My New & Improved Storify! Thanks for your help teams 4, 5, and 6!

A Strategically Social Storify: A look back at my Marist Com610 social media experience.

Final Thoughts on Social Media Privacy

This week's discussion on Social Media Privacy and Policy was of particular importance because the information we discussed was of immediate relevance and significance to our daily use of social media. As you know, we discussed social media security and policy as well as tips for using social media in a safer and more effective manner.


Retrieved from simplisafe.com

Through our discussions, we learned that social media security relates specifically to the settings we use on our social media accounts in order to safeguard our personal information. Social media policy refers to the rules and guidelines that govern social media usage, often implemented by employers or social media sites, in an attempt to promote appropriate and effective social media usage (Herrin, 2012). 

Between all of your blog posts this week, there were a number of similarities between your tips for safer social media usage. After reviewing all of your suggestions, I compiled the following list below which incorporates all your tips.

Themes for Safer Social Media Usage

• Know your social media settings: Be sure you restrict the visibility of your profiles to people you know and trust. Use great caution when accepting “friends” or “followers” so you know you can trust those people receiving you updates and information.
• Think before you share: This tip goes for both profiles and status updates. Avoid including too much personal information in your profile and also avoid using a close-up photo for your profile photo. These simple mistakes make your identity easier to steal. Also, remember that social media sharing is permanent. You cannot unshare something. You might be able to remove a post but you should assume that someone somewhere captured it. Think about how what you’re sharing could compromise your identity, personal or property security, or career before you share.
• Pay attention to passwords: You should use passwords that are difficult to hack. In addition, you should use different passwords for each account so that if a hacker happens to figure out one, they won’t automatically gain access to all your accounts. Ideally, you should change your passwords regularly.
• Use caution when clicking: Avoid clicking links that look suspicious. Remember that friends’ accounts can be hacked as well so just because it is share by a friend, doesn’t mean it is safe.
• Antivirus Updates: Keep your antivirus protection up to date.
• Be familiar with social media policies: Familiarize yourself with your employer’s social media policy and abide by the rules. In general, keep language positive, respectful and truthful. Avoid sharing information that is secret or restricted. You should also know your social media rights as an employee under the National Labor Relations Board.

Overall we had some great discussions this week. Throughout this IMC Program, we’ve focused on the many benefits social media can bring to an organization or brand when used correctly. This week we looked a little closer at some of the dangers associated with social media when used incorrectly. “Social media can be a fun and rewarding way to share your life and opinions with family, friends and co-workers around the world. However, use of social media also presents certain risks and carries with it certain responsibilities” (Herrin, 2012, para. 3). Thankfully, we are all a little wiser after this week’s discussion. I noticed that many of us mentioned that we have or will change our social media settings and/or usage after everything they learned this week. It's pretty exciting to see the immediate "real-life" application to what we are learning.

Special Message forTeam 5:

I wish you all the best of luck as you work through the final two weeks of this course. I encourage all of you to continue to post early whenever possible as this helps facilitate a more in depth discussion, You all did a wonderful job of incorporating images and videos to make your messages more impactful. Thank you for allowing me to lead this week’s discussion. I learned a great deal from each of you!

Reference

Herrin, B. (2012, June). National Labor Relations Board posts template social media policy. Legal HIMformation. Smith Moore Leatherwood, LLP.

 

Team 5 Views on Security in Social Media

A few other team discussion leaders had the great idea to share links to teammates' blogs. Members of Team 5 rocked this week’s discussion on Security in Social Media. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to visit Team 5 Blogs. You'll find a preview and link for each team member below! 

Retrieved from catalystxchange.wordpress.com

• Damaris Colon shares some advice for how to outsmart the “bad guys” and keep your information secure on her discussion this week Securely, Social Media
• Do you want to know how the Wild West relates to social media? If so, mosey on over to Daniel Egan’s blog post The Wild West of Social Media: How network security and policy are establishing control.
• Visit Ian Larson’s blog for some great tips on how to protect yourself when using social media at http://ianlarson5.blogspot.com/
• Patrick Ramsey shares some great tips and tricks for managing personal and professional social media accounts in his post Social Media Privacy, Security, and Policy.
• Is social media your friend or enemy? Maybe it’s your frenemy! Get the scoop from Lindsey Reale’s blog What's with social media policies, privacy and security?

Security in Social Media: Team 5 Discussion Leader

Welcome to Week 6, Team 5!!

 Congratulations on getting over the hump and completing the mid-term exam.

ABOUT WEEK 6:

 

This week, we are considering the importance of policies, privacy, and security in social media. 



Retrieved from www.thedailysheeple.com

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) provided recommended social media policy guidelines based on a review of legal cases, along with a proposed template. Click here and click here (or open attachments in iLearn) to read reviews of the NLRB policy and its rulings. Also, click here to read about the NLRB's recommended social media policy template (or open the attachment).

Various military and government agencies provided guidelines and training resources to protect operational security (OPSEC) and privacy of our information online. After you read and review this week's materials, click the caption for the following image to complete an official U.S. government social networking training module, which is designed for military members, civilians, and family members.



http://iase.disa.mil/eta/sns_v1/sn/launchPage.htm

WEEK 6 DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT 

 

At the conclusion of this module, go to your blog and publish a post of appropriate length that represents your recommended social media (networking) checklist for the readers of your blog. Write this blog post as if you were training or teaching your readers about policy, security, and privacy.

Begin each item with a bullet point and short descriptive phrase (e.g. o Update Antivirus Software), followed by a brief description of action required for that point. Choose as many points as you deem reasonable for your checklist (within reason), but include the following items at a minimum:

• Introduction: Briefly define the concepts of of 1) social media (network) security and b) social media policy.
• Checklist: Your security and privacy checklist, in bullet points. Include at least one bullet with your recommendations about social media training, and at least one bullet with your recommendations about social media policy.
• Conclusion: Explain what you learned from the readings and training module that have affected your point of view about social media policy, security, and privacy.

Be sure to review Week 6 in our Source Book for a full list of material and readings.

 
Check your social media security.

Before posting this week, open the following links and use the security guidelines to ensure you have applied the appropriate settings to your social media sites to protect your privacy and security:

• Blogger
• Twitter 
• Pinterest

Remember, to optimize your blog post, insert a combination of images, hyperlinks, videos, and key words into your post. Integrate your work by also publishing a tweet(s) and pin(s) with links that drive traffic to your blog.

 

I'm excited to be leading this important discussion! If you have any questions this week, you can either use the comment section below or send an email to bobbi.s.tellitocci@marist.edu.

 

Good luck!

Week 4 Forum Post - Social Commerce and the Power of Peer Reviews

Have you ever polled your social media “friends” for suggestions on movies, cars, vacations, or restaurants? You probably see this happen daily in your Facebook newsfeed; people asking where to stay on their next trip to Cancun or what movie to see over the weekend. This is an idea that is explored in chapter five of Erik Qualman’s (2013) book Socialnomics.

Retrieved from
thesocialskinny.com

 In this chapter, Qualman discusses the idea of “social search” in which people use social media to see what their peers and friends think about various products and services. He takes this idea a step further with the introduction of social commerce. Social commerce is a term Qualman (2013) uses to describe the transactional, search, and marketing components of social media (p. 72). Qualman (2013) describes social commerce as “a referral program on steroids” (p. 76).

People value the opinions and experiences of others, especially those in their social networks. The reviews and suggestions of these people in particular have more weight because we often know them intimately and can compare our own situations to theirs. For example, if you are in the market for a car seat, you are more likely to take the advice of a “friend” with a small child than the review of a complete stranger. We look to people in our networks to provide recommendations on products and services. While this desire for peer recommendations isn’t a new concept, social media has drastically increased the ease of sharing, making social commerce an important tool for brands and businesses (Qualman, 2013).

Retrieved from digitalintelligencetoday.com

In order for organizations to capitalize on social searching, they must come to terms with the fact that “consumers are taking ownership of brands, and their referral power is priceless” (Qualman, 2013, p. 78). The first step in getting a business or brand involved in social media sharing is by having a great product or service (Qualman, 2013). Obviously a company lacking in this area is destined to fail. Another important way to become a part of the social media conversation is to provide consumers with opportunities to offer reviews and share experiences. In addition, organizations can reward the consumers that do share feedback or reviews. For example, an organization might consider a small incentive such as a future discount for feedback or public reviews. Private reviews shared in a personal network can be equally as effective as a public review, provided the right audience receives the message. While not all consumers are willing to share, those that are see sharing as an opportunity to be seen as a subject matter expert within their social circle (Qualman, 2013, p.75). Some consumers also see it as an opportunity to give back to a group if they benefited from someone else’s sharing. A great example of this would be TripAdvisor and consumers sharing resort reviews because they found the sight so helpful when planning their own trip.

Overall this chapter teaches us that people are increasingly looking to social media for advice and recommendations on products and services. Marketers need to do everything possible to ensure they are included among peer and friend suggestions (Qualman, 2013, p. 78). Any company that wants to thrive in today’s social media age must accept that their brand is partially owned by consumers.  It is consumer stories that will resonate with future prospects and “companies need to shore up their products and services so that when social search is commonplace their brand is positioned to win a World of Mouth world” (Qualman, 2013, p. 75).  

I've included a video of Eric Qualman discussing Social Commerce if you would like to learn more! The section on Social Commerce begins at 07:30.

Reference

Qualman, E. (2013). Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business (2^nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ. 

Week 3 Forum Post - Strategic Communication

          In this week’s reading, Argenti et al. (2005) discuss the importance of developing a long-term and strategic approach to communicating with key constituencies. In addition to the sender, receiver, and channel used to share messages, this approach must be integrated and take into consideration the markets served, products and/or services offered, plans to develop and deliver those products and/or services, finances, and more (Argenti et al., 2005). I agree with the authors that open, honest, and frequent communication with key constituents is critical to the success of any organization.  A strategic communication plan that incorporates thoughtful and consistent messaging increases organizational transparency and credibility and in doing so puts the organization in a better position to achieve desired financial and behavioral outcomes.

          The idea that communication should be strategic and integrated applies to all internal and external messages. This includes marketing, advertising, public relations, and social media messages. Kotler and Keller (2012) argue that “marketing communications activities must be integrated to deliver a consistent message and achieve the strategic position” (Kotler & Keller, p. 501). It is important to consider that each constituency is impacted or influenced by different messages. Marketers must take this into consideration in every step of the communication process - from identifying the target audience and communication objective to designing the message and selecting the appropriate channel for the target audience. This allows marketers to judge each type of communication based on their ability to affect experiences and impressions, build customer loyaltyand brand equity, and drive sales (Kotler & Keller, 2012, p 501).

          Social media should be an important part of every organization’s communication strategy. One of the most important reasons for this is its accessibility. Social media is a quick and affordable way for organizations to share information. In addition, social media platforms in general provide audiences with opportunities to share feedback. As we learned in this week’s reading, “feedback from constituents determines the overall success of a communication and, more critically, the successful implementation of strategy in general” (Argenti et al., 2005, p. 87).  Overall, an effective IMC plan should improve an organization’s ability to reach the right audience with the right message at the right time and in the right place (Kotler and Keller, 2012).

References

Argenti, P.A., Howell, R.A., & Beck, K.A. (2005). The strategic communication imperative. MIT Sloan Management Review, 46 (3).

Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing management. (14th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson.

Week 2 Discussion COMI_610

After reading the first two chapters of Scott’s 2013 book on The new rules of marketing and public relations, I can say without hesitation that I agree with his proposal. Scott (2013) makes a valid point that in today’s society, when people have a problem or a need, they often look first to the internet for information on how to fill this need. During this internet visit consumers often seek out information from a source such as a company website, but they are also looking for third party endorsements before making a decision on how to fill said needs. Before Web 2.0 and the social media boom there were limited opportunities for two-way and segmented messaging to consumers and as a result one-way messages were used to blast company information to the masses. However, Scott tells us that today, “traditional advertising is generally so wide and broad that it is ineffective” (p. 17).

In addition, Scott teaches us that organizations no longer need to rely on the media to share their organizations’ message. While mainstream and trade media are important aspects of a larger PR program, there are easier and more efficient ways to reach buyers (Scott, 2013, p. 21). Social media and the web make it possible for organizations to share their own story.

I also think it is important to note that Scott still recognizes the value in traditional media. “I don’t mean to suggest that all organization should immediately drop their existing marketing and PR programs…there is room in many marketing and PR programs for traditional techniques” (Scott, 2013, p. 15). He is simply saying that as forms of communication and information sharing change and develop, so too must businesses who wish to remain relevant.  

Scott (2013) is correct in saying that the following two rules of marketing are old and need to be reevaluated: “advertising needed to appeal to the masses” and “advertising was one-way: company to consumer” (p. 18).

In general consumers are overwhelmed with advertisements. Unless a message is hitting the right consumer at a time when they are in need of a product or service, it is unlikely they will take action. This is why mass appeals are a thing of the past. Scott (2013) tells us that “as the costs of production and distribution fall, especially online, there is now less need to lump products and consumers into one-size-fits-all containers” (p. 30). One company who has had a great deal of success with target messaging is Amazon. A few clicks through Amazons website will result in a list of suggestions based on your current interest. If you make a purchase, you can expect a follow-up email asking about your satisfaction and suggestions for similar purchases. In relation to one-way advertising, targets are just a likely to learn about a company from someone in their social circle as they are to learn from the company itself. Social media has made sharing product and service experiences a popular way for consumers to get information. 

Scott is also correct in saying the following two rules of public relations are old and need to be reevaluated: “the only way to get ink and airtime was through the media” and “the only way to measure the effectiveness of press releases was through clip books, which noted each time the media deigned to pick up a company’s release” (p. 22).  As Scott (2013), says in chapter 2, “it’s not about clip books… it’s about reaching buyers (p. 35). Getting a story picked up by a news outlet doesn’t help a company if its target audience isn’t getting the message. Today “airtime” includes web and mobile impressions and any company can get them if they share a compelling and meaningful message to the right group at the right time.

The lessons shared by Scott in this reading will prove very helpful in my professional career. Whether managing my personal brand to that of an employer, an understanding of how social media can serve as a tool to keep brands relevant and top of mind is imperative.

Reference

Scott, D. M., (2013). The new rules of marketing & PR: How to use social media, online video, mobile applications, blogs, news releases & viral marketing to reach buyers directly (4^th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Welcome to my blog!

It's official! I'm a blogger!

This Social Media IMC Course is the perfect excuse to jump on the blogging band-wagon!

In case you missed my introduction in the iLearn forum, I've included it again below:

I am looking forward to beginning another course with Dr. Van Dyke. But, I’m even more excited to begin the final semester of this IMC program!

I am a Marist alumna from the Class of 2004. I graduated with a BA in Communication and concentration in Public Relations. From there, I moved out to Normal, Illinois, for a two-year MA program at Illinois State University. My Master’s is in Organizational Communication. While at ISU, I taught public speaking as part of a teaching-assistantship. Oddly enough, I am terrified of public speaking.

After finishing my Master’s, I returned home to Massachusetts where I worked as a Marketing Coordinator for the New England Patriots for two seasons. I was fortunate enough to staff Super Bowl 42 as a member of the Patriots advance travel team. I returned to Poughkeepsie in 2008 when I was offered a position in the Office of College Advancement. I currently serve as an Associate Director for Alumni and Donor Programs. I’m really excited for this course in particular because my role involves some oversight of the Advancement Office’s social media accounts.

On a personal note, I met my husband Travis at Marist when we were seniors. We married on campus in 2010 and he currently works in the Athletics Department at Marist. He is also in this IMC program and class. We love traveling and taking day trips to wineries in the beautiful Hudson Valley!

Good luck to each of you this semester!

I look forward to crossing the graduation stage with many of you in May!