Writing Podcast: Blending Familiar and Original

Writing Podcast

Writing Excuses Episode 2: Blending the Familiar and the Original

How do you know when your setting of high school kids solve supernatural mysteries becomes cliché?  Brandon, Howard and Dan discuss how you create unique concepts by blending familiar topics with something new and original and how to avoid possible pitfalls.

Notes

Take a mundane idea and something extraordinary and merge them together. Expand on whatever it is you are writing about.

Ex. You can create a character such as a pirate or bounty hunter and give them an extraordinary name.

Understand the theory of The Strange Attractor- this has to do with something that attracts and is familiar but there is something strange about it.

So what do they mean by familiar?

Familiar- It is something that you can relate to. Also, something already in your head even if it is as simple as a story you recall of a kid in high school. Now by understanding the familiar, you can then create a simple story about high school kid but then add in the original, which could be that your teacher is an alien or robot.

By following this theory it allows readers to locate themselves in your story.

In order to be most effective in reaching your audience you must understand them. You must do your research. Know all the trends in your industry or genre. It is best to know what else is being written around you and to also know what is actually being read. Understand that people want different amounts of original and extraordinary. For example, in science fiction many of the readers look for about 70 percent original content and about 30 percent original content.

Watch out for Risks

In science fiction there is a risk of singularity and post singularity. This is when the writer is no longer able to create characters that are recognizable. The problem is that if the readers cannot identify the characters they will not want to read.

Here is response posted on the website regarding the writers podcast.

Tips

You need to make a decision on how much familiar content and how much original content you want to provide to your reader. There is a market for both but it is suggested that to write to a specific audience. The largest audience is in the middle of the two.

Don’t stand on the shoulders of giants. Pick something out of reach and jump for it, make a leap, take a risk.

Take a long look at your original content and really analyze and make sure it truly is original. Do your research.

Lastly, write the story YOU want to read.

Getting Involved

Top Keywords

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Top Influencers

Brandon Sanderson     60 K @bransanderson

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Rebecca Moesta           1500 K @rebeccamoesta

David Farland              19 K @davidfarland

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Margaret B. Young      BYU Professor

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@writingproject           19.9k followers

What organizations do I get involved in?

I personally like to get involved in as many organizations as possible. I enjoy being in an organization because I feel like I am a part of something where it gives me the opportunity to contribute and provide my services. Now I know I mentioned that I like to get involved in as many organizations as possible but let me clarify that more. Although I do like to be involved in multiple organizations I know that at some point I can only handle some many. There comes a point where I have to draw the line and only participate in so many organizations. However, I do try to keep a good balance of the types of organizations that I do get involved with such as work based, church based, and community based. By being able to experience and be a part of different organizations it certainly helps me stayed balanced.

The BYU advertising program is a great organization and one that I am proud to be a part of. The advertising program provides students with the knowledge and opportunities to prepare students for a career. Within the program, it has created another organization called the BYU adlab. This is an additional organization that the program provides in order to gives student current projects with real clients. Not only has this organization helped in preparing for my career but it has also helped me network and establish meaningful relationships with those within and connected to the organization.

I am also involved frequently with my church organization. The LDS community is well organized and always providing opportunities to learn, grow, and serve. I love this organization because it is a big part of my life and beliefs. It gives me direction of understanding of where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going. There are constant church activities and opportunities to get involved and serve.

Lastly, I enjoy getting involved in community organizations. I am very active and I love to participate in local and national charities. I have participated in various runs and marathons to help local charities and I have also participated in national presidential campaigns. Being a part of these communities help me to serve and contribute to others needs. There are many different ways to be a part of communities based organizations you just need to seek them out.

Lets Talk About This

I have noticed that as a society, we treat our electronics as our prized possessions. This is true even for myself. The electronics that we possess, especially our cell phones, are constantly with us. Whether it be because they are usually the most expensive thing we have with us or because we need them to function, it is clear that our electronic devices have become some of our most prized possessions.

The electronic devices, specifically cell phones, have drastically changed the way we interact and communicate with those around.  A recent article in Time Tech analyzed this situation very closing. The article mentions that he telephone call is a dying institution. The number of text messages sent monthly in the U.S. exploded from 14 billion in 2000 to 188 billion in 2010, according to a Pew Institute survey.

http://techland.time.com/2012/08/16/we-never-talk-anymore-the-problem-with-text-messaging/

Americans ages 18-29 send and receive an average of nearly 88 text messages per day, compared to 17 phone calls. The numbers change as we get older, with the overall frequency of all communication declining, but even in the 65 and over group, daily texting still edges calling 4.7 to 3.8. In the TIME mobility poll, 32% of all respondents said they’d rather communicate by text than phone, even with people they know very well. This is truer still in the workplace, where communication is between colleagues who are often not friends at all. “No more trying to find time to call and chit-chat,” is how one poll respondent described the business appeal of texting over talking.

The problem, of course, is what’s lost when that chit-chat goes. Developmental psychologists studying the impact of texting worry especially about young people, not just because kids are such promiscuous users of the technology, but because their interpersonal skills, such as they are, have not yet fully formed.

I have noticed this problem of the loss of communication due to the increase of text messaging. I personally prefer to call and talk to someone over the phone rather than just communicate with them through text messaging. I find myself explaining and speaking more clearly though telephone conversations rather than messaging. It is also easier from me to listen and truly understand the person who I am talking with as I can listen to their words and tone of voice to gain a better understanding of what they are communicating to me. Text messaging does have some advantages put it cannot replace the experience of talking to someone over the phone.

Changing It Up

Here are just a few subjects I’ve discovered that have changed over time due to the introduction of the personal computer and development of the internet.

Changed the way we Learn

I personally remember growing up and taking school trips to the library and gathering all the information I needed from various books. Back in the day, acquiring information about an unfamiliar subject required either the discovery of a knowledgeable individual or a trip to the local library. Then a little internet start-up founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in the nineties changed all of that. You might be familiar with it, it’s called Google. 

The internet doesn’t just offer information in comprehensive fashion, it offers it instantaneously. Now with the ability to search for anything and everything at the click of a button, individuals around the world can now learn about any subject of their choosing in a quick and efficient manner, either by typing it into the search bar offered on Google’s homepage. 

Changed the way we do Business

An article I recently read featured a good example of how the internet has changed the way we market. 

http://whatculture.com/technology/10-ways-the-internet-has-changed-the-world.php/6

If there’s one internet success story from the last year or so that you’re familiar with, it’s probably Kickstarter, the site that epitomizes the practice of crowd sourcing by allowing projects to source investment, interest and possible custom from a huge user base. It’s merely one of the latest techniques that marketers can use to ply their trade, but it’s an effective one, as are many others that they have been able to utilize using the internet’s technology. Tailored marketing, for instance, is possible by gathering details about people’s interests through their search patterns, allowing organizations to market products and services at the individuals most likely to be interested in them. This is cheaper and much more effective than traditional marketing techniques, such as television advertising, as there is no guarantee that a firm’s target market will be watching a specific program at a specific time.

Direct marketers also have a field day with the technology, as no longer do they have to go through the hassle of printing and delivering material in an attempt to source custom or keep previous customers informed of new developments. Instead, they can merely email information to a mailing list of thousands in a matter of seconds. It’s a great annoyance to most of us, but for every ninety-nine individuals that have a junk e-mail filter and won’t bother to read such material, there will be one who does and makes a purchase as a result.

Changed the Way we take in Media

Many of us grew up in homes with a number of bookshelves containing an assortment of novels, magazines and films. Again, the internet and new technology has quickly changed that as well. Internet speeds have been progressively improving over the last few years, making the streaming of media or the download of large files very accessible. As a result, literature, games, films and television have outgrown the need for a costly physical medium such as a book or disc, and are accessible in an instant on the likes of e-book readers, Netflix and catch-up services.

Surprisingly it’s just not professional publishers, production companies and the like that are able to utilize the internet to get their product to customers, however, as the ease of the technology’s use and its wide user base makes it a easy medium for amateurs to contribute. Countless musicians, comedians, filmmakers, writers and other personalities have made a name for themselves by releasing their material on platforms such as YouTube, SoundCloud or Ustream, which can be used to distribute either pre-recorded or live material. As a result, people have both more choice than ever and more opportunities to pursue their dreams.

These are just a few examples of how the personal computer and internet has changed our way of life. Although not everything can be predicted, it is very likely that the personal computer and internet will conitune to change our lives and how we come about doing things. Alex Antliff's article "10 Ways The Internet Has Changed the World" provided a lot of good examples and has many other interesting examples featured in his as article. 

Westeron67 Tweets and Posts

Our group is focused on attracting writing professionals for Westercon67. After analyzing Google Adwords I have found various key words that can be used for engaging Tweets and Facebook posts.

Twitter

   Get enlightened with our WRITING PROMPTS @westercon67 #writing #convention

   Add some CREATIVE to your writing @westerncon67 #creativewriting

   CREATIVITY and WRITING in one area @westerncon67 #creativewriting #convention

   CREATIVE + WRITING + PROMPTS = @westercon76

   Writing a book @westercon67 is just BETTER. Come see for yourself #writersconvention

   Here’s a tip: Come to @westercon67 March 4^th #tip #writing

   A writersWORKSHOP that really WORKS @westercon67 #writersconvention

   How do you become a better writer? You attend @westercon67 March 4^th #writing #convention

   Got a story? Get it published @westercon67. It’s a great place to got those ideas published       

   #GetItPublished #writersconvention

   Giving out free tips @westercon67 writing convention. Come check it out! #writingtips

Facebook Posts (*all post must have a picture to go with it)

   What inspires you to write? COMMENT below

   Where do you go when you need somewhere to write? Share your places by COMMENTING    

   below.

   FACT or FICITION? Which do you prefer?

   Tip of the Day: Write it down. LIKE if you write your ideas down.

   Interested in getting a book published? LIKE if you have something ready to be published.

Social Media Shift

Social media has allowed the entertainment industry to shift more of the load of advertising and marketing to the consumers. When thinking of examples of companies that are shifting their advertising and marketing to the consumers, Doritos and GoPro are two to consider.

Doritos holds an annual competition that has become huge. It lets the fans send in videos for a Doritos ad and the winning video that is selected through fan voting will air during the prime time television spot. This allows fans to directly participate with the brand by encouraging them to submit a video that could be feature during the Super Bowl. In addition, it generates a social media buzz about the competition and increases web traffic by posting videos to the website and encouraging people to watch and vote.

The Breakdown

• Fans make a video and submit it to Doritos' website in late fall.
• The videos are selected and semi finalists are voted on.
• Finalists are chosen and fans continue to vote.
• The winning video is show as Doritos' Super Bowl ad. 

It is important to give fans direct participation with your brand by allowing them to make something and send it in with the hopes of it being used for your brand's advertising. This will show fans that you care about them and will provide them an opportunity for their creativity to shine. Holding a contest and allowing people to vote on the submissions encourages participation by everybody, not just those who submitted. Once a winner is selected, the winning submission is posted on social media. This example from Doritos shows the shift that industries are taking by allowing their consumers to assist in marketing and advertisement for their company. The consumers will have an actual opportunity to truly market or advertise for them.

Another popular example is the versatile camera GoPro. The company GoPro has viewers upload their GoPro photos, and other users get to vote on them. Every day GoPro posts the Photo of the Day on Instagram and other platforms that they use.

Basically, they have users submit photos of themselves on Instagram using the product. This certainly allows GoPro to leverage themselves because the consumers are marketing and advertising their product for them. The reach the GoPro obtains is incredible as they have over 1 million followers. GoPro does add some incentive to the daily post as they reward the Photo of the Day winner with a package of all of their products. This reward has captured hundreds of thousands of people and again is another great example of how social media has shifted by allowing consumers to market and advertise for different companies.

Social Media Changing Business

Over the years we have noticed the impact social media has on us as people and as consumers. Have you thought about the impact social media has had on a company? I recently came across an article about Red Robin, a gourmet burger chain, and they have implemented an internal social network which is similar to Facebook in order to teach managers across the country everything the need to know about implementing items on to the menu.

The article mentioned that before the implementation of the web inside companies, businesses such as Red Robin had to send out written material to all of its management across the country. In addition, for the executives to get feedback, they had to make trips around the country in order to visit all the stores to help with making business decisions, changes, and making sure the customers were happy. This process would take months to execute and implement the solutions. 

Today, with the advancement of technology like the web and social media, these business management processes have been cut and simplified dramatically. The article mentioned that the executives at Red Robin can now make quicker changes to their menu and can see the results from the changes even faster than before. By allowing executives and managers to communicate freely within this network, they were able to create recipes, menu changes, and even videos to help managers learn what is necessary to implement such changes quickly and efficiently. By setting up an internal network, managers from across the country were able to input all customer feedback into the system and then have open discussions with executives to figure out trouble patterns and ways to fix them effectively.

 

In a recent study conducted by McKinsey & Co, “Nearly 90% of big companies claimed to have been able to see at least one measurable business benefit from social media.” According to Michael Chui, senior fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute, “Heavy use of social tools has a statistically significant correlation to profitability.” Though it is still early to tell, only 3% of respondents claimed to have used social business tools for all three major uses. These uses are: Reaching customers, connecting employees and coordinating with suppliers.

Social media is not just about updating your status and sharing pictures. Red Robin is just one example of how companies are turning toward social media for help in their businesses. It can truly help businesses grow in multiple ways. Continue to pay attention  and you will notice various companies taking advantage of social media both internally and externally.

Article:

http://www.brandingpersonality.com/social-business-how-social-media-has-changed-business-as-we-know-it/

The Logic of Collective Action

Incentives can quickly impact a group or community. However, with incentives impacting a group or community, there is debate about whether or not the incentives affect the group or community in a positive or negative way. There is always going to be debate about whether something is good or bad especially when it affects a community. Whether it be good or bad it is for sure that incentives impact a community. It is also helpful to understand the community before hand and know how the incentives will affect them.

Chaco, a brand of footwear known for its product line of Z strap sandals, is a good example of how to use incentives. Chaco gives a pretty good social media recipe to follow, including mixing in some free giveaways along with the fan participation. Notice how easy the instructions are for the giveaways.

This kind of post is simple and interactive because fans love getting something in the mail from just an easy step. What they won’t be thinking is how easily they just gave out their address. If you’re trying to build a lead list, you can turn a pile of swag into a solid database by offering it to your social media followers. By doing this you can quickly and easily build a group or community.

Chaco made it easy, and did not press for too much information or immediately begin spamming lead lists. In addition, they acted promptly and delivered what they promised. If you look at some of their posts you will notice how quickly and effectively Chaco’s responses to some concerns from users who said they never received their sticker from the previous promotion.

By giving these free stickers out as incentives Chaco was able to build a group. These stickers are located in numerous places such as on their consumers car's, walls, buildings, and ect. People notice these stickers and can associate them with the brand. If someone is unaware and curious they will research and find out what the brand is and what else they offer. As mentioned earlier, whether for good or bad, incentives have the poower to impact a group. 

Cooperation

The following post is in response to questions regarding the The Evolution of Cooperation.

How does the Prisoners' Dilemma apply to the social media world?

Social media is applicable to the prisoners’ dilemma. In both situations it is important to make decisions and connects with those around you. Social dilemmas are situations in which collective interests are at odds with private interests. Such situations arise when faced with prioritizing either short-term selfish interests or the long-term interests of a group, organization, or society. Whether you are in a prisoner dilemma or social media dilemma, you must connect and trust those around you in order to have success.

Should a Facebook friend keep providing favors to another friend who never reciprocates?

The friend should not continue to provide favors to the person who is not reciprocating. Instead, the friend should direct its service to somewhere else. The truth is we all want something from our friends, emotional support, attention, or even a hand when we need one. Friends who reciprocate will continue to be provided favors as well as gain more and more trust.

Why would cooperation between a business and their customers be so important?

Without customers, there is no business. Cooperation is very important between a business and their customers in to help them connect with one another. Through cooperation customers are able to gain a better understanding of the business, experience the business in a way, and gain their trust.

A good example that I discovered is how Dunkin’ Donuts responded to a customer on twitter. After receiving a burnt sandwich, a Dunkin’ Donut customer sent out a tweet explaining how that was not the best way to start of his morning. In response, Dunkin Donuts quickly tweeted back with some customer service. By doing this, they were able to connect with their customer and have the opportunity to gain his trust back. This particular example shows why cooperation between a business and their customers can be so important.

How can you promote cooperation on social media?

There are many ways to promote cooperation on social media. One way that is very simple and effective is engaging with your fans. This can be done by simply liking their post, responding to it, or even sharing it. When a business does this, they allow themselves to engage and connect with their audience.

When should a person cooperate and when should they be selfish?

There is no wrong or right answer to this question but there is a way to balance them. Depending on the situation, at times it is appropriate to cooperate and at other times it’s ok to be selfish. There will be times where you may ask for help and advice but it is also important to make sure you provide similar information to those around you as well.

Business Model Canvas

As I analyzed the situation regarding the Westercon67 convention, I noticed that developing a business canvas will help in organizing and making sure results are achieved. The recent posts from Westerncon67 are not effective, not frequent, and not engaging for their fans and followers.

It is very important that Westerncon67 creates and follows a business model canvas in order to recognize their target audience and to bring them to this years convention.

Customer Segments:

-Young Adults

-Aspired writers

-New writers

-Potential writers

-Writers from local universities

-English Majors

Identifying your audience is challenging but certainly important. This is a big challenge for Westercon because they currently lack an audience.

Key Partners:

-Brandon Sanderson

-Cory Doctorow

-Chris Garcia

-Mary Kowal

-Howard Tayler

-Dan Wells

-Kerry Jackson (radio)

-Larry Correia

-Desert Book

Centrality- Reaching out to the suggested partners and celebrities that relate to Westercon will not only grow the network and but place in the heart of the network.

Key Activities:

-Focus on quality and consistency of all types of post.

-Use all social media channels resources.

-Follow more people on different platforms, especially influential people and partners.

-They need to interact and engage with fans and followers.

-Regular Q&A.

Transitivity-Although some fans are already connected, the challenge will be bring in the new customers segments and have them become quickly involved in the convention.

Value Propositions:

-Make sure all content is clear and specific.

-Keep fans and followers updated on what is going to happen at the convention and when things are    going to happen.

-Share information from fans and followers. Keep them engaged as you interact and respond to their post.

Connectivity- This will be accomplished by posting more valuable content and doing it consistently.

Customer Relationships:

-As mentioned before there must be an interaction with the fans and followers. Have them share and  

express their opinions and try give them recognition as they earn it.

-Reward certain fans for the loyalty and or engagement with what you are distributing.

Channels:

-Facebook

-Twitter

-Instagram

-Pinterest

-Linkedin

-Google+

-Podcast

-Vine

                                                    Business Model Canvas Explained                             

 

The Challenge

One of the key challenges for any brand’s social media strategy is to create a sense of community and loyalty among its fans. Sometimes, that community already exists and the job of the social media leaders is to start engaging those people in new channels of communication. Comic Con Salt Lake City is an enormously successful convention that recently launched last year bringing in thousands and thousands of people to its events.

While researching what they did that gave them so much success I came across an article from adnewsonline.com that explains their strategy. In order to accomplish this success they first created a specific list of goals. This list included:

In order to achieve a successful first time event, they created a list of specific targets:

• Gathering 50,000+ Facebook fans in the target demographic.

• Gathering 1,000+ Twitter followers including leading influencers to the target demographic.

• Create Viral Content that would generate significant Social Media Reach.

• Sell 35,000 Tickets.

• Sellout Booth Space, Artist Alley and Sponsorships to relevant high quality/content oriented companies.

• Meet celebrity guest guaranteed minimums.

Ubiquitous coverage of Intermountain region via Facebook.

• Create an event that would generate significant and positive post-event buzz, ensuring the long-term success of the brand.

These were clear and specific goals for the company. However, not only did they develop clear goals but they also planned out how they were going to accomplish them. Using a variety of methods, skills and tactics, they sought to create a general awareness around the Salt Lake Comic Con brand using multiple approaches:

• Create an interactive Facebook Fan Page in order to drive engagement and sales, using strong call to action memes, encouraging likes and shares.

• Focus on the prime demographic and create content that fans want to share (turning fans into evangelists for viral and word-of-mouth marketing).

• Engage and entertain rather than sell, especially on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.

• Leverage the power of association, relating Salt Lake Comic Con to the brands represented by celebrities that starred in the blockbuster movies and televisions shows such as Star Wars, Star Trek and others.

• Make decisions that benefit everyone involved, from customers to fans, employees to partners, vendors and sponsors.

• Create a market niche offering the only product or solution to the target market.

Continually identify and qualify the desired prospect.

• Show celebrity agents a professional web presence, with social media engagement higher than virtually all other Comic Con fan pages, and above average ticket pre-sales.

• Heavily market autograph sessions and photo ops to ensure a strong demand in order to meet celebrity guarantees.

Salt Lake Comic Con sought to strategically build, connect, engage and influence their unique target market surrounding Salt Lake City. They were able to achieve this through much research. This then gave them a better understanding of the wants, needs, and desires of their target market. In the end, they were right on strategy and created a huge buzz across multiple social media platforms.

http://adnewsonline.com/case-study-comic-con-salt-lake/

The Impact of New Technology

Many key events have been the cause of a “media meltdown”. One of the biggest events that have been part of the cause is the development of the Internet. The growth of the Internet has simply been the reason for so much disruption in the media.

In the Laws of Media, written by Marshall McLuhan, he argues that tetrads are “a means of focusing awareness on hidden or unobserved qualities in our culture and technology”. McLuhan argues that the effects of every media can be viewed in four ways. McLuhan summarized his ideas about media in a concise tetrad of media effects. The tetrad is a means of examining the effects on society of any technology/medium by dividing its effects into four categories and displaying them simultaneously.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrad_of_media_effects


What does the medium enhance?
What does the medium make obsolete?
What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier?
What does the medium flip into when pushed to extremes?

These rules apply to a medium such as the Internet. The Internet enhances thought both in retrieving information that nurtures thought and expressing thoughts to help others. It obsolesced books or publications that inform thought. This is done at a much slower rate. The Internet retrieves forms and ways from the past where people came to share thoughts and dialogue. When pushed to the extreme, the Internet goes beyond because it recalls what has been voiced.

To give another example, I recently used Skype and I have noticed that it can also be applied to the tetrad.

It enhances communication at a distance for business, commercial uses, and all types of relationships. I was able to communicate with my sister who is across the United States. It renders obsolete written orders, memos, and any other similar requests. It retrieves personal contact and direct verbal communications as the means of making decisions. It reverses in to bullying. THE PERSON WITH THE LOUDEST VOICE CAN EASILY WIN.  http://www.skype.com/en/

The development of the Internet has certainly made a big impact and will continue to do so. The growth of the Internet has been one of the main reasons for so much disruption in the media. Its effects on society along with any type of technology/medium can be identified in McLuhan's tetrad.

Support from the Net

"Even when online groups are not designed to be supportive, they often are."

I recently discovered a good example of this through a band called the Lumineers. The Lumineers are a wildly successful folk band from Colorado that has achieved worldwide fame. Their Facebook page has over 1.4 million likes. This example explains how effectively the Lumineers raised support for a charitable cause in October of 2013 over the Internet.

http://thelumineers.com/colorado-flood-relief-online-sale-is-on-now/

Their home state of Colorado was pummeled with record rainfall during September, and nearly 18,000 homes were damaged, over 2000 completely destroyed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Lumineers posted on their Facebook to get fans involved in the relief effort organized by the United Way. For 24 hours, all the proceeds from selling band merchandise on their website would be donated to the United Way Flood Recovery Fund, and they also shared a link where people could donate directly (liveunitedcolorado.org).

The 24-hour window of time forced followers to recognize a closing window of opportunity for getting involved. Fans who previously wanted t-shirts felt a push to buy right away. The exclusive opportunity to be a part of the cause and to be able to proudly wear the t-shirt also illustrates how important a token gift is in fundraising goals.

Within 20 minutes of the announcement the Facebook post had been shared 120 times. People acted quickly about getting involved instead of casually browsing past the post. Over four thousand likes and hundreds of comments show an outpouring of approval from the bands followers. This charitable cause by the Lumineers is great example that shows us that “even when online groups are not designed to be supportive, they often are."

In addition to providing support, the net also allows weak ties to become useful. The article explained that weak ties are more apt than strong ties to link people with different social characteristics. “This suggest that the kind of people you know is more important for obtaining information than the number of people you know.”

When I think of this I think of the networking service Linkedin. It is a business social networking site and its main purpose is to help people network professionally. The site lets you find other business associates, clients, and colleagues whom you already know. You connect with them through the site, and they then become part of your network. By using this service you can a

llow your weak ties to become useful.
https://www.linkedin.com/

Social Media and Social Behaviors

Today’s society is experiencing the growth of social media. In the U.S., the social media landscape is comprised mostly of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A recent article I discovered in Digiday examined the differences in social behaviors among working moms and stay at home moms. The article and research found that working moms dominate across most social networks based on the number of followers, variety of topics they post on and the types of content they share. However, despite having fewer online profiles to manage, stay at home moms are engaging just as often in social media.

It may not be surprising that working moms have a larger network gathered from past and current jobs. Working moms maintain a wider variety of social platforms than stay at home moms. According to the article, they have more than twice the Twitter followers, four times the Instagram followers and nearly 15 times the Google Plus contacts. Pinterest, however, is equally popular among both groups of moms.

What stood out to me is that stay at home moms have the potential to drill down deeper into their network.

“For me, Facebook is about trying to connect with another person, whether it’s someone I went to elementary school with or someone who is five blocks away [and] looking for a plumber,” says Nancy Gonzalez, a stay at home mom in Oak Park, Ill. “Last week, I posted from the dentist’s office that my son might have an abscess, and all these people — my soccer-mom friends and my sister — sent notes back, saying ‘I hope he’s better.’ [Social media is] definitely a very personal thing for me.”

Of course both working moms and stay at home moms will have an influence on social media and the society. While working moms cover a broader range of platforms and topics, I agree with the article in that stay at home moms are able to have a stronger influence in what it is that they are engaging with on social media.

The Power in Networks

Manuel Castells claims that we are passing from the industrial age into the information age. This change is brought about by the development of new information of microelectronics and software based communication technologies. According to Castells, power now rests in networks. He states, “Power does not reside in institutions, not even the state or large corporations. It is located in the networks that structure society.”

There are numerous networks that can be found in our society. Some networks, such as that of financial capital, are global in scale. Networks also exist within and between businesses where resources include employees, consultants, and other businesses. They are brought together to work on a particular project, then dispersed and reallocated when the task is complete. The ability of an actor in the network, whether it be a company, individual, government, or other organization is determined by the degree to which it can contribute to the goals of the network. These factors help determine the power of the network. This new environment requires skilled flexible workers. However, this leads to a process of inclusion and exclusion from the network. The people at the bottom are those who, with nothing to offer the network, are excluded.

 

I believe there is power in networks that structure our society. The more people you know, the more people you can influence, either positively or negatively. People who work at developing strong clusters of networks across a broad section of interests, age groups, demographics and cultures can often exert enormous positive or negative influence. These people in the networks that structure our society, whether it is a company, individual, government, or other organization will contribute to the power of the network.