The Mouse That Chased the Cat??

Did you have the pleasure of viewing a viral video this week about the guy in his bathroom with his cat, chasing a rat that was so big that it scared the guy and his cat out of the bathroom?  Believe me, it is one of the funniest social media videos that I’ve seen in a long time.  What’s important about it and our class this week is the way the video grew in popularity this week.  The video had doubled in viewership in two days from 20 million viewers to over 40 million. A week later the video has had over 50 million viewers. The video is incredibly funny so I understand why it has been so popular.  Everybody appreciates a good laugh.  In the world of business, when it comes to putting your message out there, we can’t always count on humor.  Corporate success is a serious business.  Another crowdsourcing lesson I’ve witnessed this week includes a small business’s approach to growing while helping others in need. Topics this week in Strategic Communications 6630 have been very informative and entertaining as we look at the world of crowdsourcing, politics and the global impact of emerging media. 

In our literature this week several communications professionals predicted how the business would change.  Clay Shirky, a popular social media theorist who authored the book “Here Comes Everybody,” in a 2008 YouTube video talked about the possibilities of success through sharing, conversation, collaboration and collective action through the Internet in years to come.  Back then Shirky expressed that the first three processes were easier than the last, collective action.  He said that he expected an increase in the years to come in collective action.  Paul Lewis, a journalist in the TED Talks video “How Mobile Phones Helped Solve Two Murders” in 2011 noted how far investigative journalism had grown from around five years earlier and he predicted that social media would define entertainment in the future.  David Winston, author of the 1998 article, “Digital Democracy and the New Age of Reason” predicted that people were turning from traditional media to get political news and that political news would become more individualized thanks to digital media.  Here in 2017, all of these predictions are true and I’m sure these professionals are excited to the extent to which communication has grown and transformed due to the Internet and digital media.   

Living in Alabama during an election year, I have to agree with Winston about the media and politics.  Personally, I am so tired of political advertisements interrupting my entertainment evening on television.  I have individualized my watching habits.  Now I record most of my programs and I am able to fast forward through political advertisements.  Oh, but they got me.  The videos such as the one I mentioned above about the cat and the rat are now being saturated with advertising.  Communication professionals are taking advantage of viral videos and a few months ago I noticed that some of the viral ones will allow you to watch half and then interrupt with an advertisement. It is up to you whether or not to continue.  Chances are that the video is so informative or entertaining that you will sit through the ad in order to see the conclusion.  I was knocked off my feet when I thought I was free of Alabama political ads when a couple of weeks ago, a viral video that I was enjoying was interrupted by an ad that I was trying my best to avoid on traditional television.  Even though I have done my best to individualize my political exposure, the market has a way of finding you. So Winston was right.  In order to avoid political agendas that I oppose, I am working constantly to be exposed more to information that I desire and less information that I detest.  

I witnessed Shirky’s prediction that collective action would increase this week in a CNN feature about a small company that was crowdsourcing in order to help people rebuild after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas.  A small clothing company from Illinois sold its apparel with some proceeds going to hurricane victims and sought volunteers and donations through its website.  This, of course, gave them exposure with their good deeds, increased profits, and also attracted enough people who volunteered and donated that they were able to help areas in Texas.  They not only raised enough for supplies; they also had enough money and volunteers to help rebuild a town center.  Through a Facebook post and their website, the company was able to raise a quarter of a million dollars and enough volunteers to get all of this done.  I’m sure the exposure will help the company to prosper in the future, so good job. And at the same time they were able to make a difference in many lives hurt by the storm. Collective action is a lot easier these days, especially for a worthy cause.  Through the Internet many devastated areas around the world are benefitting through the growth in sharing, conversation, collaboration and collective action.

The last example of crowdsourcing points back to what Lewis said about social media one day defining entertainment. I think back to the cat and mouse video that made me laugh until I cried.  This is a big deal because I laugh at a lot on social media but seldom do I laugh until I cry.  I noticed that as the video went viral, more and more people commented that it was one of the funniest videos that they had ever seen.  Entertainment is prevalent on social media in so many forms. When I saw another version of the video, I noticed that the guy in the video was speaking a foreign language.  I don’t know why I assumed he was American.  I bring this up to note that I am glad that I learned this because I appreciate the fact that someone with a diverse background had brought laughter to so many people around the world.  Today’s political climate is volatile.  Storms, earthquakes and other natural disasters are wreaking havoc.  Crowdsourcing is bringing together people of all backgrounds and knowledge in order to make a difference in the world in the wake of such negativity and destruction.  Hopefully the amazing possibilities of the Internet and digital media and the way it can bring us together will continue to be a positive force in a world that needs a laugh and a helping hand in so many instances. 

 

Discoveries Within the Blogosphere

To be honest, I was introduced to blogging as a requirement for a Strategic Communications class last year.  Once that was over, I stopped writing. Again this term blogging is a requirement for COM 6630, but this time around, I have a newfound interest in blogging that will continue well beyond this class.  This week, while learning more about blogging and citizen journalism, I learned more facts and statistics about blogging, but two things stand out.  This may sound odd, but simply learning what the word “blog” means was an ah-ha moment that I should have remembered from last year.  Knowing that a blog is simply a web log or weblog with mostly written content helped me to understand the forum better.  Virtually anyone who wants to can blog.  Then learning what a listicle was totally helped me develop more of an interest in pursuing blogging. Listicles are articles or segments containing lists and are popular in blogging. I cannot go a day without reading listicles online or listening to them on the radio. I was familiar with both but just didn't know what they were called. Blogs are a great way to communicate and I am going to use a listicle to tell you why I will further my blogging.  Five reasons why this strategic communicator will continue to blog. 

1.      Blogging is becoming a very popular forum for obtaining and dispensing news and information. Mena Trott, who is called the mother of the blog revolution, in her TED Talks segment “Meet the Founder of the Blog Revolution” said that blogging is changing the way we read news.  Like-minded people follow each other in search of information and/or entertainment of their choice.  Trott mentioned how MSNBC once posted vital updates about a hurricane that reached millions who wanted precisely that information.  I remember following a local weather blog when Hurricanes Herman and Hurricane Ivan neared the Gulf Coast recently.  Instead of searching through countless of other subjects, blogs can streamline information into precisely what you are searching for.  Another of this week’s TED Talks featured James Surowiecki in a segment called “The Power and Danger of Online Crowds.” Surowiecki stressed that countless numbers of people are “organizing, linking and commenting” on information throughout the Internet and generating amounts of information that is changing the world and the way in which we seek and share information.

2.      Professionally, blogging is an easy and inexpensive way to grow my customer base and promote information for my organization.  The searchinginejournal.com article entitled “5 Ways a Blog Can Help Your Business Right Now,” which is a listicle! first suggests that blogging can draw online traffic that can help you engage customers, convert customers and keep any customers you might already have. Businesses exists because of customers, and inexpensively promoting your ideas and/or information on a frequent basis that will help you attract new customers and help you keep existing ones should be a priority for any business.  If I frequently create interesting and engaging content with a target audience in mind, I can help my organization to attract and maintain an important customer base.  This would open many possibilities for myself and my organization. One article we read this week, that was also a listicle! stated many advantages that blogging brings to businesses.  “52 Incredible Blogging Statistics to Inspire You to Keep Blogging” said that blogging can increase traffic to your website, help you be seen as an authority, a resource and as a problem solver in your field. The more frequently you blog the more traffic you generate.  Also, blogging tends to attract a loyal customer base and if you are in sales, blogs help to generate purchases.    

3.      Blogging can be a useful tool to promote my hobbies and talents and can be used for entertainment purposes.  I have a passion for poetry and creative writing.  Personally, if I want to gain an audience to promote my writing, blogging would be a great forum and could possibly attract followers who have similar hobbies and interests. I have a hobby that I have chronicled through hundreds if not thousands of pictures.  Often I look at the pictures and wonder what I should do with them. Trott also said that people blog to tell personal stories through online journals or diaries.  You can also keep photo albums through blogging.  It would be great to share with the world my hobbies through pictures and personal stories.  I have never wanted to be famous or speak in front of large crowds.  I have, however, wanted to share information with others who would appreciate my passions.

4.      I could possibly earn extra cash.  Most literature this week stated that the more you blog the more you are able to attract an audience.  In an article from theblogstarter.com entitled “How to Start Your Own Blog” Scott Chow said that a blog is about sharing your knowledge with the world. If I dedicate time and creativity to blog about my hobbies or writings regularly and turn it into an interesting and entertaining website, it is possible to gain an audience and then gain advertising that could earn me extra income. I know it would require a lot of time and work, but as Chow said, anyone can blog if they have the passion for something, dedicate the time, and hang in there until your site takes off. It will take practice and perseverance, and I have both.  

5.      Blogging could also help me to make a difference in the world.  Surowiecki read profound blogging details about the deadly tsunami in Indonesia in 2004.  Trott also showed some touching moments about how blogging has chronicled humanitarian efforts as well as personal stories that affected and touched people around the world.  Often, I am touched by stories that need to be shared with the world in order to inspire people by letting them know that they are not the only ones going through a situation.  I have met incredible people who have shared information with me that could change lives. The easy and inexpensive accessibility of blogging that could possibly reach millions might just make someone’s day and therefore grow to change the world. 

 

I know that most people blog for free.  Most bloggers simply have a passion for something and want to link and share with others.  Knowing how information can touch people and help to make their lives better personally and professionally, I understand the popularity of the blogosphere.  I want to join and prosper. If I enjoy it, dedicate myself to my craft, and try to reach someone, then my purpose will have been served.   

Social Media-- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Hurricane season is literally barreling its way towards us in the southeast, and with the help of social media, citizens are staying informed.  Gone are the days of frantically finding a television screen or radio in order to keep up with forecasts.  Thanks to online blogs, Facebook Live, and Twitter I have been able to track the hurricane, get in touch with family in its path, check on traffic conditions, and keep up with headlines surrounding Hurricane Irma, a devastating category 5 storm.  This week in Strategic Communication 6630 our focus is on social media, and what an interesting time to be doing so.  Statista, The Statistics Portal, reports that 81% of the U.S. population has a social media profile, up from 24% in 2008.  A Pew Research article in January of 2017 stated that 70% of all Americans use some type of social media.  With these types of statistics on the popularity of this forum, it is evident that strategic communicators have an incredible tool but as with most things there are the Good, the Bad and the Ugly attached to it. 

It is said that the thing you love most about a person sometimes becomes what you hate about them.  Unfortunately, this also applies to social media. The awesomeness of social media is that it allows you to send a message to people all over the world and receive instant feedback.  The Ugly of social media is that as quickly as you send a message, someone is able to take that message and distort it.  The Ugly includes the trolls that seem to have nothing better to do than lurk and turn every content into something malicious.  No matter how positive, innocent or amazing content is, a troll will find a way to turn it negative or criticize it. An August 30, 2016 article on Salesforce.com entitled “Beware the Troll: 8 Ways to Deal With Negative Social Media Comments” by Carl Henderson suggests you can react to trolls, try to understand them, or ignore them by not feeding into their negativity.  Millions rely on social media to get their news and another Ugly that is increasing is fake news.  Social media organizations are coming up with vetting processes to help identify and eliminate fake news.  You cannot get rid of all trolls and fake news, but these Uglies are becoming less prevalent as organizations increasingly develop ways to recognize and deal with them. Strategic communicators cannot shy away from social media as a communication tool just because of negativity and fake news. 

One Bad aspect for an organization on social media is dealing with legitimate negativity or bad press that could spread and kill your reputation The Salesforce.com article points out that sometimes negative publicity comes when people feel they are not being listened to.  If this is the case, an organization should do everything possible to acknowledge this person, communicate and resolve the issue.  Negativity can also come when consumers are not pleased with a product or service, and on a forum like social media, an unhappy consumer can be heard around the world quickly. Successful strategic communication involves investigating, responding, communicating and offering a solution. The transparency of social media communications allows all of these steps to be seen openly.  Most of the time when a solution is worked out, all parties are pleased.  Sometimes things cannot be worked out and you have to live with that. But if there is a concerted effort to deal with a legitimate problem, there will be proof of your efforts, and often this will help to erase some negativity. Clay Shirky, a social media theorist, pointed out in his TED Talks video entitled “How Social Media Can Make History” that social media is “more and more often a way of creating an environment for convening and supporting,” not controlling.  When dealing with legitimate negativity, this is tremendously beneficial.  Services like Google Alerts monitor your brand and help organizations quickly respond to negativity. Most organizations utilize public relations in order to recognize, address and correct negative publicity.  Social media allows immediate two-way communication and increased transparency to help organizations correct these instances in a timely manner.

The Good associated with social media far outweighs the Bad and the Ugly.  Often this week, I have read that social media brings with it an openness and allows collaborations on a global scale that is transforming many lives socially, economically and politically.  This technology allows the world to engage with one another, entertain ourselves and each other, seek news, promote news, and many other activities that make our lives richer. As strategic communicators, social media also allows us to detect trends and empowers us to reach millions of people, get their feedback, and improve products and services.

An interesting article we had this week was a February 22, 2013 Mashable.com article by Todd Wasserman entitled “Steal These 3 Social Marketing Tricks from Top Brands.”  Wasserman pointed out that brands that are successful on social media are connecting with you through your passions and/or interests.  They are entertaining you with their engaging personality.  Also they are providing you with interesting and/or important information.  The Good of social media includes these three priorities and so much more.  As I stated earlier, this week social media has provided me with helpful blogs, live footage and archived information about hurricane season and the big one that is approaching.  This information has been insightful and some of it has even been entertaining.  I am a fan, a consumer and a professional that embraces all of the Good of social media because even if Irma comes and knocks out my power, my smart phone will allow me to communicate with family and friends and stay informed and even entertained.  After this emergency passes, we can get back to using social media for less stressful and day-to-day communication and entertainment purposes.

Again, as with anything, there is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.  There is a little Bad that can be dealt with, some Ugly that needs to be ignored, but the Good that social media provides on a global scale far outweighs the negative.  We as strategic communicators cannot ignore the possibilities that are increasingly available thanks to social media.  From the moment we wake up, we can check on business, our friends and family, then communicate personally and professionally. We can entertain and be entertained.  We can produce messages and promotions and receive them. We can discover and be discovered. We can travel around the world and back and come into contact with vital people by the time the day is over.   I’d say that all of these Good applications certainly outweigh any negativity that may come with it.

An image that kept me busy on my smartphone on Saturday. 

 

Trending

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I do not like change.  I held onto my Blackberry until it was way out of style.  “All I need is a phone to talk on,” was my excuse when my friends suggested I get a smart phone.  Truly I did not need Internet access for social media, search engines, music and all the things they said I was missing.  Honestly, I saw smartphones as the latest trend for my teenage students.  They were glued to their devices, and it seemed it was dumbing them down and ruining their ability to concentrate. I did not want any part of that. But it has always been said that love can make you do the craziest of things.  When I began dating a tech savvy guy who wanted to communicate in various ways, guess who became a proud smart phone owner.  Over the years owning a smart phone has added so much to my life and my mobile devices have evolved far from just a communication device with my boyfriend to one that I cannot see myself living without.  Like so much of our population, I wake up with my smart phone and go to bed relying on it.

This week in Strategic Communication 6630 we are looking at mobile media.  It is amazing that the industry is taking over communications.  When I look at the fact that my smartphone is used for so much in my life, I wanted to know more about its impact on the world.  A Pew Research article entitled “U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015” by Aaron Smith says that in 2015 64% of American adults owned smartphones and that was up from 35% four years earlier. Pew Research data that year revealed that we use our smartphones to get news, check health issues, look and apply for jobs, look up real estate, find governmental services and even take classes. Sixty-eight percent use their smartphones to follow breaking news. And more and more online activity is primarily through smartphones. The article added that 68% of this population of smartphone owners share pictures and videos or commentary about community events. Ten percent of this population relied on smartphone for Internet access because they had no broadband access. Forty-eight percent had cancelled or shut off their cell service at some time because they could not afford the bills and 30% maxed out their data plans. Mobile devices affect and do so much for so many people.     

The August 2017 article “Where People Can’t Live Without The Internet” by Niall McCarthy surprised me in that it states that India’s population was number one at 82% that responded that they cannot live without the Internet.  The United States came in fifth at 73% behind United Kingdom, China, and Germany.  All over the world, smartphones are relied upon for so many purposes.  With so much information this week about where mobile capabilities are going, I decided to track my usage for one day. This was not a typical day for me since Monday through Friday, I work for nine hours a day.  But this was a typical Saturday during football season. 

One of the first things I did this morning was check the weather to see if there were any remnants from Hurricane Harvey in our area.  My flower garden needed tidying up, so I needed to know if any rain showers might interfere.  Next, as always, I checked social media to see if any friends or family needed birthday greetings.  Then, I checked my emails, personal and work.  The first few minutes of my day I usually depend on one of my mobile devices. After working outside for a while, I wanted to post pictures of my beautiful end-of-summer flowers, so after using my smartphone to take pictures and videos, I posted them to social media. The smartphone got a break while I caught up with the latest on College GameDay on television.  Then I had to rely on my cell phone to see if the USC game would be webcast or on a college football app since I saw that the game was not being televised in my area.  Thinking that the most of my day would be spent in front of a big screen instead of a small smart phone was wrong.  For hours I went from the television to my cell phone and tablet in order to check the USC game details and to also respond to social media comments about my flowers. Honestly, I think I spent 75% of my leisure time using mobile devices today.

This was amazing to me, considering a few years ago, I professed that I did not have any need for a smartphone. The overwhelming message from our resources in Strategic Communication 6630 this week was that mobile is and is going to continue to be the wave of the future for communication success.  We as strategic communicators must stay on top of these trends.  The mobile industry is ever evolving in order to adapt to the new usages and demands of consumers.  New capabilities are being added every day in order to stay competitive and also to help this gadget remain the prize that it is.  Just as I looked at myself and my evolution and dependency on smartphones and mobile devices, I know that I am just a novice.  I use my devices far less than most people, and yet I think I use them a lot.  From new access, to navigational devices, to tools that help students pursue their educations, mobile technology is incredible.  Mobile devices add so much to our lives, allow us access to unlimited information, and treat us to so many conveniences in the palm of our hand. The future is unimaginable for this medium, and I hope that I continue to embrace this wave and learn to use it to the fullest personally and professionally.