The speaker appreciated the writing style demonstrated by students in previous assignments, noting that it has improved over the semester.
Suggests that students recycle their past papers as a way to engage with their prior work positively.
Social Media and Writing
Introduction to Discussion on Social Media
The lecture revisits the topic of social media and its writing aspects.
Reminder to review a post shared in the team’s channel about the National Park Service (NPS) and their innovative social media presence.
Example from National Park Service (NPS)
Fat Bear Week: A campaign where followers vote for the best ‘fattest bear.’
Highlighted that a bear named Chong won even with a broken jaw, which sparked interesting interactions in the comments.
Noted the high engagement rates with the post, including 13,000 shares, demonstrating how a fun tone can draw in audiences.
This style helps to create a community around the message, prompting conversations.
Engagement with Social Media
Interaction on Social Media
Effective social media writing blends fun tones with informative content.
Expects audiences to engage actively with meaningful posts and conversations.
The speaker encourages following NPS accounts on platforms to witness the style and effectiveness of their posts firsthand.
Reflection Questions on Social Media Engagement
Discussion on whether students critically assess their engagement with social media.
Explores motivations: Are they participating to stay relevant or to connect? What drives them?
Emphasizes the difference in approach for personal versus professional social media usage.
Importance of Critical Assessment
Encourages students to think critically about their social media habits and the implications of their engagement.
Notes that many students might engage in social media casually without deliberate reflection on its impact or structure.
Understanding attribution, source credibility, and story structure in posts is crucial.
Personal versus Professional Use of Social Media
Contrast in Usage
Engaging in personal social media differs from utilizing social media for professional purposes.
Personal investment often revolves around connecting with friends and community.
Professional use requires a different audience approach and purpose in engaging content creation.
Example: Someone uses social media for promotions or updates about businesses, which demands consideration of tone and target audience.
Goals of Engaging Professionally
Discusses reasons for companies and organizations to maintain an active social media presence, including:
Building community and fostering connections with the audience.
Reassuring current customers and attracting new ones through effective communication.
Responding to customers, particularly in handling criticisms or negative comments constructively.
Social Media Writing Characteristics
Unique Aspects of Social Media Writing
Conversational Tone: Social media writing should feel personal and engaging, contrasting with more formal writing styles.
Engagement involves slang and humor, which help connect with the audience.
The writing is succinct, necessitating attractive and brief messaging to capture rapid attention spans.
Timely and Relevant Content
Social media content has a short lifespan and often requires immediate relevancy to stay atop feeds.
Posts can gain traction quickly but also lose attention just as fast, stressing the need for creativity and engagement.
Discusses challenges such as dealing with ever-changing algorithms and maintaining consistent engagement.
Challenges in Social Media
Competition and Noise
There's significant competition for attention, with countless posts being generated daily, impacting visibility.
Easier to craft and publish content, but harder to ensure visibility and engagement consistently.
Misunderstandings and Miscommunication
Highlighted the risk of misinterpretation, as users may respond to posts based on their emotional state, leading to further conflicts in interaction.
Building Community
Definition of Community in Social Media
Online communities create connections among people sharing similar interests, backgrounds, or goals.
Distinction Between Online and In-person Community
In-person communities offer dynamic engagement with rich emotional and sensory experiences.
Online communities, though more accessible, may lack the depth of personal interaction, leading to misunderstandings or superficial connections.
Emotional Dimensions of Communication
Depth of Personal Connection
While interacting online, lack of facial expressions or vocal tone diminishes emotional understanding.
Calls for a new rule book for conscious communication in digital environments to bridge emotional gaps.
Future Considerations
Final Thoughts on the Topic
Challenges students to assess how they engage in both personal and professional capacities on social media, considering differences in tone and interaction styles.
Wraps up by emphasizing the importance of understanding social media dynamics, especially as future professionals in the field.