Social Media Communication (2015)

Concepts, Practices, Data, Law and EthicsNew York and London: Routledge

Social Media Influencers

Influence and trust – concepts depend upon strength and character of individual or organization social networks and branding

Focus on source and message credibility

Return on Investment (ROI) is found in the data

We are Brands and Media

“We live in a time where brands are people and people are brands” – Brian Solis (@briansolis,

2013)

By developing strategies through planning and creating tactics, it is possible to avoid social media pitfalls and serve many goals within media and other organizations

#Sandy was a “social storm”

Rapid diffusion of social media over a few short years changed job roles for news reporters, PR people, marketers and others

Engagement Communities

People form social groups, sometimes seek out influencers and gauge social trends

When it comes to breaking news events and real-time social engagement, split-second decisions made by professionals frequently miss the mark

CMC users create online identities, interact and engage with others, participate in online communities, and may activate groups to respond

Crowd Storytelling

Twitter, may trigger crowd sourcing in which audiences piece together bits of information into a larger narrative for storytelling

Blogging blurs the lines between news and opinion

Interaction and conversation monitoring itself may be a driver for social change

Trust is a relational dimension that may be connected with social interaction and shared values

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth (WOM) has become an important marketing phrase for brands wanting to spread word through a growing group of followers and fans

Customer “evangelism” is free advertising by authentic customers who engaged with others as trusted spokespeople

We live in a multi-screen world in which user attention is split between many screens

Media Literacy

Some are turning to media literacy as a way to explore best practices of journalists and PR people

In order to effectively engage within a social network, strategies and tactics must constantly return to concerns about online trust and influence.