That’s All Folks!

So tomorrow is D-Day.. The inevitable day that we are handing in our blogs for assessment and I must say that I have seriously considered continuing on with this blog. The different aspects covered are surprisingly interesting and have definitely been an eye opener for me into the world of social media and the effect it can have on business.

Terms such as Web 2.0, the 4C’s, Wikis and social buzz have all been explored over the 6-week period and hopefully I have done the assignment justice. It was a lot of fun to write which is not something I would so easily admit. It has really made me think about the impact that social media has had on our world and how the introduction of social media into the business world will significantly change the success of the company. Of course that is my opinion, however based on the information that I have read and collected over the course of this assignment I believe that social media will improve all realms of the business.

 

The 4C’s have been a major theme throughout the blog so far and this is because I believe they are fundamental to integrating social media into a business situation and by implementing the different ideas in the 4C’s (Communication, Collaboration, Cooperation, Connection), success will be nearly guaranteed.

 

Social media is part of our world now and not allowing it to be used to your advantage is an amateur mistake. The business world still tends to be quite old school and the older generation does sometimes having a hard time coming to grips with the change occurring.

This video demonstrates how the way we conduct ourselves in social media is much different than reality, and theses differences is what is going to set a business apart form the competition. Although in saying that this video is more about the strange ways that relationships are conducted in the social media world but the principle is still there!

 

If nothing else I hope this blog will help demonstrate how powerful a tool social media can be and make you think of ways it can be embraced in your own organisations. So in the famous words of Porky Pig : “That’s all folks!”

 

Creating The Links

Web 2.0 is a concept thrown around a lot in this course. For such a common concept it is actually quite hard to define. I think that Wilson says it best:

“the second generation of the Web, wherein interoperable, user centered web applications and services promote social connectedness, media and information sharing, user-created content and collaboration among individuals and organisations”

 

 

 

 

LinkedIn provides an excellent example of how a social media tool utilises the rise of Web 2.0 and through this has developed a professional network that helps businesses and people find what they need. Having all the information in one place helps with efficiency and time cost for organisations. Potential employees post their resumes online and employers can post for specific jobs, or find employees that look like what they are searching for. Employees can create profiles and use these profiles to network themselves or even their businesses.

 

 

The benefit here is that the all the information required is provided. It is literally a one stop shop for employers and employees alike. I’m a firm believer in it’s who you know not what you know and LinkedIn provides a network not dissimilar to the old boys network that, although many would deny, is still very much in effect! Even John Key, our Prime Minister is guilty of it! He made a phone call to a friend about a job in a high position and there is more than a little concern about it. Check it out!

 

Many of the social media tools that businesses have at their fingertips will help with connection, co-operation, collaboration and communication. LinkedIn is one social media network that should be a the front of most businesses minds as it will help with the expansion of their organisations and allows them the freedom to pursue who they want. The connection that is provides between employee and employer is unparalleled.

 

Pass It On!

Easter: A time of chocolate, religion, long weekends and family. With any holiday these days, businesses jump on board with the themes and have sales and specials. In addition to media advertising they utilise social media to promote and encourage their product and circulate buzz about their organisations.

  

With such a dynamic and quick tool for companies to use quite literally in the palm of their hands, it would be silly to stick to just the old methods of advertising. All it takes if for one person to retweet on Twitter, share a page on Facebook or forward an email and the lines of communication have already doubled. Through the use of the 4C’s, social media can push the boundaries of what was once just a two dimensional world.

COMMUNICATION:

The use of emails, blogs, Facebook and Twitter helps to get the message across for users in an informal way. To communicate with the Gen Y’s, X’s and the Millennial’s it is easier to use social media, it is the way they communicate with each other so to get one their level and do it the way they do will be much more beneficial for a business to get their point across.

COLLABORATION:

Collaboration promotes long-term goals and shared commitment to getting the job done. Wikis are a main source of collaboration. While this won’t directly affect the consumer, it will help the employees with their planning stages of different projects, teamwork and any problems that may arise.

CONNECTION:

Quite possibly one of the most important steps in promoting Easter because it depends on people to relay information and direct interaction between people. If this connection is not there then there is no use in using social media. Social media relies on this interaction to survive. Connection also enables tagging which means that anyone alone searching Easter Sale, or a specific company will find out what they are looking for and save time trawling through information they don’t need or even want. Tagging can set businesses apart from others

CO-OPERATION:

Again while not affecting the consumer directly it is the behind the scenes action that is the driving force of this branch of the 4C’s. By splitting tasks up, co-operating and sharing information it will help the process before it is released to social media. If everyone is working together to produce a successful sale (in this scenario), and promotion of said sale in social media, then it is much more likely to be a smooth operation.

Taking a national holiday, like Easter, and using it to a businesses advantage will help with the overall success of the company. By utilising and embracing social media in a positive way an organisation can only build on their reputation and also it is essentially free advertising. All it takes is for one person to pass it on!

Stop, Collaborate and Listen..

Ok so cheesy 90’s music aside, collaboration is another one of the infamous ‘C’s’ that have been the subject of many of my posts! To paraphrase Cook (of Enterprise 2.0 fame), collaboration is all about engaging people (employees), relationship building and problem solving. The ways in which business can effectively use collaboration is through the use of wikis or human-based consumption.

Wikis are a great way of integrating social media into an organisation. Because the nature of a wiki is about each user collating the information they have with the rest of the people involved, be it a marketing team, or HR division of an organisation, it eliminates the need for a paper trail, or email trail because the employees just change the wiki.

Cook raises the point that companies who use wikis have reported a success. Because wikis are allowing employees the freedom to engage in the policies and principles of the business and the focus that it brings it is clearly a great collaborative tool.

Now I’m going off on a tangent here but I wanted to share a video that was posted to our forum from another classmate (check out her awesome blog here!). It brings up the idea of communication and how one of NZ’s top organisations used social media to get their point across. Shows just how effective social media can be!

You Better Communicate!

“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision” – P.F. Drucker

I have to say one of the benefits of this course so far is that all the different ideas that have been presented have all been really interesting. Many courses I have taken at university have lots of readings and essays but this paper so far has been so fascinating that it’s not a drag to do. This blogging assignment actually brings forward the ideas that we learn in class and puts them to good use as opposed to just writing about a concept and making up examples that go along with it. Kudos to the lecturer!

One of the most important things I have taken from this course is the 4C’s and the impact that they have on our social media world: Communication, Collaboration, Co-operation and Connection. The 4 approaches to social media really help the general understanding of this new technological world.

I do think that communication is the most important approach for any business because communication is more often than not the key to success. The communication approach covers:

• Discussion forums
• Virtual worlds
• Blogs
• Social Presence (including Facebook & twitter)
• Instant Messaging

The world we live in today has made people more selfish and self-opinionated than before. I think this shift is noticed now because there is a platform from which people can speak their. For example today on a forum for another paper I am studying a student complained to our AMERICAN lecturer that he didn’t appreciate the inconsistency between the way the lecturer spelled the word ‘color’ and the way that New Zealanders spell it (colour). So this student clearly thinks that his opinion is one that should be shared with everyone by putting it on the public forum, and that the lecturer (who has a PhD by the way), should change his way of spelling to accommodate his wishes.

Personally I think keep your negative opinions to yourself, but it is posts like this that exhibits just how much social media has taken off! People think that everyone is concerned with their ideas or need to know how they’re feeling, that they publicise it! By forming different types of social media, for example blogs or instant messaging within companies there is opportunity for development and growth for a company.

At IBM, they encouraged blogging and ever since there has been a surge of blogs in the company that span the globe and has encouraged open conversations within the company. The ability to communicate effectively within organisations is the key to success… and without sounding like an afterschool special it really is an incredibly beneficial tool for organisations to use.

Need more proof that social media is an amazing way to communicate?

Also check out this Tumblr that has some really awesome ideas in regards to Social Media!

I’m a huge fan of Tumblr, it is an awesome way to communicate all your thoughts and ideas and to a global audience as well!

Are there any other forms of communication that would be effective for an organisation to use apart from those listed?

Do you think that businesses should steer clear of social media or embrace the social media movement?

(Must make mention here the=at the ideas behind the different processes of communication comes from our lecture slides and Cook’s Enterprise 2.0 which you can purchase here).

Social Buzz & Viral Phenomenon

In class this week the learning outcome was centered around social buzz and viral phenomenon. Love it or hate it you can’t avoid it! Each week brIngs about anew YouTube clip, Facebook posting or Tweet that goes global. I must admit that i am intrigued by most if them and do go and have a look for myself, potentially adding to the craze myself.. Go me!

With great power comes great responsibility.. Or so I’ve heard. The fact that one person somewhere in the world can make a comment or record something interesting and within hours someone on the other side of the world can be imitating it is amazing. In fact I was reading an article this morning where a party on Facebook created so much buzz that well over 300 people showed up to the party and police were called. This definitely shows the power that social media has over the current generations (and even older ones: X & Y).

But as I said before I am partial to the odd viral phenomenon and my favourite so far has got to be the Harlem Shake. Cringe! But I love to dance and it’s a catchy beat. So here are my top three (well four but the the rugby ones are technically the same category!!) Harlem Shakes..

I am a Supernatural (the TV show) fiend and these boys really know how to have a good time so I love that they jumped on board with this viral video!

This is the Norwegian Army video and I definitely think it is the most entertaining. Note the 2 soldiers in sleeping bags, the soldier to the right of the screen with the flag who shakes so much he falls out the window and also the soldier in the back left who is spinning around on someone’s back.. Seriously this is supposed to be their army.. It’s awesome!

And of course our very own Crusaders and Blues of Super 15 fame making us oh so proud!

I think the thing with viral phenomenon and social buzz if that it is all in good fun and not hurting anyone just roll with it.. And if you really don’t like it or think its out of hand just don’t watch it, don’t get involved, don’t sweat the small stuff! With power of social media the buzz and phenomenon that is associated with it, it is something that organisations need to be looking at. It is a way to connect with the younger generations, promote their business and improve their reputation by using a vehicle they are familiar with. It can potentially reach a global audience. Certainly something that should be embraced and not pushed to the side!

What A Twit..

Twitter exploded into the social media world in 2006 and has been on the rise ever since. Wikipedia explains that since its launch in 2006 it has gained over 300 million users, generates 300 million tweets and handles 1.6 billion search queries a day.

Whether the tweets are funny or serious, whether they are congratulatory or complaining about something it us a way for anyone to communicate with the world, and for our opinions and feelings out there. Roger McHaney highlights the idea of micro blogging in his book Web 2.0 and Social Media for Business (you can download it here), which is basically expressing you feelings in 140 characters or less. If organisations jump on this bandwagon, they have the potential to reach millions of people and allow the channels of communication between company and consumer to open in a way that has never been experienced before.

In New Zealand, Twitter has yet to take off as much as it has in the States or Europe but still seems to be gaining steady momentum. For example Twitter is an effective way to check for traffic updates in most major cities, it helps to communicate events going on in different areas and check for surf conditions or the ski fields. It allows real time contact with organisations and important people within those organisations so you can track how CEO’s conduct their business to ensure you are on the right track with your career goals. It also will help with the different aspects of complaints say you experienced bad customer service and you’re frustrated or think that management should know about it then you can tweet about it. The company can take this feedback or frustration and remedy the problem, complain on a Twitter for an instant response. By embracing Twitter as a vehicle for communication organisations can only benefit… in my opinion anyway.

Because of the rate at which Social Media is taking over the world, many companies (particularly in the US) have taken this as chance to push free advertising. Celebrities have the highest Twitter followings and it makes sense to take advantage of that fact. Kim Kardashian has 17 million followers; Justin Bieber has 35 million followers. Thirty. Five. Million. In comparison Dan Carter (an All Back for those who don’t know!!) only has 155 000. It would be insanity for an organisation to pass up the opportunity to promote their product via a celebrity on Twitter. The sad reality is society hangs off every celebrity’s word and sot he chances of someone buying a pair of shoes, or drinking a certain alcohol because Kim Kardashian does is very high!

All in all Twitter seems to be a great way of getting messages out there, promoting products, issuing press releases and communicating with customers and employees alike. I think that this needs to be taken advantage of especially because our technological world doesn’t seem to slowing down. Poor Einstein!

The Revolution

WATCH THIS VIDEO!!

Unlike most other people from my generation I am not that into YouTube and trawling it to find funny videos of cats meowing like humans or obscure music videos of bands that I have never heard of…

However I make exceptions for the videos that are posted for my university courses because the lecturer sees the relevance to the video. So I watched it. I have to say it is so relevant for the world we live in today. Erik Qualman’s presentation of social media and the way in which he depicts the global effect that social media is taking over the world, almost makes me reevaluate my aversion to YouTube… almost.

In saying all this the video of the goats screaming like humans is funny.. Seriously, watch it!

As always feel free to comment 🙂

Hop On Board..

You would be pretty hard pressed to find someone these days that didn’t have a Facebook or Twitter account or at least heard of it. It is slowly but surely taking over our society and not surprisingly the academic world is taking notice. The influence that is has on our decisional making and the way we now interpret the world has changed so significantly that there are actual reports on how depression numbers have risen since it began. Seeing how other people live their lives, (even if they have enhanced what it is), sets off all types of emotions for us and ultimately affects our mood.

For CEO’s, the business world is completely separate from the personal one that dominates the social network pages on the Internet. The hesitation is obvious but the benefits are worth it. And whether an organisation likes or not they will be involved in social media anyway so it is better to get on board.

The 4C’s seen in Cook’s Enterprise 2.0 help to demonstrate the four primary functions of social software. Communication; co-operation; collaboration and connection are vital parts of social media and by understanding the tools that the 4C’s provide an organisation will be better equipped to tackle social media.

Personally the integration of social media into the business world can only being positives for the business and could be the difference between success and failure. For example when BNZ ran a campaign about whether money was good or bad, they circulated a lot of interest through the use of social media by releasing the advertising that did not state who had released these videos and posters. The intrigue lead to it being discussed all over social media and in the end turned out to be a very successful campaign. So to quote Alicia Silverstone in Clueless we should get into the kitchen and rearrange some things. If we did this with social media and stop trying to resist change it could be a great thing for the future of organisations.

For anyone interested here’s Alicia Silverstone’s Speech in Clueless: