Social Media As an Agent for Change

Over the last year protest against government corruption have broke out all over the country of Brazil. Social media strategist, Lauren Moberst describes this movement as a social media fueled revolution (Moberst, 2013). Citizens are using it to get information out, establish demonstrations and strike awareness. They feel as if the public media has misrepresented them as extremist with no cause and so they are using tools such as memes, gifs, and videos to accurately depict the reality. Memes are describe by Knobel & Lankshear as viral marketing utilized to encourage social phenomena (Knobel & Lankshear, 2007). These are posted to sites such as Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine and YouTube. The videos posted give a strong idea to the mass of citizens that these messages are reaching. Some videos have literally thousands of people in the streets dissenting the current administration. One representation even shows Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg pictured on Instagram with a snipit for change. This really proves how far reaching the hand of social media is. For people to rise even if not in direct connection with the country is a great statement. As you can see in the stats below Brazil is becoming a very amplified in social media use.

 A demonstrator holds a Brazilian national flag during a protest in downtown Rio de Janeiro  Photo: CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images

References

Knobel, M., & Lankshear, C. (2007). Online memes, affinities, and cultural production. A new literacies sampler (pp. 199-227). New York: P. Lang. Retrieved from 
http://literacyandtech.pbworks.com/f/Text.pdf#page=11  

Moberst, L. (2013). Social Media Engages the World in the #ChangeBrazil Movement. Retrieved from http://dashburst.com/change-brazil-protests-social-media/

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Protecting Your Brand

The Forbes Twitter account was researched for the project. This company posts to the social media forum multiple times per day. It seems as if most posts are every hour on the hour, even through the weeks end. They often display business tips, encouragements, trends and diverse topics on financials. Messaged are intended to reach a broad audience, from football to psychology. In my opinion, this organization pushes the use of Twitter to its limit. They recognize the importance of assortment but post so frequently that it is hard to maintain a general interest. Instead of making a connection it comes across as a blatant occupation. Charlene Kingston, social media examiner, notes that Twitter is a great tool to get out short ideas or statements that compliment your brand (Kingston, 2013). On a negative note, the @forbes didn’t seem to be retweeted compared to the amount of original tweets. This would mean a good bit of the information isn’t striking enough, or high in popularity and interest, to be shared.

Reference

Kingston, C. (2013). How to Use Twitter for Business and Marketing. Retrieved from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-twitter-for-business-and-marketing/

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E-Mail Marketing

Hello Friends,

A Journey Through The Fields is getting ready to ramp up for 2014. Join us to see what the family will be accomplishing. We are going to cover a lifestyle change for the Fields’ by getting in shape and eating healthy. They’ll be new recipes and experiences to share. See what Addison and Kadence get into while taking on their new adventure as horse owners. Laugh and cry with Bama and Cassie as they learn what the farm life is all about while juggling family, career, marriage and a social life. Even more exciting is that there will be great giveaways for commenting readers throughout the year. Better stay tuned in,  you never know what kind of journey is next.

2013 Rewind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35A3wxq2R1I

Check us out on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/cassie.d.fields 

Follow us on Instagram @cassiefields04

Follow us on Twitter @CassieFields04

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Researching an Organization

Online retailer, Zappos markets footwear, clothing and other apparel accessories. Zappos was founded in 1999 by Nick Swinmurm; they specialize in oddly sized, wide & narrow and unique footwear. Shoes account for about 80% of their business. Eventually the growth of the online retailer led to a buyout by Amazon in 2008.

Zappos has made various achievements but can also be recognized for their social media involvement. They put prominence on generating legitimate relations with their followers and patrons. See a capture of their website below. It lists all of the primary social media connections. They ask for customer email addresses for newsletter receipt and discount information. A patron can follow Zappos on Instagram, which provides a visual connection with the products and trends. There are also other quick links to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the Zappos blog.

Let’s focus on their Facebook site and its effectiveness for a moment. We can see that all roads intertwine. No matter what outlet you visit there is always the opposing connection. Zappos specifically asks their customers to be a “like-like” relationship. First you are asked to like their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/zappos, and then it leads to adding your email to their bulk mailings and circles to other outlets, so forth. This is an effective way to make sure that customers are getting notification through as many outlets as they favor. US & World News Reporter, Kimberly Palmer describes the Chief Executive Tony Hsieh as an “avid Twitterer” (Palmer, 2010).

They also employ a tactic that provides a specific set of content only after a patron becomes a fan. It seems or becomes exclusive for those who enter or sometimes share. A requested comments section lets a customer share their opinions about products they’ve seen or purchased, which become unpaid advertisement. Also, they focus on making a customer the spotlight each week calling it “fan of the week” which encourages further connection and assures the patrons that the customer is primary.

In the nature of improvement I could suggest that Zappos move into a video media platform as well. An idea that I like but am not sure exists is a widget where customers could leave live testimonials. A customer could log in and post a video to be reviewed by the company and the company could in turn post it to one of their media platforms. People like to see the body language in a testimonial; in times it speaks more truth than the words. It also shows that everyday Americans are enjoying the conveniences of ordering from their homes with success.

Palmer, K. (2010). The Secrets to Zappos’ Success. US News and World Report. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/articles/2010/08/10/the-secrets-to-zappos-success

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So cool and in school

This quarter in college I am taking Communication Through Media and Technology. This type of course in imperative to my communication minor. Safko refers to Ridley’s suggestion of being connectable to multiple media markets (Safko, 2012). With all of the technology and advancements today it is important to become familiar with different media outlets and how to use them properly.

            My intention is to ramp up my personal blog again. There are useful suggestions in my course text that point a blogger to success. Lon Safko suggests that we consider 50 Rapid Fire Tips for Power Blogging put together by David Risley (Safko, 2012). By asking unrestricted questions and using memorable headings I can attract more readers and keep them interested. Also, if I post often and use visual it will help make a bond with my audience. After completing this class I hope t have the knowledge to effective communicate within various social and professional media marketplaces.

References

           

Safko, L. (2012). The social media bible: Tactics, tools, and strategies for business success (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

           

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