Category Archives: Social Networks

Connecting

Posted on by jesskry
2

We’ve all been talking about how social media can accelerate the spread of news. But does it spread the rate of action among those who join or support causes? A recent Business Week Article speaks to the effect that social media has had on the relief efforts in Haiti.

To see actual change happen via the web makes my heart swell. Not only have many people donated money, but time as well. In this day and age, to see so many countries come together regardless of affiliation and status shows that we arent as different as we seem.

As a communicator and strategist, this effort speaks to connecting to people on their level. Being able to show visual footage of the aftermath of the quake in Haiti had to have a big impact in the relief that was sped their way. Not only were organizations able to set up quick communication outlets but also a way to process and receive funds.

For civilians who are reaching out YouTube and Twitter were ways to provide access to the torment worldwide. It was not a silent tragedy that we talked about,  yet did not see or feel: you can see and feel the pain visually  in real time.

If nothing else, what we can learn from the communication that brought us closer to our human companions in Haiti is that the web and social media can be used for good – not evil. Their purpose is to bring us all closer on a human level, not to divide, be it through money or belief.

What can you do with that thought? How can you apply social media to connect rather than monetize or sound off?

Will Social Media Save Conan?

Posted on by jesskry
1

Well, it looks as though Twitter definitely has Conan’s back. Mashable highlights the sentiment after Conan submits his letter to NBC letting them know that he wont just roll over for Leno.Add to this the several ‘Save Conan’ type pages and groups that have sprung up on Facebook and you start to wonder what this sentiment can actually do.

H&M had a similar issue recently regarding trashing unsold clothes. Consumers were outraged. But will they actually boycott? Hard to say when such trendy clothes are so cheap. Especially in this economy.

And what about those who say they’ll leave Facebook if they dont *insert complaint here*? Have they actually left? No. Does social media really have the power to change the big things or does it just produce a blip of bad press? Sure it spreads news faster than most traditional outlets, but without consumer action it becomes more hot air.

Will we work to save Conan? Will we boycott other NBC shows to dip ratings? Or will we let a 20 year old American staple slip away.

How I Use Social Media: A Love Story

Posted on by jesskry
2

Well, Not Really. LOL

Recently, there have been many discussions regarding how people use social media. (See @bradjward ‘s post) He’s not the only one. Many of us have been rethinking how we use the different tools in our social media arsenal. (See also, @robin2go ‘s post)

With the recent addition of Twitter to Linkedin updates, it brings up the point again: why do you use social media? Do these audiences blend? Why do you use each platform? Take a sec. Think about it.

I realized recently that my Twitter use was more immediate and constant: I knew people would always be there for a quick catch up, a funny quip, to take part in a strange moment in my day or to ask a question. Because of this these people are actually closer to me than those who follow other social networks or in real life. Yes, there is some cross over, but for the most part, they are more cued in to me and my daily life. I only feed my professional blog to Twitter, and manually post my dating blog there. In my daily life, I only encounter 1 other person who is active on Twitter. (@peteypumpkin shout out!) And, this is a person I see at work. In my personal life, none of my close friends IRL Tweet.

Facebook is more a repository for photos, family, non-tech friends, and close friends. I would never cross stream my Twitter feed to Facebook because Facebook for me is more personal – not more close – but the audience is not primarily work or technology focused. I tend to post more information about hobbies in Facebook, more running/rowing/krav info and event information. I do occassionally cross promote but rarely post informational links to my personal Facebook within Twitter. For the most part, they are separate. At one point I did feed a few items to Facebook: Freindfeed, Last.fm, etc. I’ve since ceased. It only gummed up the works and made Facebook less social and more ‘look at what I’m doing on the internet’. Who needs to see that? My professional blog is the only feed I have currently into Facebook. I manually post my dating blog there as well.

Linkedin is a very Rolodex process for me. If I meet professionals I add them there if they have an account.  If I talk with them on Twitter, met them in real life and had a few drinks/think they’re a cool person, I’ll add them to Facebook as well. Linkedin to me is my online resume: it shows my work experience, my blog, Twitter, and who I connect with professionally and groups that interest me. I manually post once a week to the status something work related, but overall I find the status option useless. I cannot see a real use for Linkedin socially as it is too segregated – why would I do the things in there I can do in Twitter and have them be searchable?

Why do you use social media? Do you feel feeding status’ is useful to your ‘audience’?