Tarleton Tip Thursday (# 25): Give your social media managers a break

Or this might be better titled: Why your social media manager needs a break!?!

Summer at the Texas Social Media Research Institute means that most of our interns are studying abroad, working and relaxing. And that means the heavy lifting of feeding the social media beast falls to one woman. She’s a superwoman, but every social media manager needs a break. 

 

created by skm

 And here’s why:

1. Creating content is a full-time job. Content is what keeps us coming back and each outlet requires new content that fans will want to share. It can be exhausting keeping up with all of your outlets. Your manager is curating finds for Facebook, taking pictures for Pinterest and writing smart copy for the blog. This doesn’t happen magically – there is work involved.

2. Prevent burn-out. A quick online search will provide proof that it exists. You want your social media manager refreshed and ready to respond to fans. This person is the social media “face” of your organization and sets the tone for your online brand. Think of a customer relations person who is tired of dealing with people. It’s the same concept and you definitely want happy people in charge of communicating with your followers.

3.  New ideas. While giving your social media manager a much-needed vacation to unplug, the social media sitter will bring a new perspective to the outlets. While we all try to generate new content ideas, the drudgery of posting every day can become routine and formulaic. The newbie has a unique vantage point and set of skills to bring to the big show.

4. Appreciation. It’s not until you click through the mouse (a lame attempt at a digital “walk in their shoes”) of your social media manager that you realize the magnitude of keeping up with multiple social media outlets. This might also help with job security--the person manning the desk in your absence will gladly hand the reins back and comment on how much work social media management is.

So, we celebrate the mid-point of Yvonne Mulhern’s mini-vacation from TSMRI’s social media and hope we are making her proud! We also want to shout to the rooftops that we appreciate all that she does for the Texas Social Media Research Institute. Another big thank you goes to Emily Salinas who is making this social media break possible. Please remember your social media managers this summer and offer to help for even a day or two. The reprieve will be much appreciated.

Tell us how you're helping your social media managers this summer. Post a comment or email us at texassocialmediaresearch @ gmail.com.

Sarah Maben, TSMRI co-director, is an assistant professor at Tarleton State University.

 

Google+ Hangouts brings more faces to videoconference

Welcome to Tarleton Tip Thursdays, where every week we help you harness the power of social media. The following post was originally published in the Stephenville Empire Tribune and is reprinted here with permission.

Google, you probably use it as your everyday search engine. However, this particular website can be used for more than finding a restaurant or checking the news. Did you know that you can videoconference with nine other people using a Google system?

Google+ Hangouts resembles Skype, and is an improved way to communicate with people around world (or locally) through your computer minus the international fees. In any type of webcam intervention (Skype particularly) your computer screen only shows one individual. With Google+ Hangouts the screen is divided into ten different squares, which can resemble the Brady Bunch split screen from the ‘70s. This allows you to see everyone’s reactions at the same time.

Google+ Hangouts is free as long as both users are connected to the Internet and have some type of Google account. Families separated by distance can stay in touch. Talking on the phone is fine, but how nice it is to actually see a smile with that laugh. Or to see your little sister in her prom dress live before she hits her big night. Not only can you and your sister experience a moment together, but even grandma, grandpa, and your aunt can join in. Though nothing can replace the physical presence of a loved one in a room Google+ Hangouts is making it a little easier for you to stay connected and to be able to share those one-in-a-lifetime experiences.

No one feels left out, nor do you have to worry about who heard your big “news” first. You are ensured all of the attention because when you speak in the hangout, your screen automatically appears bigger on everyone’s feed.

Businesses that operate globally, or even county to county, are able to be on the same page without travel costs. This program allows for everyone to meet with a face-to-face webcam chat, which enables you to see reactions and use nonverbal communication cues to better decipher messages. You can also receive instant feedback. At the Texas Social Media Research Institute, board members and interns meet via Google+ Hangouts to brainstorm, share research and plan upcoming events.

How to get started

If you have a Gmail account, you are automatically set up with Google+, which resembles Facebook. (If it has been awhile since you have used your Gmail account, you may need to upgrade to include Google+. Click on the “You” tab along the top left to upgrade.) On the left hand side of the Google + screen there should be an icon that says “profile.” Select that option and next to your profile picture look for “Start a Hangout.” Click “Add more people” to select a specific circle to hang out with, and before the first chat you will be asked to download a small plug-in. Then enjoy the benefits of new and improved technology your fingertips.

The Texas Social Media Research Institute, based at Tarleton State University, is a cross-disciplinary collaboration focused on social media research and training. Intern Brooke King authored this column.

Tarleton Tip Thursday (#24): Choosing social networks for business & non-profits

Welcome to Tarleton Tip Thursdays where every week we help you harness the power of social media. Last week we discussed how to select your personal social networks. Today we'll talk about how to select social networks for your business or nonprofit organization.

1.  What kind of business or non-profit do you have?

Which dish are you?
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

 Is it a business at all? Or is it a nonprofit? Can you afford Facebook ads, or do you have a "bare bones" budget?  What do you want from your audience--sales, word of mouth, fellow believers in your cause?

2.  Who is your potential audience?

Who is your audience?
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Most people want as many people as possible ("Everyone!") as their potential audience members or consumers. But realistically, some people will be more interested in your product or cause than others.  Are you targeting "foodies"?  Athletes?  Parents?  College students? You may have multiple, overlapping categories.

3.  Where does your audience spend time online?

In social media, more is *not* always better.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, a combination? Facebook is probably a sure thing--at last count it had over 900 million users. Find out about other platforms by doing a little research.  The Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project is an excellent place to start.  If you have a younger audience, you might want to try Tumblr.  If you have a photography business, Flickr might be perfect, assuming you can protect your images. 

4.  What's in it for them?

Some audiences are tougher than others.
Personal image obtained with permission.

You also want to address the WIIFM (What's In It For Me?) factor.  Why should people follow your page? Will they get discounts? Inside knowledge? Humor?

Check out the pages of companies you admire. What do they do differently? One hint: Try to find your unique voice.  Is your brand authoritative, reassuring, quirky, inspirational, practical? Get input from "fans."  Do surveys.  Give away prizes.  Pick a fun or interesting image just for the heck of it, or to start a discussion.  Remember,  you want to engage and connect with your potential customers. 

What do you think of these suggestions? Do you have any of your own? Please share them in the comments. Stay tuned for upcoming tips, where we'll discuss using analytics.

Tarleton Tip Thursday #23 : Choosing your social media platforms (personal)

Here are some quick tips on how to choose--and use--social media accounts.  Next Thursday's blog post will delve into how to manage business or non-profit accounts.

Image via TSMRI.

1. Consider your purpose. Why are you on social media?  Venting about work?  In that case, stay away from Facebook.  Looking for recipes? Try Pinterest or Tumblr. Maybe you just want to keep track of your favorite celebrities.  In that case, you can use Twitter, which allows you to see lots of updates from different people simultaneously.

No, not these platforms.
Image obtained via Wikimedia Commons.

2.  Know your platforms.  Facebook is good for keeping up with family and friends, but has lousy privacy controls and collects tons of information about people.  If this makes you feel like you've landed in a George Orwell novel, you may want to try another platform or even opt out of Facebook entirely.  Or, you could dabble in various networks to see which one you like the best.  Which brings us to...

Consider your privacy.
Image obtained via morguefile.com
 

3.  Consider your privacy.  If you want to tweet or blog about sensitive subjects, consider a pseudonym and a separate email, Google, or Wordpress account so that your two social media lives don't collide. If you share your computer with someone else, do not use the "remember password" feature.  If you want to try out Twitter, you may want to start with a private account (only people you authorize can see your tweets, and they can't be retweeted).  Keep in mind though that nothing is foolproof.  For example, one of your followers could always take a screenshot of a particularly sensitive tweet and post it online.

You can't tell, but he is having lots of fun.
French comedian Louis Funes, image obtained via Wikimedia Commons.

4.  Have fun.  No, really.  If you don't enjoy being on Facebook, or Twitter, etc., then delete your account and move on.


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