Lecture 11 Flashcards
Social media
Platforms that enable people to communicate, interact, and share content online.
Any communication between people that is mediated through technology.
Platforms built on Web 2.0 technologies, allowing dynamic, interactive, and participatory communication.
- Many-to-many communication: Content is public and reaches a wider audience than one-on-one interactions.
- User-generated content: Anyone can create, share, and interact with content, making the medium participatory (bottom-up medium),.
- Persistence: Content typically stays online unless designed otherwise (e.g., Snapchat).
- Editability: Content can often be edited or commented on, making platforms like Wikipedia a form of social media.
Building blocks of social media
Specific functionalities that different social media platforms can offer
1. Identity
2. sharing
3. conversations
4. presence
5. relationships
6. reputation
7. groups
Identity
The extent to which users reveal their identity and present themselves
impression management/strategic self-representation
Users can strategically shape how they present themselves
cues given vs. cues given off
- Cues given: Information users consciously share, such as profile pictures or posts.
- Cues given off: Unintentional or indirect information, like browsing behavior, tagged photos, or content posted by others.
→ Example: Your likes, mouse behavior, or tagged photos on Facebook contribute to your online identity, often without your awareness.
Opportuntities for organizations - identity
- Self-Promotion: Build and manage a strong brand image. Showcase expertise, knowledge, and skills.
- Brand Ambassadors: Use employees as corporate influencers to represent the organization positively.
- Personalized Advertising: Leverage user identity data to deliver targeted advertisements, increasing marketing effectiveness.
Sharing
The ability of social media to create, exchange, and edit content
Opportuntities for organizations - sharing
Co-creation and innovation
* Collaborate with employees or customers to share knowledge and develop new products.
* Example: Internal platforms for documenting solutions or external feedback for innovation.
Crowd
* Get ideas and help from large groups of people online.
Examples:
* Contests: Ask the public for creative ideas.
* Communities: Use online groups to test ideas or get feedback.
* Freelancers: Hire talent worldwide using platforms like Upwork.
Conversations
The extent to which users communicate with others.
Opportuntities for organizations - conversations
- Share Knowledge: Collect and share ideas within the organization.
- Viral marketing: Use viral marketing to spread messages quickly (reach more people)
- Monitoring: Monitor trends, customer opinions, and improve products or communication.
Presence
Presence on social media means being visible and accessible online.
It helps people and organizations feel connected, even if they are not physically together. It also lets you know when and where someone is available.
Social presence
When we feel socially connected to others, even when we are not physically around each other.
Opportuntities for organizations - presence
- shared agenda/workspace
- Location-Based work: Leverage GPS to optimize tasks like deliveries, fieldwork, or tracking employee availability.
- Location-Based Marketing: Target customers with personalized ads or services based on their location.
Relationships
The ability of social media to create and maintain connections with others through social media applications.
Social capital
the value and benefits individuals or groups gain from their relationships, networks, and social interactions.
Opportuntities for organizations - relationships
- Customer Identification: Use social media to find potential customers and identify influencers within networks.
- Networking and Employee Visibility: Empower employees to build and maintain professional networks for recruitment, partnerships, and career growth.
- Social Capital Creation: Build and leverage strong, large networks both within the organization and with external stakeholders. Strengthened social capital fosters trust, collaboration, and long-term value.
Reputation
The ability of social media to identify the reputation of other people, products, posts, etc.
Opportuntities for organizations - reputation
- Identify Internal Experts: Use social media to identifiy employees with expertise.
- Identify Key Customers: Find important customers based on feedback and engagement.
- Manage Reputation: Monitor and address online reviews, comments, and employee activity to protect the organization’s image/reputation.
Groups
Social media allows people to create communities and groups.
Opportuntities for organizations - groups
- Knowledge Sharing Within Organizations:Tools like MS Teams allow teams to collaborate anytime, anywhere.
- Knowledge Sharing Across Organizations: Social media enables employees to work with people from other organizations to develop new products or ideas.
- Customer & Brand Communities: Active customer communities on platforms like Reddit or TikTok provide engagement and creative ideas for organizations.
Stages of social media integration
- Online Presence: Organizations establish a basic presence, like creating social media accounts to share information, similar to early e-commerce websites.
- Interaction: Two-way communication begins, requiring engagement with customers through comments, messages, and monitoring systems. Most organizations are in this stage.
- Transaction: Direct sales through social media platforms emerge. While most organizations rely on websites for purchases, tools like Instagram’s shopping features show progress.
- Integration (Emerging): Social media begins to integrate into broader business processes like supply chain management. This stage is still rare.
- Transformation (Rare): Social media drives significant changes in business models, as seen in some industries like online coaching. True transformation remains uncommon.
disintermediation
Cutting out traditional middlemen so customers connect directly with producers.
Traditional intermediaries are removed thanks to direct digital access (e.g. buying directly from producers).
Reintermediation
Adding new digital middlemen that make processes easier and more efficient.
New digital platforms and companies add value by improving processes and connecting customers with producers
