Pages 29-41 of Design to Thrive
discuss why it is important to invest in social media. One reason is that
social networks improve decision-making processes by creating “epistemic communities,”
which are academic or professional communities that have particular ways of
validating knowledge. I find it very interesting that countries, when sending
negotiating teams to hash out agreements or treaties, send representatives from
the same disciplinary tradition (epistemic community). This is because members
of epistemic communities share a common epistemological framework, meaning they
share a similar set of procedures for making decisions. This allows work to be
done with greater efficiency. While I never thought about this before, it makes
perfectly good sense.
Social networks also preserve institutional knowledge. Howard uses the
example of MATRF (Multimedia Authoring Teaching and Research Facility) and its
100% annual turnover rate. This turnover rate is due to the fact that the
facility is staffed each year by a different set of first-year graduate
students. Information could easily be lost every year; however, since online
communities are utilized, information is protected and preserved.
Another reason why it is important to invest in social media revolves
around the fact that online communities allow for interaction between managers,
employees, and customers. Such interaction can lead to stronger relationships
and better products/services. Social networks also cut travel costs. For
example, if I am the CEO of a company with multiple locations, it would be very
costly for me to travel to each location to meet with various employees.
Instead, I can use an online community to deliver information and materials to
the employees without ever having to leave my office.
Pages 40-58 of Secrets of Social
Media Marketing discuss how to use various social media to ultimately grow
one’s business. This section of the book talks about how an individual can use
advanced searched to save time when searching for information. Gillin also
describes the purpose of specialized search engines. For example, Technorati
and Blogpulse are search engines that focus specifically on blogs. Tips are
given regarding what to type into search engine boxes in order to obtain the
best results. It is important for business owners and marketing managers to
realize that there are many ways to acquire information on the internet. In
other words, Google isn’t the only way!
Gillin’s Secrets of Social Media
Marketing is very appealing to me. It provides useful information that I
can immediately apply to my endeavors. The book also gives many examples that
help facilitate learning.
Thx, Raven. Appreciate the kind words. Hopefully, when you manage your group after graduation, you'll be able to use this info to build a strong dept. 8)
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That part you mentioned about the MATRF’s annual turnover rate was something that caught my eye. While the facility is in a position to lose the data, as you suggested, they avoid the loss and turn instead to online communities. That got me thinking. What if the communities weren’t online but rather, handwritten? While I’m an English major and believe strongly in the importance of print in all its glory, it’s hard to ignore the growing benefits of electronics and the digital world. A handwritten log of information is less protected, and more easily misplaced. That’s just cold facts there.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about how online communities are one of the major reasons why people should invest in social media. The point of online communities, at least how I view them, is to help people develop relationships and strengthen existing relationships. Developing personal relationships within social media networks has been an ongoing theme within the readings in "Design to Thrive". I think the reason for this is simply because developing personal relationships with people can allow for more success when using social media to market. Even off of social media sites and the Internet in general, developing and building personal relationships with the right kind of people can further advance someone's business or career.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your thoughts on how much social communities can preserve. I think a lot of people, especially older people, think social communities and networks are silly, a waste of time and destructive. However, it is quite the opposite. Like you discussed: nothing gets lost on the internet so when people leave a job, their knowledge and insight can be left behind. It is weird to imagine how much insight we are missing from before the "age of social communities" or even before the Internet. The other part of your response that I enjoyed was how social networks can really bring a CEO down to the roots of his or her company. This creates a more positive interaction between levels of a company because those at the very bottom feel somewhat connected to those at the very top, all thanks to social communities.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with everything you have to say Raven. One of the topics that particularly stood out to me was the one where you mentioned how online communities can strengthen and allow for more effective communication between workers. Online communities provide a great place to exchange ideas quickly and easily, as well as getting feedback on ideas when the workday is over. It's just a great place for one idea to spread to a lot of people, without having to physically meet up in person.
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