Chapter 8 Social Media

Question 1

What are the seven key points for using social media in business communication?

Answer 1

1. Remember it’s a conversation, not a lecture or sales pitch- Social media is for interaction and conversation, not simply being fed information.
2. Write informally but not carelessly- Write like a person, not like a robot (write emotively), but check for grammar issues (write logically & coherently)
3. Create concise, specific, and informative headlines- Be straightforward, avoid witticisms to increase understanding
4. Get involved, stay involved- Make presence felt, don’t shy away from complaints, criticisms, just address them and use them to make improvements
5. Promote Inidrectly- Blatant promotion when conversing is a turn off. Save those specifically for advertisements, but not when interacting with someone on a social level( getting to know them)
6. Be transparent and honest- Be honest about who you are, who you are affiliated with and what you are about.
7. Think Before you Post- Check posts for inappropriate and inaccurate information; as well as incorrect grammar

Question 2

What is a social network?

Answer 2

Online service that helps people and organizations form connections and share information

Question 3

What are the 3 Categories of Social Networks?

Answer 3

Public, General-Purpose Networks: Eg. Instagram, Twitter

Public, Specialised Networks: LinkedIn

Private Networks: Companies make their own social networks- Red Robin uses Yammer, Optarus Intranet 2.0

Question 4

Business Communication Uses of Social Networks

Answer 4

1. Integrating company workforces
2. Fostering collaboration
3. Building communities
4. Socializing brands and companies.
5. Understanding target markets.
6. Recruiting employees and business partners.
7. Connecting with sales prospects.
8. Supporting customers.
9. Extending the organization.
10. Crowdspeaking

Question 5

What are the Strategies for Business Communication on Social Networks?

Answer 5

1. Choose the best compositional mode that fits context -

The message, purpose, and type of network. Look at message types in different networks. Informal language- personal Facebook post, but formal for a company update

2. Offer Valuable content
3. Join Existing Conversations
4. Anchor online presence in your hub- Have a central place for all your social media, content, information about you; a place where you can control information
5. Facilitate Community Building- Make it easier for customers and other audiences to connect with you and others
6. Restrict Conventional promotional efforts to right place and time- Don’t do blatant promotion when social networking, it’s a turn off
7. Maintain a consistent personality- each platform has a different “culture”, but companies must still maintain their identify

Question 6

What are Content Sites

Answer 6

Systems made with the central focus of putting out information. conversation is still possible, but main aim is to publish information

Question 7

What are User Generated Content Sharing sites?

Answer 7

Sites in which the users create most of the content rather than the creator of the platform

Question 8

What are some advantages of UGC

Answer 8

Create Value- Influencial persons influence consumer behavior
Create space for Sharing- Allow for voting, endorsements, poster sharing by audience

Question 9

What are Content Curation Cites

Answer 9

Sites that provide links to useful information so reader can easily access information

Content Curation: Gathering, Filtering, organizing information, and providing additional resources for the convenience of the reader

-Pinterest, Slideshare, Listly

Question 10

What are some characteristics of Content Curation Sites? (not what it is)

Answer 10

• Guide audiences to relevant content
• Are easy to use
• Can create value(for customers/themselves- through user support) as Industry Expert

Question 11

What Must content Curation sites Be aware of?

Answer 11

Ethical and Legal Concerns:

Plagiarism- Give credit to where it is due in the correct format

Expected competency: In claiming to be a content curation site, you are claiming to have amassed knowledge and are knowledgeable enough to present it in an accurate but understandable way. Therefore, you must live up to the expectation

Question 12

What are community Q and A sites?

Answer 12

A web application that allows random users to ask and respond to each other’s questions.

Example: Quora, Yahoo Answers

Question 13

Using Community Q and A sites Can:

Answer 13

• Build personal Brand- Maing presence felt
• Demonstrate Commitment to Customer Service- through giving necessary assistance
• Counter Misinformation: Provide clarity, correct information

Question 14

What is a Blog?

Answer 14

A personalized online journal

• A place where you can routinely post your own views on what is happening around you; using any writing style you choose

Question 15

What are its 3 functions in a business context?

Answer 15

Providing information quickly
Reaching audience in a personal way
Retaining Audience

Question 16

What are some strategies to use when doing Business Blogging?

Answer 16

• Use Personal Style, Authentic Voice
• Deliver New Info quickly
• Choose topics of interest (Not limited to business themes)
• Encourage Audiences to Join Conversation- Integrate the use of comment features

Question 17

State some ways Businesses Use Blogs

Answer 17

• Anchor for social media Presence
• Project Management
• Internal Company News
• Customer Support
• Public and Media Relations

Question 18

Three-step writing process for blogs

Answer 18

Plan- audience profile, the purpose of the message, scope

Write- Style, write a message with audience in mind (literacy levels, expectations, perceptions etc.) (choose strong words that make the message easy to understand and effective in fulfilling the purpose

Complete- Evaluate, proofread, post

Question 19

What are some business uses of microblogs?

Answer 19

• Customer service tool
• Social Networking and Crowdsourcing
• Integration of other Social Media: the # feature makes topics easily searchable on other platforms
• Encourage Spontaneously Communication:
• Integral Part of Overall Communication Strategy: Used in promoting, informing, and engaging customers

Question 20

State Some Tips for Effective Business Blogging and Microblogging

Answer 20

1. Don’t blog without a clear plan
2. Post frequently, but don’t overwhelm the audience
3. Keep Posts brief
4. Listen and Learn- carefully reflect on what is said in the comments and see where your company needs to improve/ what should be done

Question 21

Approaches to Composition of Microblogs(Considers these in What to write:)

Answer 21

Severe Length Limits

Short Summaries with Links (what to write)

Social Aspects (looking at sharing back and forth with each other)- Twitter is good for crowdsourcing research questions: that is to ask one’s followers(their audience) for advice/input

Promotion and Teasers (what to write)

Question 22

What is a Wiki?

Answer 22

A website or database developed collaboratively by a community of users, allowing any user to add and edit content.

Question 23

To be a valuable wiki contributor, you must:

Answer 23

●● Let go of traditional expectations of authorship, including individual recognition and control.

●● Encourage all team members to improve each other’s work.

●● Use page templates and other formatting options to make sure your content matches the rest of the wiki.

●● Many wikis provide both editing and commenting capabilities, and participants should use the appropriate tool for each. In other words, don’t insert comments or questions into the main content; use the “talk page” or other commenting feature if you want to discuss the content.

●● Take advantage of the sandbox, if available; this is a “safe,” nonpublished section of the wiki where team members can practice editing and writing

Question 24

How to adapt the three-step process for successful wiki writing

Answer 24

If creating a new Wiki: Think of the long term purpose of the wiki (like you would for a youtube channel). It helps you to make appropriate guidelines, give appropriate editorial oversight, and security policies

If adding to existing wiki: Ensure Content fits with existing wiki, if similar info is already added. Learn when to add new material (wiki’s with certain features discourage editing before work is “fairly complete and accurate”

If revising/updating existing wiki consider:
What is the purpose of this document or message?

●● Who is the target audience?
●● What information does the audience need?
●● Does the document provide this information in a well-organized way? ●● Does the writing demonstrate the “you” attitude toward the audience? ●● Is the tone of the writing appropriate for the audience?
●● Can the readability be improved?
●● Is the writing clear? If not, how can it be improved?
●● Is the writing as concise as it could be?
●● Does the design support the intended message?

Question 25

What do you do when you disagree with wiki content?

Answer 25

Use the wiki’s discussion facility to share your concerns with other contributors. Be Respectful.