Week 3 Blog

Social Media Impact

One of the coolest parts of growing up in this era is the craze of social media, no doubt about it. It's new and that's what makes the impact that much cooler. People aren't really sure where or how far it will take us. It has so much potential.

That potential, unfortunately, has a cost. Facebook and soon Twitter have all undergone major changes throughout their history and a big reason for that is the amount of money they make. 

Twitter and Facebook are always trying to stay up to date and active with their users. But the marketing also has a say and some businesses think that will cost them. 

I personally don't think this is going to slow down social media marketing. Social media is a machine and people will see what they want to see regardless of what is attempting to get in their way. Sure, people will start geting annoyed when Twitter follows Facebook's route and starts trying to tell you what's most important to read, but I can't see it slowing down Twitter to be anything newsworthy. Twitter will listen to the people if it ever got to that point. At least I have to believe that. The article states that Google has already taken away privileges from its free users, and this could happen with Twitter. But at the same time, it's not going to slow down social media marketing. It's simply the way of the future. And people adapt, especially when it comes to social media and all the innovative creations though its powers.

Week 2 Blog Topic

Social Media within a Company

Asking whether a CEO of a company should be using social media is a broad question. Many scenarios point to it being absolutely fine, and even at times beneficial, while other scenarios point to it being on the negative side. 

A person using social media needs to realize they are always under a microscope. How they tweet is how the public may portray them, regardless if they or their brand is completely different than how that CEO tweets.

As long as the CEO of theta company realizes that, there shouldn't be a problem with a CEO having and using social media. Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks owner, is active on Twitter and because of it, the popularity of his team always remains high. 

If I was asked to advise the CEO of my company on how to use social media, the first thing I would ask him is who he wants his intended audience to be. If it was for people 40+, I would tell him to keep it very professional and detail oriented. On the other hand, if the intended audience was for people 18-30, there would be a good chance that I would advise him to make it humous and as interactive as possible. That would include using notable hashtags, like #tbt, meaning throwback Thursday, and tweet funny/meaningful pictures from the past every Thursday. 

Social media is a powerful tool and isn't something that should be shied away from. When used correctly, it can really enhance your notoriety, which in the end, is good for business. 

Blog Post 1

Grant Bosiacki

Is Social Media a double-edged sword?

            Social media is clearly taking over people’s lives. Look at the average college student. It’s really not that uncommon for a student sitting right next to you in class to have over 10,000 tweets. 10,000. That’s a lot of time spent in the “Twittererse.”

            Social media is most definitely a double-edged sword. It’s used for many good purposes, but can also be seen as something bad. A picture used to be worth 1,000 words, and it still may be, but what’s growing ever so quickly is the simple click. Twitter accounts want the clicks!

            Twitter brings people together. It’s a way for people to communicate; it’s a way for news to be shared. These are the reasons Twitter is so popular. There has to be a reason it has over 250 million users.

            The good side of the sword is easy to see and if used correctly, that side of the sword should be the most prevalent. The pros, like stated above, are that it’s a way to communicate. Twitter and Facebook make it east to message someone, especially if you don’t have their pone number. It’s a very quick, efficient way to find out abut breaking news. Last Friday it was announced that Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings running back, had a warrant for his arrest for child abuse. Before any news station announced this over the air, most NFL fans were already notified. That’s because it spread on Twitter like a forest fire. Within minutes, the whole world knew. Social media is also powerful enough to send a notification to your phone. You don’t even need to open Twitter now. Your phone just sends it to you! You can also help network with potential work partners or future job openings. LinkedIn helps meet numerous people to help set you up with a job and show what you’ve already done.

            The negatives can be seen. Once you get past the trolls, you can get there are others that just aren’t smart about social media. As much as social media can help you in your professional life, it can hurt you twice as badly. Using profane language or posting an unprofessional picture of you on the web can get you fired in the blink of an eye. The message is clear: be smart.

            Social media is meant to be a helpful tool. If you are careful with how you brand yourself on social media, the sword should be lopsided in favor of the good side.