What is Social Media?
Before a policy can be decided on, it’s essential to have an understanding of what Social Media is. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with some social media concepts.
Social Media
Social media is user-generated web content that is highly available and collaborative. Social media allows conversations in a world-sized room. Anyone can join. Everyone can join.
Social media is distinct from industry media because it is user-generated. Therefore the public tends to trust and value social media differently than industry media.
Communities
From a social media perspective, communities are groups of people organized around a common goal. Examples of CUI communities include: Athletics, Admissions departments, the Forensics Team, Alumni, and CUI as a whole.
Community Manager
A community manager is a person who represents a community using social media.
As defined by Jeremiah Owyang, “The budding Community Manager industry holds 4 tenets; these values resonate as a common thread within the role. They include community advocation, brand ambassadorship, online communication skills, and product requirements gathering and improvements.” (http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/11/25/the-four-tenets-of-the-community-manager/)
CUI has many community managers. There may be one for each program, subprogram, and major. Even clubs and sports can have a community manager. For example: ADP Healthcare, MBA, Softball, Honors, and the UG Business major.
There are many different levels of Community Managers and many of the levels bleed into one another. Read here and decide which level you are on (adapted from Radian6: Community EBook):
Digital Native: The digital native is someone who’s grown up in a highly digital world. They’ve had access to various online social platforms most of their lives and are very comfortable using those platforms, as well as adopting any new ones that come on the scene. Digital tools are a part of digital natives’ daily lives, to such a degree that many of them would be at a loss as to how to go on about their days if some of these tools were taken away.
Savvy Technologist: The savvy technologist is someone who, while not having grown up with them, feels comfortable using most online social platforms and digital tools. These people approach new platforms with caution and often let others fumble around before joining in.
While they lean toward using digital tools to manage their daily lives, savvy technologists have no problem reverting back to their analog ways if necessary, and sometimes even opt to maintain those analog habits that seem more efficient and effective (e.g., maintaining a written day planner).
Reluctant User: The reluctant user is someone who’s aware of the digital world and social media but hesitates to explore and dive into the digital space. These people have heard of big-name social networks like Facebook and probably carry around a smartphone for work, but that is the extent of their digital adoption. They do not think about or use digital tools more than necessary and generally resist incorporating those tools into their lives.
Digital Contrarian: The digital contrarian is someone who’s averse to the digital world. They’ve probably heard of social networking but they think it’s a bunch of piffle, and they’ll use email for work purposes, but if they have a personal email account, it was set up by a friend/sibling/child and is rarely if ever checked. These folks prefer and almost strictly use traditional communication channels to reach their friends, family and business partners. If you send them an email, they’ll ask you why you didn’t just give them a call.
Digital Newbie: Unlike the digital contrarian, the digital newbie isn’t opposed to the digital world so much as they are simply unaware of it. While the digital native might feel these folks must live under rocks, digital newbies go on about their day not thinking or wondering about the online social world or the need for an iPhone. Their life and day-to-day activities go on just fine without any digital intervention, and they don’t see the need to change their habits or behaviors.
Social Media Manager (SMM)
The SMM, is the overall institutional manager of CUI social media. She helps with media setup, strategy, and execution. In addition the SMM seeks out and trains community managers and is to be used as a resource with all social media.
What is Facebook?