Many people including the author use multiple social media vehicles, using them differently based on the functions and characteristics of each vehicle and how to leverage and integrating them all requires strategic approach.
The author had written many articles that introduce social media realized by web 2.0 technologies and that present strategic integrated communication leveraging Internet (websites and social media) and traditional media for online and offline synergies and therefore there are some overlaps from such articles.
In this article, she would like to summarize how 5 major social media vehicles of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and YouTube are effectively used in attributing to what characteristics of each.
1. Twitter
Twitter is likely to be used to collect and share information, and monitoring reputation and interests of the public, attributing to the following characteristics unique to Twitter.
As in the case of the author, she has been doing so with 2 Twitter accounts. One is @MegOyanagi for worldwide audience (English speaking community) and the other one @MOyanagiJP for Japanese audience (Japanese speaking community). With two different accounts, she could compare what has been said about the Japan disaster in Japan and outside Japan, by western media in particular.
1) Multiple accounts acceptable by a single user
This is means an organization or an individual can open multiple accounts according to their segmented target audience. The user then will be able to share information that better meets needs of the segmented target audience.
2) Large network
In most cases, the Twitter network (the number of people connected i.e. following or being followed) is the greatest among all social network by 1 digit or more. This makes Twitter ideal for “broadcasting” of contents.
3) Use of hash tags
This allows people on twitter to search and access to contents that are not necessarily tweeted by people they follow, meaning wider source of information to access with a clear objective and appropriate key word(s). This is what the author did to gather online articles about effect of the Japan disaster on global economy.
This function also makes Twitter ideal for monitoring reputation of specific brand(s), organization(s), individual(s) and topic(s).
2. Facebook
Facebook is likely to be used to share and exchange with connections/online friends what is happening around themselves and additional information and views on updates for the following unique characteristics of Facebook.
It was from Facebook friends that the author obtained live information about how the “planned” blackout has been affecting everyday lives as well as businesses and how goods had “disappeared” from shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores in Kanto region because of the Japan disaster.
1) Threads with little word limitation
Threads with records is what distinguished SNS (e.g. Facebook) from microblogging (e.g. Twitter) and allows users easily develop chain of threads which turn out to be a discussion as users sharing and exchanging information, opinions and views from a post.
Also, unlike Twitter for example (with limit of 140 characters), there is little limitation in the volume of updates and comments in Facebook. If the user would like to post a very long update he/she can do so by posting as “notes”.
2) Photos
Photos can be uploaded with an update, which is visible without clicking on the photo to open the link. Therefore the author could understand at a glance from her news feeds what was going on in Kanto that would have been difficult to understand just by online articles of mass media from updates of her Facebook friends in Kanto area with photos of the train station platform flooded with people going to work or school, outdoor in the middle of Tokyo at night without sufficient lighting, empty shelves of a supermarket etc.
3) Fan page / Group
This allows users to build an online community with a clear common value, objective and/or interest. Threads/discussions of a group would strengthen the value and message of the group and therefore communication tends to be more of drilling down on a topic and can be extremely strategic and effective.
It was by joining a group to raise 5 billion yen to save Japan immediately after break out of the disaster that the author obtained in-depth, pin-point critical information about what is said by western media difficult to obtain from other sources.
3. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is also a SNS so it is quite similar to Facebook, positioned as often said as “business version of Facebook, global online community of business professionals” for the characteristics below. They are also the reason why it is mostly from LinkedIn that specific business deals (e.g. new opportunity, consulting/support offer/request, partnership) are requested, discussed and accepted.
In the case of the Japan disaster it was from a LinkedIn connection located in Europe that she has a message explicitly offering any help, specifying the channels he could leverage such as access to Japanese community in his country as well as his 3,400+ LinkedIn connections. She asked him to spread and convey her message leveraging his possible channels that Japan is doing what it can do but urgently needs aids around the globe explaining the status in Japan.
1) Profile is an online resume
What distinguishes LinkedIn from many other social media its profile page. The format and content is of resume including work history, education and awards which is why LinkedIn is often called “an online resume”. More information can be incorporated because the page allows making links to website(s) and social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook).
The author has been leveraging this page by attaching links/URL of her LinkedIn profile page in English social media (Twitter, Facebook etc.) and in her hard copy resume. This makes her online friends better understand who the author, facilitating her to be authentic and gain credibility.
2) Functions and applications directly related to business (e.g. job postings, LinkedIn profile is online resume
Easy to understand examples include presentation function and “jobs you might be interested in”. Some people leverage presentation function to upload documents explaining their business and/or appealing their expertise, achievements and so forth, anything that helps them win credibility. “Jobs you might be interested in” facilitates employers and hiring managers in their recruitment and job seekers in finding and landing on an opportunity.
3) Limited language localization
Compared to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn language localization is limited and Japanese is not yet available (to arrive in June?). Currently profiles in Japanese can be created but either English or Japanese profile page must be chosen and discussions, commenting etc. cannot be in Japanese. Therefore in reality English would have to be used to leverage LinkedIn similarly in global meetings and conferences of the international community.
This is probably why it is only a few Japanese bilinguals who are truly comfortable communicating in English in international community that register, network and join groups and their discussions, and this is why the author have only a few Japanese friends on LinkedIn.
4. Blogs and YouTube
Blogs are ideal to discuss and express views on a topic of the blogger’s interest and/or expertise for the reasons below. Basic concept of YouTube is the same as blogs just that the content is in moving pictures (video) unlike blogs in text. Both media can be used in variety of settings for variety of targets and are often used together with other social media as embedded links to drive web users to the two media.
The author has been leveraging blogs and YouTubes to express her view and/or understand those of others, recently regarding the Japan disaster in particular.
1) Little limit to lengths = volume of content
Blob posts can be as short as a few hundred words to thousand pages of multiple pages and YouTube can be as short as 10 seconds to over 10 minutes.
2) Flexibility in design and style
Although the degree may depend on the blog platform, background, design and layout can be very creative and more flexible than other social media and the style can be from formal and businesslike to casual and personal. Being such a rich media YouTube can be even more innovative with creativity.
5. The author’s final thoughts
Understanding the characteristics of each social media is one of IT literacy skill and is a requirement to leverage them all at maximum and to strategically integrating them, which allows quick access to valuable and helpful information and efficient information sharing delivering strong, effective message. This was prominent when there is a strong objective and topic of information sharing such as the Japan disaster.
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