Social Media 101

What is Social Media? Social Media is simply this:  A website that doesn’t just provide information but that allows you to interact while giving you that information.  This interaction can be as simple as you adding a comment to an article or a vote to a poll. It can be as complex as Amazon.com recommending books to you based on the ratings of other people with similar interests. Tip: Regular media can be thought of as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter. Social Media is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too. 2

Different Types of Social Media Websites  Social Networking.  Interact by adding friends, commenting on profiles, joining groups and having discussions.  (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogging)  Social Bookmarking.  Interact by tagging websites and searching through websites bookmarked by other people.  (Del.icio.us)  Social News.  Interact by voting for articles and commenting on them.  (Digg, Propeller, Reddit)  Social Photo and Video Sharing.  Interact by sharing photos or videos and commenting on user submissions.  (YouTube, Flickr)  Wikis.  Interact by adding articles and editing existing articles.  (Wikipedia) 3

What is the Purpose of Social Networking? Social networking allows people to express their individuality and meet people with similar interests by:  setting up profiles  adding friends/connections  tweeting  authoring blog posts  taking other actions unique to that particular social networking website 4

What is Facebook?  A social networking site that launched in February  The name of the service stems from the colloquial name for the book given to students at the start of the academic year by university administrators in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better.  As of January 2011Facebook has more than 600 million active users and almost half the US population has a Facebook account.  Individual people may create a personal profile, add other users as friends and exchange messages.  Companies and businesses can also establish pages which individuals can become “fans” of. 5

Sample Facebook Page 6

Benefits of Facebook  It provides an easy way to keep track of your family/friends/colleagues (e.g. their birthdays, relationships, children, careers, etc.)  You can search for old acquaintances and reconnect.  It allows you to upload photos to share with others.  It facilitates your ability to find people with similar interests.  If you have a business Facebook can be a great marketing tool. 7

What is Twitter?  Twitter is the largest growing social media tool today. In February million tweets were being sent per day.  Twitter is a social networking website which enables it’s users to send and read messages called tweets.  Tweets are similar to phone based text messages but they are a maximum of 140 characters and are publicly visible (although senders can restrict message delivery to just their “followers.”)  A twitter handle is simply a username of your choice. Fellow twitter users can reach you by and your username.  Users may subscribe to other users' tweets—this is known as following and subscribers are known as followers.  You can follow “conversations” by utilizing Twitter’s hashtag (#) feature.  You can forward on information to other people with just a few clicks – this is called “re- tweeting.” 8

Sample Twitter Page 9

Benefits of Twitter  Quick way to spread important (and unimportant) news and information and get instant feedback (replacement for ).  You can follow tweets from people that interest you (e.g. Barack Obama, Britney Spears, your favorite author, people you admire, friends, family, etc.)  Build connections, keep in touch with friends.  Great way for companies to create brand recognition and to learn what people are saying about them. 10

What is LinkedIn?  A way to expand and keep track of professional contacts.  A place to keep your work experience, references, and contact information easily accessible for potential employers.  A site where you can join established professional groups such as alumni and common interest groups to network and increase your connections.  Companies use it to recruit employees. 11

What is Blogging?  The word blog is a blend of the term web log.  A blog is a type of website or can be part of a website.  Blogs are usually maintained by one (or more) people with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.  Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject while others function as more personal online journals.  A blog usually combines text, images, and links to other blogs, websites, and other media related to its topic.  The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.  As of February 16, 2011 there were over 156 million public blogs in existence. 12

Sample Blog 13

Benefits of Blogging  Build a Community  Blogs give anyone the chance to share their expertise and knowledge with a larger audience.  Online Journal  Blogs are a great way to chronicle your weight loss, your attempt to build a garden, your journey to finding employment. People who read your blog and comment can provide support and can help keep you accountable.  Build an Online Presence  Blogs are a great way for small business owners, authors, coaches, consultants, etc. to establish credibility. 14

YouTube 15

Why Start Social Networking?  Social Networks are being used as a far more efficient form of – they provide an efficient way for you to get in touch and keep in touch with others, and also to spread the word quickly when needed.  Great way to meet people with similar interests  Form of entertainment  Effective business technique for entrepreneurs, writers, actors, musicians or artists 16

Important Terms  Profile. This is where you tell the world about yourself. Profiles contain basic information, like where you live and how old you are, and personality questions, like who's your favorite actor and what's your favorite book. Social networks dedicated to a special theme like music or movies might ask questions related to that theme.  Friends. Friends are trusted members of the site that are allowed to post comments on your profile or send you private messages. You can also keep tabs on how your friends are using social networking, such as when they post a new picture or update their profile. Friends are the heart and soul of social networking. It should be noted that not all social networks refer to them as 'friends' -- LinkedIn refers to them as 'connections -- but all social networks have a way to designate members as trusted.LinkedIn  Groups. Most social networks use groups to help you find people with similar interests or engage in discussions on certain topics. A group can be anything from “The University of Southern California Class of 1998" to "People Who Like Books" to “Fans of "Rachel Ray". They are both a way to connect with like-minded people and a way to identify your interests. Sometimes, groups are called by other names, such as the 'networks' on Facebook.  Discussions. A primary focus of groups is to create interaction between users in the form of discussions. Most social networking websites support discussion boards for the groups, and many also allow members of the group to post pictures, music, video clips, and other tidbits related to the group. 17