of Big Data.

Was I aware that while I was on American Eagle’s website, that information of what I was looking at was being stored and collected and that I’d see the exact items I was debating buying on Instagram almost immediately after the fact? Yes, because it’s not the first time it’s happened. Does that mean it’s something that should be happening? Probably not. What makes this okay? From the article, The Internet’s Original Sin, the following quote really stood out to me.

More likely, we’ve been taught that this is simply how the Internet works: If we open ourselves to ever-increasing surveillance—whether from corporations or governments—the tools and content we want will remain free of cost.

Free internet is something that many people don’t even think twice about, it’s something that should be readily available given the costs spent on cell phones, data, and internet service providers. If the internet, despite the other costs needed, was completely free, businesses that provide services through the internet would probably make little to no profits or revenues. Instead, many companies make profits through their consumers without the knowledge of the consumer. Do I know who else was profiting from the information sold based on my browsing on American Eagle? I don’t think Instagram was the only website that had that access and was aware of what I was browsing. It just so happened that Instagram was where I happened to notice it.

The issue is the extent and what limitations exist from the information collected. Maciej Ceglowski made some very good points about regulation of the data collection, including limits on how long information is stored, access to what information has been collected, an option for opting out, and the right to delete information on yourself. His anecdote about the constant threat of a permanent record in elementary school is exactly what Big Data is, it’s that thing hanging over your head and your deepest, darkest secrets exist there that may have little to no representation of who you are. Being able to see the information that has been collected and having the ability to delete or remove certain things I think would be the most beneficial way of regulating and limiting Big Data and give people control over their privacy. I don’t think it is possible to eliminate Big Data, however it could be changed and changed for the better.

[sarahcabble]

Social Media Experiment - Altering My Social Media Use

For many years now, I’ve been aware of my social media use and have found ways of limiting how much time I invest into social media. I spend most of my time on Snapchat and Instagram, and most of my time is spent not even posting myself, but just keeping up with everyone I follow. Through Snapchat, I keep up with all of my close friends who are now two and half hours away from me. I don’t get to keep in frequent contact with them, so it’s a nice way to just quickly check in and see what they are up to in their lives. Instagram is a combination of bands, musicians, celebrities, friends, artists, and corgis that I check in on during “idle” time or when I’m bored, or during breaks at work.

When I’m with people, I make a conscious effort to not use or look at my phone, unless it’s for a reason that would be beneficial to the conversation, like getting a group picture or Googling something to see who is right about what actor was in what movie.  The times when I tend to be distracted or consumed by social media and the Internet are times when I’m alone. I tend to put things on the backburner when I’m alone at my apartment and I spend more time than I should watching YouTube videos, Twitch streams, or binge-watching a series on Netflix.

Realizing this, when evaluating my social media habits and making an action plan that would alter my social media use, I focused on my mornings when I first wake up and my evenings. It has always been suggested to not sleep with your phone nearby, but I constantly fall asleep with something playing on my phone in the background. As I do this, I have become more aware of the fact that I’m focusing on what I have playing longer and not allowing myself to sleep like I should be. My brain is never able to shut off and rest, because I believe I need the background noise to help me fall asleep. When I wake up, because I’m still tired from my sleeping issues, I tend to watch something or indulge in social media instead of actively doing something that would allow me to be productive.

For my experiment, I chose to start my morning by not immediately opening my laptop and turning on a Twitch stream. Instead, I chose to take a walk and step outside of my apartment. It was relaxing and I was able to just be completely alone but not lonely. I walked the outskirts of campus and it ended up being an hour and a half walk, but I saw parts of the campus I had honestly never seen before and it was refreshing. In the future, I may focus on doing some cleaning around my apartment instead of the walk or shorten the walk and do a little bit of cleaning as well.

At night, I also decided to not have any videos running in the background as I tried to sleep. I still have my phone nearby since I use it as my alarm. I plugged it into charge, and then set it on my nightstand. It was a little strange to not have any noise playing in the background, but I had a fan running and my brain wasn’t straining to focus on the noise. Instead, I was able to fall asleep without fighting with myself to sleep and listen at the same time. Overall, I think I am going to continue with these new routines I’ve created.

[sarahcabble]

Entering the endless void that is the Internet

Looking at how the internet has changed the world over time, it is interesting to see how “connected” people are to technology while not being “connected” to each other. I grew up in an interesting time where computers and the internet were emerging, but no one really understood how much it would end up consuming our lives.

From the article “Before the Internet” by Emma Rathbone, she laid out very specific examples that I imagine were her own personal experiences, but there were many that I personally related to in her article for the New Yorker. I remember a time when research was done in encyclopedias at the school’s library, having to sit and rewind video cassette tapes to watch movies and Titanic being such a long movie it spanned two video tapes, only being able to connect to the internet if no one was on the phone or planned on being on the phone, and binge-watching television meant tuning into ABC’s TGIF lineup to watch Boy Meets World, Sabrina, and Full House, with no ability to speed through or skip commercials and having to wait a week to watch any more episodes.

I have had days where I watch an entire season from a television show on a day off without even thinking twice about it, and I have “interacted” more with social media apps keeping up with celebrities than staying in touch with my actual friends and people I know personally. It is something that is very isolating without realizing how isolating it is, since the internet allows us to have global interactions and interact with people from all over the world through websites like Reddit, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. I can feel that I have socialized because I’ve read tweets, watched YouTube videos, sent messages to friends through Snapchat or Instagram, but at the end of the day, I know the reality of it is that I’ve had zero personal interactions because everything was done through the use of my phone or laptop and conversations were not in depth or meaningful because they were pictures or memes.

The internet was a revolution that changed the way many people are living their lives, but too much of a good thing can end up being a negative thing. As with everything, moderation is an important factor to implement. In circumstances similar to the ones Sherry Turkle mentioned in her interview, when we are present for something like the classroom learning environment, having our full attention on that is beneficial to everyone. Dividing our attention between the real-life interactions and internet related interactions means that we are missing out on something valuable, because we aren’t allowing ourselves to be fully present somewhere.

I was recently catching up with a couple friends during a visit back home and we were out for coffee, and because one of my friends mentioned that she was on a time crunch, I was constantly grabbing my phone just to look at the time. Those small few seconds consistently over the course of our time took away from us just being together and talking with each other. Instead, one of us could have set an alarm to go off at a certain time and then we could have just enjoyed being with each other and building that memory without the distraction of phones involved.

Taking small steps to just even be aware of when we are dividing our attention, whether it’s when we are out with friends and we just make a conscious effort to not divide our attention away to a cell phone constantly or have internet “time outs” where we disconnect for a period of time and do something else with our time instead. Taking a walk, reading a book, picking up a hobby, having a conversation with a stranger or even a friend, or writing a letter to a loved one. Make it something that will allow you to either connect with yourself on a deeper level or connect with someone else in a meaningful way.

[sarahcabble]

Greetings fellow BIS315 travelers!

Hello everyone! My name is Sarah Cabble and I am currently a Business Administration major with a concentration in Business Communications, and additionally a minor in Economics. I am planning on graduating in December 2020. After many years working in retail and not moving forward, I began exploring careers that I had an interest in and a common factor in the requirements was a business degree. Once I decided to go back to school for business, I started looking into universities and Central had such an interested business program that fit my interests, so that is how I became a Chip!

The businesses I looked at that I knew I would be interested in were companies like Twitch, ReedPOP, and a gaming company called n3rdfusion. My dream career would be working with ReedPOP, which hosts comic-con events across the globe, including C2E2 in Chicago, where I would like to be an Event Coordinator or Event Manager. Based on what I have learned and what I am skilled at doing, I also enjoy work that would fall under project management/project planning.

My goals as they pertain to this blog would be focusing on entertainment and pop culture and the various social media campaigns that are used in these fields.

One of the company’s that I think uses social media effectively would be Netflix. It has multiple accounts that are centralized for various things (@NetflixIsAJoke, @NetflixFamily, @NetflixFilm), along with accounts that are country specific (@netflixes, @netflixbrasil, @netflixuk). One of the things that I really like that Netflix does on its social media accounts is having people comment, either as a fill in the blank challenge, with an emoji, or with a mood, and based on the responses, they will give recommendations on things available to watch on Netflix. Other users are also able to jump in and share their own recommendations as well, so I think this builds a strong community of film/tv lovers, who are given the opportunity to share recommendations and since Netflix personally tailors its recommendations, there is a good chance that someone might have seen and enjoyed something that someone else might not have ever heard of. This just allows people to see and enjoy new things, or build bonds over a mutual enjoyment of those “hidden gems” of Netflix.