Strategic Social Media: Intro to Social Media Monitoring

Professor Matthew Kushin, PhDShepherd University | Department of Mass Communication | 2012

To make use of them, we must understand them:So how do social networks function?

1) Social Capital

Social Capital is

'the number of people who can be expected to provide support and the resources those people have at their disposal” Taps “goodwill” available to a person/group. Can be converted into economic gain

Image: MixTribe Photo

Social Capital Is not simply who you know But who you have access to via who the people

you know.

Image: MixTribe Photo

Social Capital is Reciprocal

Your capital is directly tied to the capital of others You gain social capital by giving

Image: ~dip

Social Capital Bonding Social Capital - strong ties with kin and

close friends that offers social support, builds collectivity, and is shared among people with similar values and goals (Lin, 2005; Putnam, 2000).

Bridging Social Capital - is goal-oriented and offers networking opportunities and access to external resources via extra-community ties (Gittell & Vidal, 1998; Putnam, 2000).

Strong & Weak Ties

Right now! With your team:

Discuss the following problem and arrive at an answer (along with your reasoning)

Which person is more important for spreading NEW information to as many people as possible A) Telling 1 of your 5 best friends B) Telling an acquaintance in class

Strength of Weak Ties

Groundbreaking study by Granovetter showed: Similar people tend to form strong ties

These ties tend to share similar information Cause a lot of overlap in info exchange

Therefore Weak ties most important ties in social networks Responsible for transmission of info between people

Ties

Granovetter states:

“Intuitively speaking, this means that whatever is to be diffused (shared) can reach a larger number of people, and traverse greater social distance when passed through weak ties rather than strong.”

Ties

Ties that Bind Weak Ties

Can Become Strong Ties

But it is not necessary for them to for you to have success!

Weak ties are critical to info diffusion But more & new strong ties, means new weak ties

Image: Carolyn_Sewell

Social Object

Right now! With your team:

Find a social object in the room (or that someone has with them)

Construct an explanation as to why this is a social object

Social Objects Social networks are built around social objects,

not vice versa.

“The social object is the reason people are talking to each other” – Hugh MacLeod

Image: marc wathieu

Socialization Socialization is not random, it is purposeful

Humans seek social connection We find it via social objects

What the object is may not matter It is a vehicle for connection

Social Object Example Apple iPhone

Example Source: MacLead

Connecting via social objects on Social Media

Cultural “social objects”: Memes A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas,

symbols, or practices. Transmitted from 1 person to another

Analogous to genes Self replicate Evolve & mutate

Source: Wikipedia

Meme examples Hitler Meme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOQvsuJ5wIA

LOL cats http://images.google.com search: LOL cats

Social Object The conversation happening around object is

what’s valuable

Image: marc wathieu

Project Upcoming Class after the exam we will begin Project 1 Spans 3 class periods Projects will be completed in class Must be present to get credit for each portion of

the project (3 portions = 3 days) Bring notes, book, & any other course material

you want.

Exam Review