Personal Reflection
I
am currently doing a unit at University called 'Social Media". Never would
I thought there would be a class in adult education dedicated to Social Media.
It is now apparent that social media sites such as Facebook and twitter are
powerful tools that affect our everyday lives.
When
I first got Facebook, way back in 2007, I thought it would be a fun way to meet
girls, similar to msn. Over the years my usage for Facebook has matured, as it
is now used more to keep in contact with friends and family from back home, as
well as interstate and oversees. Recently I have also signed up with twitter,
and slowly becoming engaged with online tweets that appeal to me.
Throughout
this course I hope to learn to be more effective and productive with Facebook
and twitter, to allow me to reap the benefits that these valuable tools have to
offer. I would also like to have a more professional presence online, and plan
to sign up to the social network site Linkedln.
Challenges/Risks
Although, I
do not have a professional presence online at this point of time, I do use
social media website Facebook on a daily basis, and access my twitter account
weekly. From a personal perspective, I do have an online responsibility to
ensure my account is not being hacked, and be wary of what I put online. From a
personal view, the following are a list of challenges/risks in regards to my
online use;
-
Harassment
and cyber bullying
-
Defamation, and damage of reputation
-
Private
Photos, updates, conversations going viral
-
Content/Opinions
being taken out of context
-
Computer
Virus’s, which may access personal information.
-
Legal ramifications
An
understanding and an effective use of the privacy settings for both my Facebook
and twitter accounts would ensure many of these above risks are averted.
Installing the latest security on my laptop will help prevent the risk of
online Trojans and virus’s accessing and altering information on my Facebook
and Twitter accounts.
Moreover,
it is clear there are now legal ramifications for improper use of social media
and this is evident in the case Mickle vs
Farley [2014], where former student Farley was ordered to pay damages
against his former teacher Mickle for “defamatory publications made on social
media websites Facebook and twitter” An article on the story can be found through
the following link http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/the-tweet-that-cost-105000-20140304-341kl.html
As
mentioned earlier we all have a personal responsibility on online, and need to
be accountable for what is posted on our social media accounts. A case that
most interests me was the rant that saw Josh Dugan blow his chance with a
Broncos deal because of a rant on twitter.
In
summary Dugan told a Raiders fan to "end themselves" after he was
claiming to be harassed, over a picture he posted up. This is just one case of
I'm sure many others, where an athlete has jeopardised their career because of
what has been posted on a social media website. The major problem here is
emotion and social media. It is only natural to feel you need defend yourself
when your being attacked verbally, but when it’s online EVERYONE is watching
and your actions are critiqued.
High
profile athletes such as a Dugan should avoid social media altogether in my
opinion. Hormones and lack of maturity effect the decision making process, and
can only do more harm than good. In saying that, social media by no means
should be barred by all athletes. Maybe programs can be introduced in sporting
institutions and associations to train athletes to effectively use social media
sites in an effective way; too ignore/manage harassment, and control emotions
online.
Strategies/Opportunities for Professional
Online Engagement
As mentioned
earlier, at this stage I do not have a professional online presence, however
there are a number of opportunities and strategies I could look into to become
more engaged online from a professional point of view, including;
· Joining up
with Linkedln
- - Is a
business- orientated social networking service
- -From a
future sport manager perspective is able to network, relay and share ideas,
with likeminded people from all over the globe.
- -Important to
ensure all information is up to date and accurate
- -Use
etiquette contacting online
·
Ensure
Facebook account is presented in a professional manner
- - Potential
employers may run a Facebook check before hiring a candidate so it would be
wise to ensure your Facebook account is clean (use appropriate language, ensure
messy photos are hidden)
- -Ensure
private settings are up to date and you aware of what the public, and your
friends can see on your profile
·
Engage with
the right organisations and people on twitter
- -Begin to
actively follow local sporting organisations, to develop an online
relationship.
- -Actively
contribute in discussion on the latest issues trending twitter, in regards to
these organisations
- -Follow and
develop relationships with local sport administrators via twitter.
Moreover, according
to Reference 1 there are 5 key strategies organisations can use to market more
effectively through social media outlets;
Visualize the ecosystem
An
understanding of how key media outlets interact with each other. The influence
of TV on social media, and the people and organisations that are actively
involved in these activities
Identify and track key performance
indicators
The ability
to attract performance indicators and measures of success. An example would be
the amount of ‘Likes’ on a Facebook status would indicate it was very popular
with the audience.
Begin with your story
Interact and
engage with your online audience, though take the initiative and tell them what
services, products you have to offer, and how they can benefit the target
market.
Social Media does not require elaborate
budgets
Recent
statistics indicate over 1/11 people in the world have a Facebook account. Vast
amount of people in the western world rely on Facebook and twitter for the
latest news. As it is free to sign up, it is ideal for a business to have
active accounts in all major social media outlets.
Be unique
Take initiatives
to ‘stand out from the crowd’. You want to be able to market to not only to
majority of people, but to the right people. The timing of Facebook posts,
release of YouTube videos, and updates on twitter could be the difference
between making a profit or loss.
Furthermore,
from a marketing perspective “the definition of great content is not what makes
you the most sales. It is what content people most want to share”.
The above
link gives a very interesting insight into the statistics involving Facebook
use, what people are talking about on social media, and when traffic is at its
peak. The ability to reach customers on a personal level, to entertain and give
them value is what will generate sales.
Lastly,
scholars of the University of Texas tested how digital media use for
information purposes, contributes to social capital. Results indicated that
people use social media to keep up with news about political affairs, public
issues and information about their community. Interestingly, the results also
indicated that social media engagement increased civic participation within the
community, hence had a positive effect on the social capital. In essence people
use information on social media, to not only engage on Social Network Sites
(SNS), but also in their everyday lives.
This
supports the claim that social media is more than just a tool to trash talk
with friends, but an important information sharing tool that effects many of
our personal lives. On a personal level, engaging in a professional manner on
SNS can only be beneficial in the long term.
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