Monitoring Our Influences

For everyone in my Social Media for PR class (#COMM3309), we know tomorrow is the lucky day when most of our projects are due. In addition, it's also the amazing day when our social media audits are due. After stressing out all weekend, I took a break and decided to complete my weekly blogs. While I was reading through Brian Solis' Engaged, I realized how much this chapter relates to the social media audit project we have been working on for the past four weeks.

I didn't really understand what "social media monitoring" was, nor did I see it's importance. Solis provides a good background look at social media monitoring. He refers to monitoring as the eyes, ears, and heart o the organization. I did not realize how true this was until after I completed my audit. If I was running a company, I would be monitoring all over the web. It was fascinating to be able to tap into conversations and actually see what people were talking about. Normally, we only rely on what we hear from friends and families. Social media monitoring offers a completely new way to "assess" a company. In addition, it definitely shows where the company needs to improve.

For my social media audit, I chose a local business in Austin. After monitoring the company for a substantial amount of time, I thought of a number of a different ways that the company could improve their social media and thus increase business.

Solis also encourages listening. Sure, we can all read what customers are saying, but are we really listening to their opinions? By listening and taking customers opinions into action, the company can:

- grow
-learn
- create and ideate
- humanize
- enhance processes
- expand market share
- improve products and services

Solis provides even more outcomes from listening in chapter 19 of Engage. Listening not only benefits the clients, but the company as a whole. If it's a win-win situation, why aren't more organizations doing this? Maybe they do not know how. Solis goes on to teach us how to social media monitor and provides a number of websites and tools to help develop a strong monitoring campaign.

Friendfeed, Collecta, Hootsuite, and Twitter search were just a few of the tools Solis listed. After completing my audit, I wish I had used a few of these other tools in my Yahoo! pipe. By engaging in more online sources, the company can find more feedback and information on the internet.

Overall, this chapter was very informative and useful for the social media audit. My only concern is that it was just a little too late. With the social media audit due tomorrow, I cannot use a lot of the tools that Solis provided. However, this will be very useful if I ever run monitor another company.

Engaging Ourselves

Recently, I wrote a philosophy paper that applied Aristotle's theories of virtue and vice to internet behavior.  Looking back on things, I wish someone had warned all of us that the internet would come back to bite all of us in the butt. As a kid, I didn't think about what, why, or where I posted things. I acted in the moment and thought the "delete" button actually meant it would be erased. However, this is not the case anymore. Lucky for me, I don't have any "life threatening" information or photos floating on the web (that I am aware of...).

In chapter 13 of Brian Solis' Engaged, he talks about a variety of ways that we can brand ourselves on the internet. Before Solis dives into these branding methods, he warns about using cautious when posting information on the internet. Solis says, "Individuals who are currently employed are also at risk of losing their jobs based on their behavior on social networks and what they choose to share online" (Solis 165). Getting fired over what you share on the internet? I thought if I ever got fired it would be because of poor work, or always being late. Social technology is changing every aspect of our society. Solis also warns that "our contributions to the Web are indexed and archived for years to come" (Solis 164). It is crucial that we are very cautious about what we choose to post on the internet. For all you know, one post could land you in the unemployment line.

As we continue through Engage, Solis begins to teach us on "personal branding." Solis says, "We are now defined by the size of our social graph" (Solis 165). Our digital identity can be affected by our following. It is important that we develop our online selves with cautious by making sure we analyze every contribution to the internet. One tool that can really help define your online presense is a blog. Blogs allow for individuals to really let their voices shine through. Unlike social media networks, you can explicitly talk about interest, hobbies, or experiences.

In order to "brand" ourselves, we must get our voices heard. In class last week, we discussed how to use Google Insights and Ad Words to figure out what tags could be placed on our blogs to make them show up in search engines. Solis also encourages this and lists a number of websites that can help bloggers find better tags and terms to increase popularity.

Once we get an audience, how to interact with them? Solis provides an in-depth list of ways to successfully converse with your readers. Solis says:

1. Stick to your area of expertise and provide a unique perspective on what's going on

2. Post meaningful, respectful comments

3. Always think before posting - also, post timely

4. When disagreeing, keep it polite

Throughout the rest of chapter 17, Solis continues a detailed list of ways to keep healthy and efficient communication flowing through your social networks.

Overall, Solis provides a great starting point for branding, internet safety, and interaction. This chapter was especially enjoyable because it related to a lot of our recent in-class discussions. In addition, I know a number of kids in the class are doing personal branding projects, so this was probably helpful. Up until a few days ago, I never considered an online portfolio or personal branding. However, Solis has provided a substantial list of great reasons that I should take my skills to the internet. High five, technology.

Social What?

"Social Media" is a fairly familiar word to most us. We use Facebook, Twitter, and a variety of other websites to keep up with friends and exchange news. But what does "social media" really mean in today's technologically savvy society?

In chapter 3 of Engage, Brian Solis helps us define and understand social media in a different light. Solis says, “we should never strive to master something that evolves much faster than our ability to fully grasp its lessons, benefits, insights, and pitfalls” (Solis 33). At first, I was slightly confused by this statement. Surely, I am a social-media-sophisticated 21 year old, of course I can grasp everything. Soon I took a step back and thought of how frequently the social tools I use have changed. In fact, it seems like Facebook is always changing, thus causing millions to relearn the social skills they had just acquired.

For most people, social media networks are just social forums. They serve as tools to help individuals stay connected with friends and loved ones. However, for marketers, social media is the microscope into niche markets. “We’re simply becoming aware of our markets, the people who define them, and our place within each community” (Solis 33). Social media networks are helping marketers really reach out to their consumers.

Solis provides an in depth list of social media tools, each with a variety of different purposes. For the most part, I had heard of the majority of the social networks in Solis’ list. However, I was floored by how many exist and how many were probably not listed. Social media tools can vary from a simple blog, to videos, location devices, and photographs. The possibilities are endless. In addition, social media networks have broken down into specific elements. Flickr is a great forum for individuals to post photographs. Websites like Youtube and Vimeo are excellent tools for bands, film aficionados, and others.


So far, we have been able to see different social media networks, but we still have yet to come up with a concrete definition. Solis puts it best when he says, “Social media is many things to many people” (Solis 36). How someone chooses to use social media network will result in their own definition.

One definition that Solis uses is, “Social media is the online tools that facilitate a conversation” (Solis 36). To me, this is the truest definition. No matter what social network we use, we are someone engaging in some form of communication. Watching videos on Youtube can spark comments, thoughts, and opinions. On Facebook we comment, read, and converse with others. No matter what social media tool we use, we are engaging in some form of communication. Perhaps that’s why it is simply called “social media.” Socializing through media.