Introduction to Social Media Network PDF

Introduction to Social Media Network ISM 313  Class Two: Categories/Forms of Social Media 2  Class Objectives Revise class one Identify various forms/categories of social media Access the characteristics of certain platforms in the vario...

Introduction to Social Media Network ISM 313  Class Two: Categories/Forms of Social Media 2  Class Objectives Revise class one Identify various forms/categories of social media Access the characteristics of certain platforms in the various categories Discuss best practices and common usage of each platform Introduce the group project for the course 3  A brief reminder “Social media employ mobile and web- based technologies to create highly interactive platforms via which individuals and communities connect, share, co- create, discuss, and modify user-generated content (UGC).” (Kietzmann, Hermkens, McCarthy, & Silvestre, 2011). 4  Categories of social media The various attributes and mechanism of social media determine their category. As identified in the last class?? Some scholars identified two bases for categorizing social media (Zhu & Chen, 2015). These are: – Nature of connection – Level of customizing the messages These two defining characteristics lead to four categories of social media (Garg & Pahuja, 2020). As follows: – Relationship – Self-media – Creative Outlet – Collaboration 5 Relationship: It represents those platforms that help people build a relationship with individuals and society at large and personally. – This category is well exemplified by the platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Self-media are also profile-based platforms with the service of managing their own social media communication channel. – The best example is Twitter. 6 Creative Outlets are those platforms that are content- based and allow users to show their personal interests and talent. – Examples of these platforms are TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Collaboration platforms are content-based which helps in building a community of like-minded people coming together and sharing questions, advice, news, and content of the day. – Examples of this are Pinterest, WhatsApp groups, and Facebook groups. 7 Forms and characteristics of Social Media  Also importantly, social media platforms are categorized based on the form and manner of usage.  Some of these are not unique to any platform but might be more prominent on one than another.  These are: – Blogs – Micro-blogging – Social networking sites – Social discussion sites – Social review sites – Wikis – Virtual Social Worlds – Media Sharing – Livecasting – Publish – Gaming – Search – Audiovisual 8  Blogs The word blog is an acronym for Weblog Blogs provide focused discussions around a general theme A medium for self-expression and communication Blogs include comment sections which makes them interactive Popular blogs are regularly updated Examples are Linda Ikeji, Bella Naija, Zikoko, SISIYEMMIE, Instablog9ja, etc. 9  Micro-blogging A short message broadcast offering real- time updates to “followers”. Formerly 140-character limit, now 280 Allow users to share short messages which could be in the form of text, links, audio, video, GIF, or any other multimedia format X (formerly Twitter) is the most popular micro-blogging site A convenient substitute for email newsletters or press releases 10  Social Networking Sites (SNSs) The most common types of social media forms Users create profiles and pages Designed to allow people to find and connect with other users who share common interests and similar backgrounds – Friends interact with one another, even beyond their personal network – text, video, audio, articles, games, groups, causes, etc. Easy and cheaper means of mass communication They consist of features such as ‘Like’, ‘Follow’, ‘Share’, and ‘Favorite’ Social network sites are developed based on the six degrees of separation theory Examples are Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok 11  Social Discussion Sites Allow users to collaborate and share information about certain types of content. The content shared on these sites is built around themes and topics in a manner that anyone is free to ask a question or make a statement. Specifically designed to spark a conversation Examples are: 12  Social Review sites These platforms display reviews from community members for all sorts of services, products, locations and experiences. Popular examples are: – Yelp (for local businesses) – TripAdvisor (for travel services and other attractions) – Cars.com (for automotive services) – Google Business Profile (formerly Googly My Business) for general reviews 13  Wikis Open-source ultimate online mass collaboration tool Wikis are sites that allow users to collaborate in the creation of content – to share their knowledge and expertise The term originated from the Hawaiian word “wiki wiki," which means "fast" – Examples of Wikis are Wikipedia, Familypedia, and Wikihow Their open nature makes them prone to unverified misleading information Sometimes, inaccurate information is identified and corrected by other community members 14  Virtual Social Worlds Virtual setting, created through digital technologies (4iR) 3D Real-time virtual social interactions similar to real life Mimics living freely in the physical world, with individual preferences Multiple individuals can inhabit virtually Examles of such platforms are: WorldsAway, Dreamscape, Cityspace, The Palace 15  Media Sharing Platforms Just as the name implies, media-sharing sites allow users to share different types of media content. The sites are optimised for uploading specific file formats Popular examples are YouTube, Vimeo, Pixabay, etc. 16  Social Media Best Practices All social media platforms have unique characteristics that make them suitable for different purposes Social media platforms are designed to be scalable (i.e. with the potential to be extended to do more things) Guidelines exist to help users maximize the use of different social media platforms 17  …Social Media Best Practices Three billion active users as of August 2023 (statista.com) Approximately 85.2% of daily active users are outside the U.S. and Canada (Facebook.com) Popular with the Gen X and Y users If your objective is to reach a mass market, Facebook will be a useful tool for targeting your audience. Users are often interested in preserving old relationships and building new networks Content is geared towards entertainment and information 18  …Social Media Best Practices X is a micro-blogging social media site that allows users to pass their message across using 280 characters About 354M monthly active users as of Q2 2022 (Statista.com) A very good tool for social and political engagement Generally, has a wide appeal for provoking conversations on different topics of interest Helps brands connect better with relevant stakeholders X functions effectively as a news platform and it ranks high for breaking news – Useful tool for driving viral content X is an effective tool for sharing blog posts and promoting website content 19  …Social Media Best Practices The world’s largest professional networking site, – for professionals and corporate establishments Mainly used for B2B social networks, but can also be B2C Recently witnessed a 20% increase in visual engagement LinkedIn Pulse was launched in 2015 for publishing and reading top stories and the latest industry news The content shared on LinkedIn should be professional and formal 20  …Social Media Best Practices Leading Android app downloaded in the Google PlayStore worldwide in June 2023 (Statista.com) A highly visual network that allows users to share images (using filters) and short videos IG offers a lot of appeal to celebrities and owners of strong visual brands Instagram ranks high as an effective tool for user engagement 21  …Social Media Best Practices YouTube is a video-sharing platform Over 150 million hours of video are watched on YouTube every day YouTube allows users to create playlists to keep their audience engaged 22  …Social Media Best Practices TikTok One of the fastest-growing social media platforms worldwide – mainly for entertainment 3.5BN downloads in Aug. 2023 (Statista.com) In the second quarter of 2024 alone, TikTok generated around 252 million downloads from users worldwide Originally targeted at teenagers Users create short videos with music, filters, and some other features - users express themselves creatively Stimulated competition for IG reels and YouTube shorts 23 24  Group Project Each group will identify a distinct course to promote on a dedicated social media platform (a page created for this purpose). – The course can be a social campaign, product promotion, marketing, etc. The activities will be for three months towards the end of the class after which there will be a group presentation. Grading will be based on the quality of ideas, team composition, consistency, and participation, content ideation and creation, level of followership and engagement, reporting and presentation, etc. 25  Suggested Reading 1. The Social Media Bible, Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success by Safko, L., and Brake, D. K. (2009) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2. Social Media: Concept, Role, Categories, Trends, Social Media and AI, Impact on Youth, Careers, Recommendations by Priyanka Garg, Saloni Pahuja 26