Hakuna Matata

Chapter 14 provided a good overarching summary for those wishing to expand/start/better involve their business through the use of social media. Golden refers to navigating social media as more of an art than a science. There is not one set way to approach it, and different strategies work for different people, but the key is to find what works best for you. Golden offers advice about the importance of keeping a good attitude , crisis management, and leveraging different general tools (such as bookmarking) to become as effective as possible when using social media. Integrating a business on social media is obviously very different than just using the internet for personal reasons, and thus it can be more complicated and more stressful. Golden discusses the importance of creating a good image online and having a good social media presence. Being able to prevent and deal with things not going as planned is key to handling the stresses that come with businesses and social media. This all comes back to one word: strategy. How a person plans and prepares for their goal is going to play a big role in determining how successful they are at what they’re trying to accomplish. This is true for all things in life, and social media is not an exception.

Much like chapter 9 with Twitter, chapter 10 provides an in depth analysis of Facebook, another one of the social media powerhouses today. While there is a lot of information on how to navigate the site effectively (i.e. creating an account, helpful tips, etc.), there is another level to this chapter. Here, Golden also warns of the dangers of Facebook. It can be a blessing or a curse, depending on it’s used. For instance Golden talks of how Facebook can be great for keeping up with others, strengthening relationships, and contacting people from all over the world. However, where Facebook is more complicated than Twitter lies in how much more information can be easily viewed on Facebook. There is a lot more to read (comments, updates, wall posts, etc), and a lot more to see (more pictures in which you not only take, but those you’re tagged in as well). When trying to mix business with pleasure on a Facebook page, a user has to be especially careful about the content they put on Facebook for prospective employers, colleagues, and other professionals to see. Golden stresses the use of the ever important privacy settings, and what a great feature they have proven to be on Facebook. It’s extremely important to be self aware on Facebook. 

Twitter: hands down one of the biggest social media tools currently being used today. It is used for personal, political, and business reasons, and is beneficial for all three. With millions of active users across the world, Twitter truly interconnects people of various places in life. From celebrities and writers to politicians, from business leaders to you and me, Twitter is an extremely popular online venue for many people. In chapter 9, Golden breaks down Twitter step by step. She distinctly lists the many different features it offers and even goes so far as to explain how to set up an account. This chapter is basically a Twitter manual. I was surprised by how in depth Golden goes to explain Twitter. Not only does she explain minute details such as what different tabs do, but she also gives the reader helpful hints about some special features (such as the @ and #). It is truly a guide to all things Twitter. Following suit with the rest of the book, Golden lays out one of the most dominating social media sites in a way that is not intimidating or overwhelming for someone who may be new to social media. It was even helpful for me, someone who uses  knows the ins and outs of Twitter. Definitely a must-read chapter for someone who may be a Twitter skeptic or just doesn’t understand/know how to use it.

I really enjoyed Golden’s approach of specifically comparing different social media tools. In particular she compared facebook, twitter, linkedIn, and blogs. Golden goes so far as to individually break down the uses, advantages, and disadvantages of each of those four tools. We talk a lot about how important strategy is when using social media, and this chapter illustrates that very well. In this chapter Golden also touches on how each tool is able to mix both personal and business endeavors. When used effectively, through a good strategy, social media can be one of the best ways to bridge the gap between real life and technology. This bridge can help strengthen relationships, be used for promotional reasons, or can even create job opportunities. However, it take knowledge and (once again) a good strategy to open these doors. The best way to effectively use social media is to know what sites and tools will best suit what you are trying to do. Each site offers different benefits, and you want to know which one will benefit you most. That way you can get the most value for each tool that social media offers.

After creating a YouTube account, I’ve discovered I’m probably only going to be a half-assed (excuse my french) user. I like to favorite different videos and be able to access them easily, however I don’t make enough videos to be an active account user. I watch a lot of music videos and videos of funny people/things, but I don’t make video blogs, music/lyric videos or upload anything that often..or ever. So while it’s not really that beneficial for me, I know a lot of people who love their YouTube account. It provides a great opportunity for viral fame, as many comedians have achieved YouTube success with thousands and millions of views on each video (people such as Jenna Marbles and Glozell). The subscribe feature on the accounts allows people to stay updated with other users’ accounts, which I think is a great feature for both the subscriber and the subscribed. Also, musical artists and different companies are able to benefit off having a YouTube account where people can view a page with solely their account. On a site with such a vast amount of content, personal accounts allows YouTube to be compartmentalized, which is a great way to keep it from being overwhelming. So overall, I think the accounts are great and are extremely beneficial, but I just don’t use YouTube enough to personally get that much out of them.

I had to use WordPress for one of my other classes, and the presentation on it deemed very helpful! I had never used the site before, and I have no doubt in my mind that I would’ve been a lot more confused if I had not received helpful tips on how to use it. However, I won’t lie and say I mastered the site. There are still some maneuvering techniques that I didn’t quite grasp throughout the site. I definitely suggest using Tumblr over WordPress. While WordPress does seem to have a more serious tone overall, I feel like Tumblr does a better job of making a blog page both entertaining and easy to create. Tumblr just has all around better accessibility, in my opinion. If you’re trying to become more well known in the blogging-shere though, I recommend Tumblr, as it seems to have a bigger active user base. have heard people say they prefer WordPress though, so to each their own! I think a lot of it comes back to the kind of content you’re trying to relay through your blog. WordPress has a little more formal of a layout than Tumblr.

The first chapter of this new book for our social media class did a great job at doing just what the title says: it defined social media in a way that was very easy for the reader to understand. Golden identifies simple, effective steps one can take to ensure they are on a good track to utilizing social media. She illustrates different types of social media sites and tools that can help people really learn more about how they can use social media to achieve different things. Whether it’s networking, promoting, connecting, or simply just reaching out to others, Golden gives a very good overview of how diverse social media is, and in turn, how there are different venues for different tasks a person is trying to accomplish. Golden also makes a note of how social media shines when it can make transform a relationship from a digital to a personal one. This appears to be the basis for the rest of the book: that at its core, social media is all about using online resources to make real life connections. For both personal and professional uses, social media (when used correctly) can be very beneficial in many aspects of life.

After hearing a presentation over many different social media sites, the one I use the most is Pinterest. I finally made a Pinterest account after holding off for a long time, and I am so glad I did! I absolutely love it. Do I waste some valuable time on it? Sure. Do I regret the time I waste? No. I find so many different types of valuable information through Pinterest. Categories range from fashion and sports, to crafts and photography, to valuable information such as home and health improvement techniques. These interests are not just things I like, but they can be easily translated into real world techniques and purchases, which adds to Pinterest’s value.

There is truly something for everybody on Pinterest,  which is another big part of its appeal. I love being able to search for different topics but still be able to categorize them. This allows easy access to any ‘pin’ that I like or have repinned myself. I don’t have to worry about seeing something I like and not being able to find it later. There is also easy access to other people’s pages as well (both friends and other users I don’t know). I love Pinterest’s feature of being able to openly view other people’s boards so I can look at just one category at a time. That way I don’t feel overwhelmed, but I’m able to go through whatever interest I want to see individually. 

Basically I just really love Pinterest.

Hello Abe.

tylerknott:

Typewriter Series #241 by Tyler Knott Gregson

Love this.