TGraham

[thethomasgraham]

Recommendations and Limitations

I think some of the biggest challenges my client will face in implementing my recommendation are low staff and lack of clear direction. I made some recommendations on how my client can better their posts on Facebook and Instagram. I also shared many strategies on other platforms such as twitter, snapchat, or YouTube, all of which my client does not have. My client was appreciative of all the recommendations on these other platforms, but they conveyed that they just don’t have enough time and manpower to effectively utilize five different social media platforms. They already struggle with keeping up with their online community and the comments they make on my client’s posts. Due to this limitation, we mainly just focused on the platforms my client already has up and running which are Facebook and Instagram. Covid and the current pandemic has been and will be a challenge for my client because something my client really relies on is events. Most posts that my client makes are about events they are having and in a time where events are sparse, my client is finding it difficult producing posts about other things. My client is not as active on social media as they used to be, and I encouraged them to try to get back to where they were in posts per week pre-covid. Even though there are many limitations that my client is working with, they still now have a better understanding on how to build an online community and how important mass collaboration is. My time with my client has been very beneficial and I do believe that their social media will improve in the months and years to come.

[thethomasgraham]

The importance of Content

Grabbing the attention of readers and followers on social media is one of the most important things a business can do to grow their online platform and further their company goals. There are many different ways to grab the attention of people on social media or just media form in general. 

When talking about types of content that a company can put out on their media, there are primarily two types: created and curated. Curated content is more along the lines of content that is gathered from other sources and not directly from the company themselves. This type of content is very easy to generate when compared to created content/ Created content comes directly from inside a company itself and takes some work to produce. This content can be more personal at time so sometimes it can be more effective. To have an effective a well-established social media one must have a good mix of these two types of content. The typical standard for a good mix of the two types of content is usually 60% curated content and 40% created content. A couple of good tips to remember when figuring out how to have content that grabs the reader’s attention are: have a strong and intriguing title, include visual content, include a call to action, limit self-promotion, and encourage people to share your content. In order to have an effective social media you need to be able to create and share content that interesting and enjoyable for your followers.

[thethomasgraham]

C is for Community

Building an online community can be fun, but it can also be challenging. There are many strategies to successfully form an online community and further a company’s mass collaboration. Even more important, there are some things to watch out for and stay away from when attempting to construct an online community. There is both a place where collaboration of an online community is appropriate and encouraged and there are also times when it is inappropriate. A time that would be inappropriate would be if a people group gets offended or the discussion within an online community is too personal. It is also important to have a positive attitude and showcase it on social media. No one would want to be part of an online community that is negative and depressing. In some situations, attitude can be everything. Six attitudes that surround the idea of formulating an online community are folly, fearful, flippant, formulating, forging, and fusing. It is important to understand how each of these attitudes tie into social media and mass collaboration. One of the most important parts to constructing an online community is generating a vision or mission of the company that is clear and somewhat concise. It is very helpful for others to get involved in an online community if they know what they are supporting.

My client is definitely not taking advantage of their online community. They are only on Facebook and Instagram which limits how many people they can reach in their online community. Creating profiles in platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn could really boost their online community. My client also does not do a great job of establishing a clear vision as a company and I believe that this hurts their online community. Just this year, the business that I am advising hired someone to be in charge of their social media, so it is a work in progress. Through some exercises and discussing, we have been able to establish a more clear mission or vision to promote on social media that should bolster their online community and mass collaboration.

[thethomasgraham]

Big Data

"The Legal Side of Big Data" was a very interesting video. I learned a lot about what big data is and what it does. I have heard the term "big data" used before but never really knew what it was exactly. They defined big data as, "volumes of data being collected, methods or algorithms used on that data, used to predict the next customer or for example a car’s engine failure or how much a hospital should spend on a patient." I think big data can be quite helpful but also quite hurtful. Big data is a good way to predict customer action and help bring about convenience. This also means that there is a lot of data stored on many different people that can be utilizing in lots of different manners. 

For example, companies have been hacked before and their big data was compromised and therefore the information of people was compromised. This is a big reason why companies make people come up with such crazy usernames and passwords, so they don’t get hacked. It is very important for consumers to be aware of big data and what it entails. As consumers, we need to understand that whatever we put online and on the internet is not 100% secure and our security could be breached at any time. To help with these breaches, it may be a good idea to install a protection software such as Norton. Consumers must also understand that their information is being sold online. This is where random ads and spam calls come from. “The Internet’s Original Sin” was also a very interesting article about the internet and the things once intended or used for good are now being used in a poor manner. There are internet sites and apps that seem friendly have good things to offer but are really just trying to hack their users and steal their data. It is a good reminder to always be careful what you put on the internet because there is really no erasing it.

[thethomasgraham]

Algorithms, Advertising, and Exposure

The rise in popularity of social media can be attributed to three main aspects: algorithms, advertising, and exposure. Algorithms are ways for us to not have to sort through mass amounts of information to get to what we want or what we are looking for. Algorithms help sort through information but they also make it so the information that one sees on their feed is information that they want to see. This allows for a lot of misinformation. Facebook is a social media that is notorious for this. The best example I know of is the 2020 election. Anyone who leaned left saw only left articles and posts on their feed and vice verse with right-leaners. There are two parts to the advertising on social media. Since social media is technically free, there has to be something that is being advertising and sold. On social media, that thing is the users and their information. The other large part of advertising on social media is referred to as clickbait. Clickbait is a link that looks very interesting or almost ubsurd in a good or bad way that causes people to click on the link. Then the link will advertise whatever it is trying to sell. Exposure has a lot to do with the first part of advertising. What the users expose themselves to on the internet or social media is what they are going to be feed for the future. If someone doesn't go on social media or is someone doesn't like or click on any posts, then they won't necessarily expose themselves to anything. Exposure is something that users can control and it is good for users to understand exactly what exposure is. To have a good social media consultant or to have a good social media presence, a business needs to understand these three aspects to be successful. If hiring a social media consultant, a business should make sure that whoever they hire have a thorough knowledge of these three things.

[thethomasgraham]

My own Social Media Consultant

One of the most important qualities that a social media consultant needs to have is being punctual. There are better times to post on social media than others and one of the most important parts of running social media for a business is keeping up on it. A social media consultant should asked be personable and likable. Social media is meant to catch people's attention and one good way to do that is being personable or genuine. This can be done through commenting on people's posts or replying to people's comments. A social media consultant should also be extremely knowledgeable about all social media platforms and how their algorithms work. I know if I was my own social media consulant, I would be changing a lot of stuff and giving a lot of advice. First of all, I don't post on social media at all so that really doesn't help my social media presence. This class has helped me post more and understand what I should post. I would also advise myself to be more personable with other people on social media. By that I mean I should friend or follow more people as well as comment on other people's posts more. I would advise myself to get more social media platforms on my radar as well. I just don't know if I have the personality to ever have a big social media presence.

[thethomasgraham]

The Strongest Addiction

I briefly mentioned the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma in my last post. In this post, I will be discussing further the topic of addiction and control in social media and its users. A large aspect of the documentary is the discussion of the algorithms used in social media. A large social discussion topic in recent history has been man vs machine. The technology of machines has been growing at an astronomical rate to the point where it is almost scary. Machines are becoming more and more powerful and are surpassing human capability. This can all be certainly involved with the topic of us vs social media. The media or internet has just about everything about us in a file in some database. They know more about us than we do it seems. This is why social media algorithms are so powerful and addictive in making us spend countless hours on our phone. If there is one thing I felt after watching the documentary, it was fear.

Algorithms use statistics and every number possible when attempting to get us on whatever platform as much as possible. Math is in everything and there is nothing better on this planet at math than machines. This is another reason why social media platforms are so effective in their marketing strategies. Nothing is free in this world and that is no different with social media. Unfortunately with social media, the product that is being sold is actually us and our data. Nothing is private once it goes on your profile, no matter what anyone says. I absolutely love what The Social Dilemma stands for and the information it is trying to spread. These problems need to be dealt with on a personal level with parents and their children. Parents need to understand what social media is doing to their children and the consequences their child is reaping, one of which is self confidence and image. Suicide rate is going up and self confidence is going way down and that is definitely in part to social media.

[thethomasgraham]

Social Media Fast

This past weekend I conducted a social media fast for 24 hours. The main goal of this experiment was to understand just how much social media plays a role in my life. I have done social media fasts before and I have really enjoyed them so I was excited to get started. The fast took place from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday. It was a bit easier for me to fast from social media during this time because I was at a retreat with my church. I still had service on my phone, I just didn’t feel the need to look at it very much. I will take hanging out with friends and making great memories over looking at my phone for two hours any day of the week so I really did enjoy this time. What I really did notice was my tendency to go to my phone when I was bored or waiting. At this point, it is a strict habit for me. Even though my time during this fast was filled with fun with my friends, there were still times in which I was done with dinner and waiting for others to finish or going to bed and waking up in which I subconsciously would pull out my phone and try to go and browse on Facebook or the news app. I had to be very mindful that I didn’t actually go on to any of these apps because my mind wanted me to whenever I was in one of those moments of limbo. 

This experiment made me realize how much I depend on my phone and social media for entertainment. In times of limbo or waiting, my first instinct is to pull out my phone and not be present with the people I am with or the situation that I am in. I would really like to work on my screen dependency and rework my mind to presently engage in whatever situation I am in instead of subconsciously taking myself out of it. When I am on my phone I miss moments, conversations, or opportunities to learn, all of with I take too lightly. This will not be an easy task and I will be looking for ways to accomplish this goal so any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

[thethomasgraham]

How Social is Social Media?

If someone put a button in front of me that erased social media from total existence, I would actually be extremely tempted to press it. If that button erased social media from just my life, I am quite certain that I would press it. I have been in a continuous battle with social media for most of my young adult life. I went from having Snapchat, two Instagrams, Facebook, and Twitter my freshman year of college to now just having Facebook. I know some people that use social media quite well in that they positively influence others or even make money with it, but me personally, that has never really been the case. Social media tends to cause me to be jealous of others or waste countless hours when I know I could be more productive. I recently found this out about myself and have put time limits on how much I use social media and YouTube. I really do feel better when I spend less time on social media. I absolutely loved Emma Rathbone's article, "Before the Internet" primarily because it reminded me of when I was young. I truly believe having the internet readily available subdues creative and critical thinking, especially in children. It also promotes hyperactivity that doesn't allow us to slow our minds down and have one train of thought. I know I always have to be doing something and that is partly due to me always being on my phone when there is nothing for me to do but just sit still. There is a Netflix documentary that discusses similar things as Max Stossels and it made me realize just how bad the effects of social media and the internet can be.

I actively try to establish periods of time in which I am not connected to the internet. Theses periods of time tend to be camping or fishing trips in the U.P. of Michigan or Canada. I really enjoy those times as I feel more at peace with myself and the world. I also love to be outside and in nature so I would trade a screen for trees and a beautiful lake any day. I always do these trips with friends as well and we have some of the best memories together. This leads me to believe that social media might not be as social as we think. I believe there is a good chance relationships and friendships would improve without the aspect of social media. That does not mean that I think social media is all bad. There are some great aspects to social media such as positively influencing others with posts, connecting with people that are hundreds of miles away, and convenience. I would definitely like to be more intentional with not using my phone around my friends and family as much, but also using it to positively influnce others and reach out to people that I haven't talked to in a while.

[thethomasgraham]

Hello everyone!

My name is Thomas Graham and I am a senior at Central Michigan University, majoring in Entrepreneurship and minoring in English. My hometown is Brighton, MI which is right next to the metro Detroit area. I currently work at the Research Help Desk at the Park Library on campus and am also heavily involved in His House Christian Fellowship on campus. I do not have any specific plans for my future as far as my career goals, but I do see myself owning or being part of an up and coming business in the future. I plan on moving to Grand Rapids after college with my now girlfriend, soon to be wife hopefully, and starting a career there.

With this blog, I hope to gain a better understanding of the extremely helpful career tool that is social media. Social media is very important in any career setting, especially in business. One of the best things one can do for their career is to make connections and social media is one of if not the best way to do that. I have never been very involved in social media due to its negative consequences, but I am excited to take advantage of the helpful and positive side of social media.

A great example of positive use of social media in a business setting is Wendy’s. When asked to think of a company that uses social media to their advantage, my mind goes immediately to Wendy’s. Like I mentioned before, I am not very present in social media, but even I have seen the tweets of Wendy’s that go viral because how they “roast” other companies. Wendy’s utilizes memes and present-day vernacular to connect with the millennial and younger generation. Many businesses like Wendy’s, that have been around for a while, seem to have trouble moving their focus to newer topics and ideas in an effective way. Wendy’s social media has done a great job connecting with a customer market that is newer obviously because they are younger. Many older people have been eating Wendy’s their whole life, so they don’t need to get advertised and marketed to as much because they are loyal. I also think Wendy’s does a great job at mass collaboration. Wendy’s has a mass community with just under four million followers on Twitter who actively participate with Wendy’s purpose by retweeting their tweets that many times go viral. Wendy’s purpose is to advertise and sell their product which is food and the community that follows Wendy’s very much so participates in helping Wendy’s further their purpose. Wendy’s has absolutely used social media advantageously to their business and is a company that I will look to in the future for inspiration if I ever have an influence on the social media of another company.

https://twitter.com/Wendys?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor