Professional Uses of Social Media
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Brian Murray
Brand Yourself...
ABOUT ME
I recall gaining certain privileges pertaining to social access way earlier than my eight older siblings. The youngest of these millennials, I received my first cellphone at the age of 10, and my first social media account (Facebook) just three years later.
Growing up with social media, I have seen trends come and go with the very generation that fuels it. I witnessed and took part in the general migration from Facebook onto other platforms (many would say the beginning of the end came with the friend requests from our parents and extended family).
Ever since, we have all taken part in the great social experiment of finding new ways to connect with one another online. While I personally fancy Instagram, I still maintain an active Twitter, LinkedIn, blog, and yes, still a Facebook.
So, let's see where we can go together...
Midterm Reflection
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While I enjoyed and participated in social media before this class, much of it felt somewhat enigmatic. Sure, it is easy to see posts trend or companies get torn apart because of an inappropriate response, but it could often seem random. However, many of the exercises and projects completed for this class have illuminated my understanding of its inner workings. That is not to say that it is predictable. We still have Tide Pods trending after all. But on a professional level, it is much easier to assess what has the potential to work and what is limiting.
I think the most helpful element of this is understanding the role of social media. As we have previously learned, it is a tool to help achieve business goals. As a personal user, it is easier to see social media as something that is simply fun or a way to pass the time. However, understanding the purpose of posting and measuring responses. I can better see the potential of each piece of marketing and why people enjoy it.
I think some of the in-class exercises have been the most helpful. For example, coming up with a crisis plan for Dave & Busters was immensely helpful. It made me think carefully about tone, language, and audience, therefore allowing me to apply these theoretical concepts in a tangible way. Also, seeing how their response failed just reinforces this knowledge. I think finding practical, engaging ways to apply these theories helps tremendously.
I think that learning some of the business aspects has been the more difficult part of the course. These are often broad, abstract ideas that are difficult to grasp. Trying to apply them in real life to the companies we selected or others has certainly been a challenge. However, repeatedly doing so (especially through in-class exercises) has been tremendously helpful.
This course has helped me tremendously in understanding the business aspect of social media. One thing I hope to get a stronger grasp on is the intricacies of style. This is difficult to do in one class as each company and brand has their own identity. However, I think looking at how brand identity can be expressed through various posting methods might be helpful to learn. I think this is something we as personal users interact with regularly but would like to explore the broader applications.
I appreciate how this project is ultimately spread across the semester with a portion due every week. Not only does this help keep me accountable, but it allows each lesson to sink in as I apply it. I look forward to my work in the second half of the semester and seeing how my understanding continues to grow.
Final Reflection
Out of everything in this course, including readings, group work, lectures, and projects, I found the most rewarding component to be the independent work. While learning about the audience, strategies, crisis management, etc. was incredibly helpful, what helped the information sink in was the implementation of my own individual work. What you will find here is my work throughout the semester and how it has grown in sophistication and mastery throughout the semester. Throughout my work, I adjusted my approach as I curated knowledge and experience (Worth noting, I also started working on the social media team for the University Store on Fifth at the beginning of the semester).
Honestly, I think the class came together thematically and academically the most when working on my rationale. While I spent a significant amount of time exploring ideas as far as marketing and identity, the rationale made me reflect on my work. By working to justify my decisions, I had the opportunity to look at and defend the reasoning behind them. By looking at the "why" of the situation, I was able to understand the motivation behind each decision.
While I worked on a long-term project for a fairly large company, I am anxious to see how the skills I have honed this semester can contribute to other companies and various strategies. I think I have a firmer grip on my voice as a marketer as well as a more comprehensive knowledge of social media, specifically in the publishing industry.
