As Scott says in Chapter Four, “So you want to find
a new job via Social Media? You have to stop thinking like an advertiser of a
product and start thinking like a publisher of information” (Scott 59).
Marketing oneself is a fine art and a real balancing
act. As a public official who just finished running for office, I admit I do
this frequently. There is a fine line between marketing and bragging and
sometimes this area can be rather grey as well.
As Scott says, “Create information that people want.
Create an online presence that people are eager to consume.”
I run a “like” page for my position on the New PaltzTown Council. Prior to being elected I used it to campaign. My town has only
14,000 people but I now have over 1,000 followers, most of which do live in New
Paltz.
Scotts point on job searching is applicable to what
I try to do on my page. I have used it as a forum to highlight my community.
For example, I have noticed that my most popular post happen on Thursdays and consistently
get between 500 to 1,000+ view. This is because I will do a “Throwback Thursday”
for New Paltz. I often post a picture of something in our town from ten to one
hundred years ago and I try to enquire if people remember the place I posted.
As a result, often people go to my page not for me but to participate in a
local discussion that I end up moderating. This nets me more likes, comments,
and shares.
To me this is an example of Scotts idea of being a
publisher opposed to an advertiser. I end up with an active audience that in
the event I need to post something more important, possibly campaign related, I
am able to communicate this to a larger crowd.
These example may not work for everyone but the
concepts certainly should. You can become a provider of information by being
engaging and telling something about yourself, directly or indirectly. This can
allow you to market yourself to achieve a goal of getting a job or in my case
running for office (which is also sort of getting a job).
Hi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI know I've told you before, but I am already very impressed with your success in using social media for your position on the New Paltz Town Council. Over 1,000 is difficult to achieve and there is definitely a fine line between bragging and marketing, especially when it comes to politics. Because the chapter is entitled, "Social Media and Your Targeted Audience," I think you do a great job explaining this through using personal examples. Your target audience are the people of New Paltz, so therefore you've incorporated information on your Facebook page about the town to attract those who are interested, and are likely to be residents who are aware of your political standing.
I also think that your use of the "Throwback Thursday" is very clever. This is a common hashtag across most of the social media networks and people typically tend to enjoy it and like you said, interact with each other reminiscing. Even celebrities like to participate in #ThrowbackThursday using Instagram.
I think Scott metaphorically puts this in a great way, "social media is a cocktail party." (Scott, 2013) He goes on to explain "think of social media and the ways that people interact on blogs, forums, and social networking sites as the bars, private clubs, and cocktail parties of the city." (Scott, 2013) Although it may be a little silly to compare social media networking to clubs and parties, I honestly don't feel that its that far fetched! Social media is a hub for information, whether it be gossip or breaking news. People check their social media accounts daily.
Great post!
Nicole
Works Cited
Scott, D. M. (2013). The New Rules of Marketing and PR (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Hi Dan,
ReplyDeleteI too think your personal success using social media is a perfect example of how to use social media to your own personal advantage! And a big Congratulations to you on your political success ... and the 1,000 followers!!!
I love the Throwback Thursday idea! I have used a 'Mazie's Top 10's' piece on my blog, in hopes that even if folks do not think my title sounds interesting enough, they may click over to read the Social Media Top 10 lists that I (Mazie) provide. If you provide a piece of interactive information, that anyone can relate to, then the chances of gaining new followers, or at the very least, gaining word of mouth is a huge proponent to success!
Great post!
Dawn
Dan,
ReplyDeleteI agree that your Facebook page is a great example of how you are utilizing social media for your councilman position. Awesome job on your followers.
I like your page. Your have provided your followers with great information in an educational manner as well as highlighting historical moments in time. In your position, those that are following you want to know that your are engaged in the community as well as keeping them up to date with community happenings. Most importantly, the page provides two-way commination. Scott notes: “People can get involved because it is two-way instead of just one direction. You can grow when there is a dialogue” (pg. 88) Your site provides this.
I recently followed a local weather station on Twitter and that site re-tweeted a tweet (one that I was interested in) from a local radio station DJ’s Twitter account. This is just an example of how social media platforms are providing social networking.
Very nice example.
Thank you,
-Joanna
References
Scott, D. M. (2013). (4th ed.). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/9781118488768/firstsection
Dan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post! It looks like you are doing a great job engaging people on Facebook by providing unique content. I often see politicians who post nothing but news releases on their social media account and rarely reply to feedback or questions from their constituents. Having a feature like “Throwback Thursday” is a good way to engage people and get them excited about the local community.
You mentioned in your post that there is a fine line between marketing and bragging. This is something that I struggle with a great deal. We have all seen the Twitter and Facebook accounts from people who are self-promoters. They are easy to spot and some can become downright nauseating. It is important, however, to share the god things that you are doing so that you can get your name out there.
Thinking less like and advertiser and more like a publisher, here are a few things to think about as it relates to this week’s discussion:
1) How do you use social media to promote yourself without coming across as arrogant?
2) As a public official, how do you respond to criticism through social media?
3) How do you engage your constituents who do not have social media accounts?
Travis
Travis,
DeleteGreat questions,
1) I rarely try to say "I" when it comes to actions we collectively take as a board. I often use the phrase "The Council" or "We."
2) I have gotten some angry people respond online. I know a number of people who delete these type of posts but I don't. If it is based on an action the board took in my mind it is fair game and I always respond. I have had one or two people say something nasty about my age or political affiliation. I tend to not respond to those.
3) I know a number of people who do not use social media. I have not done it yet but I plan on doing monthly office hours. I was hoping to do it once a month and at a local businessmen to highlight our local stores as well.
Dan,
DeleteGreat response! It is always important to put the team first. Using "we" shows a collaborative effort, while still signifying your accomplishments as well. I agree that it is important not to delete posts with negative feedback. As I said on Dawn's post, most people are usually just misinformed. When we respond and explain why something was done the way it was they are often appreciative and thank us for the clarification. Once you start deleting the negative posts, you lose the trust of the consumer.
I think having office hours is a great idea. We sometimes lose sight of the fact that not everyone communicates via social media, especially older consumers. Human interaction is so important. Emails, tweets and Facebook posts do not have the same impact on people as an engaging conversation.
Travis
Hi Daniel,
DeleteI think another great way to engage your constituents who do not have social media accounts is to make your social media presence known in other areas. For example, when sending out an email blast or flyer to promote yourself, or discuss a certain topic, include the 'hashtags' you intend to use along with how people can reach you @____. Simply putting a hyperlink to your twitter account and facebook page at the end of an email could draw more traffic. That is, if you don't do that already.
Nicole
Hey Daniel
ReplyDeleteI focused on chapter 4 this week too, I found it extremely interesting and useful. I am glad I chose this chapter to focus on because I find it extremely relevant. I like your points on being a publisher as opposed to an advertiser. If you are a leader then others may look up to you. I think what you do with your page is a great idea. It allows people to interact which draws people to the page and allows for interactions.
Being self promoting online nowadays is almost a must. Every company has some connection to the web and that is their easiest way to find you. We might as well follow his advice and use it to our advantage.
Can you think of any reason why looking for work through social media would be a bad option?
Nice Post!
-Michele
I think it can be bad if you do not have an appropriate account. If your profile picture is you in college drinking at a party or you often misspell things online I think you runt he risk of hurting your chances.
DeleteHi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your response to Michele's post. Looking for work through the use of social media can absolutely be a bad idea if your account is inappropriate. When I took an Employment Seminar course at Marist, our professor demonstated how a potential employer can google your name and view your Facebook page. She then used one of the students from the class who's Facebook profile picture was of her drinking a bottle of champagne. This was a perfect lesson to all of us, and after that I made sure that my profile pictures were appropriate.
Nicole