Marshall Ramsey

The mission of this class is to study the world of social media, to build a strong personal brand, to learn to use the different platforms effectively and to avoid ethical disasters that can instantly blow up the strongest brands. We’ve studied how social media has affected a shooting, getting information out about a potential active shooter and politics. We’ve also began to read the book Platform by Michael Hyatt. We’re learning that the true secret to building an effective social media presence is to have amazing content and engagement.

Class notes.

• WDBJ Murders. In old media environment: Local audience would have seen live shot. Newspapers might have run a photo of a screen shot. Radio would have had a report with maybe sounds of the gunshots. Nightly news might have run small clip of the interview before the shooting but editors would have made sure it wasn’t graphic. (Pearl Harbor example – photos of ships exploding were shown but bodies weren’t)
• With the birth of cable news 24-hour news cycle, we would have gotten 24 hours of wall-to-wall coverage of the shooting, but would have had editors and producers acting as gatekeepers. Once again, we would not have seen the actual shooting.

• Now with Social Media, we receive news nearly instantaneously with no filters or gatekeeper. Pictures of the murderer are spread virally. Police use Social Media to bypass media and get information out quicker. But there is a dark side:
• Rumors and false information is spread. Also, thanks to autoplay, you are subject to seeing graphic content.
• Not only did we see a replay of the shooting from the slain cameraman’s perspective, we also saw the shooting from a GoPro camera worn by the gunman.
• The murderer himself set up Facebook and Twitter accounts to spread a video of him killing the reporter and cameraman and to tell “his side of the story.”
• There is instantaneous commentary mixed in with straight news.
• Vester “Bryce Williams” Flanagan used social media, new technology and traditional media storytelling skills to broadcast the murder of two former coworkers and attempt to tell his side of the story. Yet even his plan was behind the times. He could have used Periscope or Instagram to get his video out quicker.

• Today’s news cycle is instantaneous – which is good and bad. You get information when you want it immediately. But there is no reflection and sometimes no editing.

• We saw that with the “Active Shooter alert at Mississippi State University.”

• Official “Maroon Alert” sent out “Active Shooter” and “Shelter in place” alerts via text and social media as soon as the threat was known.

• Students and staff described what they were seeing through Tweets, Instagram and Snapchat.

• First pictures of the suspect being apprehended were sent via Twitter.

• Social media not only allowed people on campus to be informed but also allowed parents and friends worldwide to know what was going on.

• Local traditional media was staying informed via social media reports, too, as well as doing live reporting.

• On the negative side, misinformation, panic and rumors were spread unnecessarily. For example Reports of shots were reported when there were none.

• Bottom line: While social media is a powerful way to be informed, you have to consider the source.

• “It’s not just about having a big social media presence. It’s about engagement with your followers, fans and customers.

• You have a legion of like-minded followers. But in that school of fans, you will also have trolls.

• A social media platform is now a company or person’s first point of contact for all interactions.

• People are motivated to share great experiences, as well as complaints, suggestions, questions or even cordial jokes — and more often than not, expect a reply or acknowledgment.” People want to feel important.

• “A recent studyby Goldman Sachs revealed that businesses who use social media well are 34% more likely to be trusted by young, working-aged people.”

• “Stop thinking of your social channels as a campaign and start appreciating the power of the constant conversation — harness and build authentic, lasting influence. “

• “If you’ve ever received a public reply to one of your Tweets or Facebook messages on an official brand or company profile, you remember the “warm fuzzy” feeling of being publicly acknowledged. That builds loyalty.

• “For more and more consumers, an official Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram handle has become the go-to point of contact for any and all customer-service experiences.”

• “Social media is no longer “the new big thing” — it’s a set of tools to help you move toward your desired goals in sales, marketing, PR and brand awareness. Decide which growth-point is most vital for your business now and adjust your strategy accordingly; increasing sales, growing awareness, reaching new audiences and minimizing negative experiences are important, but separate, goals.”

• The strongest relationships developed via social media begin through interaction based on shared interests, values or experiences. Without the same give-and-take you’d engage in face-to-face it’s nearly impossible to create and maintain lasting rapport.”

• “The 80/20 rule outlinedby Entrepreneur can keep your business or brand’s reputation free from the crass, commercial-minded misstep of just shilling for a quick buck. Social media is an arena best used for generating and expanding awareness, adding broader value through conversation and building relationships with like-minded people who will become clients, customers or advocates. Pushing a product or service as a value-add within a conversation, or in the context of news, helps avoid being labeled a spammer — or worse, being mocked.”

• Brand management and reputation management tips. Seven things not to do on Social Media: (Based on Amy’s Bakery debacle) http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyclay/2013/05/14/lessons-from-amys-baking-company-six-things-you-should-never-do-on-social-media/?_ga=1.208854490.935591694.1441220590

• Bold comments are the author’s. Regular-type comments are mine.

• Don’t Reply To Everyone. If for no other reason, it makes you look thin skinned if you jump at every bit of criticism. But answer questions and solve problems.

• Don’t Respond to Trolls Learn to spot trolls. Usually they have few followers and live to insult and feed off your responses. Never punch down and don’t give them your platform.

• Don’t React Right Away. Don’t wait a week, but you can take a few moments to reflect. Or call a lawyer. ;-)

• Reddit is Not for the Weak The anonymous culture of message boards will eat you alive. Comment sections on news stories are also particularly rough.

• Don’t Insult People It’s tempting. But don’t do it. You don’t want to crawl into the ditch with people who have nothing else better to do than insult total strangers. It also tears at your brand.

• Learn When To Walk Away I usually give people one response. If they choose to go on, that’s their time they are burning.

• Update: 7. Don’t lie George Washington had this one. If you lie, the Internet will bust you and it will dig your hole deeper.

• How Social Media is ruining politics. From Politico

• http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/2016-election-social-media-ruining-politics-213104

• “Twice before in the last hundred yearsa new medium has transformed elections.

• “In the 1920s, radio disembodied candidates, reducing them to voices. It also made national campaigns far more intimate.” Franklin Roosevelt’s Fireside chats for example.

• “In the 1960s, television gave candidates their bodies back, at least in two dimensions.” Nixon v. Kennedy Presidential debates. People listening on radio thought Richard M. Nixon won. People watching on TV, seeing a young and vigorous John F. Kennedy gave the debate to him. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton perfected the form.

• “Today, with the public looking to smartphones for news and entertainment, we seem to be at the start of the third big technological makeover of modern electioneering. The presidential campaign is becoming just another social-media stream.”

• “What’s important now is not so much image as personality. But, as the Trump phenomenon reveals, it’s only a particular kind of personality that works—one that’s big enough to grab the attention of the perpetually distracted but small enough to fit neatly into a thousand tiny media containers.”

• “President Obama revolutionized the use of Social Media in 2008.”

• “Social media favors the bitty over the meaty, the cutting over the considered. It also prizes emotionalism over reason. The more visceral the message, the more quickly it circulates and the longer it holds the darting public eye. In something of a return to the pre-radio days, the fiery populist now seems more desirable, more worthy of attention, than the cool wonk.”

But even by one recent estimate from Borrell Associates, 9.5 percent of political media budgets could go towards digital media — a total of $1 billion.”

From Platform by Michael Hyatt. Chapter One: Create a Compelling Product (Content).

• There are two critical parts to the success equation: A compelling product (the what) and a significant platform (the who). We will study the different platforms later. But right now, let’s focus on content – your product. Without compelling content, you won’t have an audience, a tribe or a platform.
• If you don’t have a compelling product, it doesn’t matter how good you are at Social Media.
• David Ogilvy (a marketing and advertising guru) “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.”
• “It’s the product stupid.” Product is the key.
• Create Products you Would Personally Use. Write about something you are passionate about and provide social media content that you would find interesting. Produce content that makes a difference in people’s lives.
• Create Products that solve problems in unexpected ways.

You are Not So Smart — A blog by David McRaney From Hattiesburg. Describes ways your brain is deluding you. http://youarenotsosmart.com

Think “what would make this really cool?”

• Create products that exceed your customer’s expectations. We have become content with mediocrity. We aim low and execute even lower. If you want to create a social media platform, you have to have passion.

Chapter Two: Bake in the Wow.

• Blake Mycoskie: Created TOMS Shoes after a trip to Argentina (and saw kids without shoes.) For every pair of shoes sold, TOMS matches it – one for one –with a pair of new shoes given to a kid sin need. By Sept. 10, TOMS and given away one million pairs of shoes.  Find a need and fill it. Be original. Be special. But be yourself.
• Must be able recognize what “Wow” is. Birth of a kid. First kiss. Flying for the first time.
• Each wow experience has some combination of the following ten elements: 1. Surprise. 2. Anticipation. (almost as good was the experience itself) 3. Resonance (touches the heart) 4. Transcendence (Connects you to something transcendent – you experience purpose, meaning or even God.) 5. Clarity. Helps see things clearer. 6. Presence – You are in the moment. 7. Universality. Nearly universal in their amazingness. Like the Grand Canyon, 8. Evangelism. Makes people become unpaid evangilists. (Facebook Likes or shares, for example. Twitter RT’s 9. Longevity. The experience never fades. 10. Privilege. You feel honored to share it.

Chapter Three: Platform Michael Hyatt

Exceed audience expectations. Create content to meet your audience’s expectations and needs. Uses the example of Spiderman:Turn off the Dark — a show on Broadway.

• What is the product or experience you want to created or transform into a wow?
• How will the customer feel about the experience?
• What specific expeditions does the typical customer bring to this experience?
• What does failing to meet those expectations look like?

What does meeting them look like?