Social media isn’t just a “place for friends;” it’s a place for business. In fact, solid proof exists that social media campaigns grow more than leads or traffic, but increase sales as well.  (I recently wrote an article documenting increased sales as a direct result of social media campaigns.)

As more success stories are published, companies that haven’t already gravitated toward social media will begin to do so. This will increase the need for social media managers

There’s only one university of which I’m aware that offers a social media degree. The one-year, full-time, $6,500 program will get you a Master’s degree. However, some online sources doubt the program’s depth. A smattering of online colleges offer social media degrees (i.e., University of San Francisco), but I wasn’t able to find any data on the programs’ success (or lack-thereof).

The problem is multi-layered, the first hurdle being a shortage of  social media “masters” capable of teaching social media engagement in-depth; according to Traffickd, there are at least 475 active social media sites (ironically, two sites that I use regularly aren’t on the list…). Complicating matters further, social media is like shifting sand; a course curriculum in February is obsolete as soon as it’s printed.  These are endemic issues with tech companies, and until there’s a standard, companies that wish to increase their social media prowess will struggle to find knowledgeable social media managers who can not only drive results, but also add value to the organization. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a site dedicated to social media. As such, it’s in the interest of those of us who contribute to Ploked to write informative posts for readers regarding the use of social media, and the numerous networking tools associated with social media, in our daily affairs. I fully acknowledge social media as a tool to increase business, and my posts reflect this belief. A professional media planner by trade, my job depends on determining as much as possible about consumers, using this information to better target advertising messages to potential customers. Obviously, the more information, the better the results.

Facebook

While striving to remain objective and professional, at times I have to question the level of blind trust that we, as consumers, provide to entities outside our immediate control, opting to allow online businesses the ability to access personal information, including birth dates, address, email, family members, friends, and online surfing behaviors. I’ve written posts that substantiate social media’s success at growing businesses. I’ve also written here–and on other sites–posts concerning privacy and the “information for access” model practiced by social media sites. The majority of these posts–questioning the use of personal information–concern Facebook.

Facebook was once a place to share among friends. As the site’s evolved, its morphed into a money-making phenomenon that changes the rules as necessary. Once Facebook respected, and protected their user’s privacy. Then, unforeseen and unprecedented, the site grew from college site to worldwide network in less-than a decade. Facebook ranks among the most popular online destinations, quick approaching half a billion users Read the rest of this entry »

Amazon released news that their prized e-reader “Kindle” will gain the ability to use Facebook and Twitter in a very toned down version of the sites. It was just a few years ago that Amazon amazed the world by releasing the reader that often gained attention in subways and parks; it was the future for some and many thought we were moving into a “Minority Report” kind of lifestyle.  However, we didn’t, and the Kindle annoyed me more than it amazed me. I’d much rather the cool, crisp touch of a paper rather than poking away at a lifeless white keyboard. Also, with a newspaper, you are a lot less likely to be a potential target for a serial mugger and you won’t look like a dork. Which begs the question, do we really need social media on the Kindle? I hate to say it Jeff Bezos, but do we really even need your Kindle?

Social media, and other apps, are more user friendly on other devices

To answer the first question, no. If you are technologically minded enough to know what a Kindle is and how to use one, chances are you already have a Smartphone. The point of  the social media application which Kindle is trying to employ is for you to be able to share passages from books with your friends via Facebook and Twitter. While that’s a sweet notion, I’m sure my friends are busy spending time tending tstray cows in Farmville and doing social creeping  on others peoples profiles. They don’t have time to see my favorite passage from the Nicholas Sparks book that I’m enthralled with at the moment. I kid. People just aren’t going to want a bargain version of social media sites. We’re too advanced to accept it at this point.

Secondly, there’s something called an iPad and, I hate to admit it, but the “over sized iPhone” is pretty awesome. What makes it more awesome, you ask? Raymond goes more into it, but I can watch movies, play games, and use the Kindle App!  This allows me to scroll through selections of books from Amazon, in color.  I can also check out my favorite social media platforms in depth, all for around the same price as a Kindle. Read the rest of this entry »