Introduction to Social Media

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What is Social Media?Social Media is defined as a “conversation online.” Social media are Web-based and mobile technologies designed to turn communication into an interactive dialogue and allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. They are tools for sharing, receiving, and discussing content with users and visitors. If you can comment, vote, take a poll, like, dislike, share, and rate, those are social media.

Traditional media have one-way communication. You cannot interact with a television, radio, or newspaper. However, social media allow, and very often, encourage multi- party communication. They are powered by social networks: news, blogs, micro blogging, video sharing, photo sharing, message boards, Wikis, social gaming, podcasts, RSS, and so many more.

Social media have been widely accepted and adopted in media, business, government, and higher education. Most institutions, businesses, and government entities use social media tools to disseminate and consume information, build relationships, and network. There are currently more than 575 popular and emerging social media sites.

There are six broad classifications of social media:

• Social Networking Sites: Facebook, LinkedIn, Yammer, etc.

• Blogs and Micro Blogs: Blogger, WordPress, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.

• Social Bookmarking: Del.icio.us, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc.

• User Generated Content: Wikipedia, WikiHow,• Media Sharing: YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.

• Social Review: Yelp, Urbanspoon, Trip Advisor, etc.

• Virtual Social/Game Worlds: Second Life, World of Warcraft, DC Universe Online, etc.

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Social Media Statistics• There are nearly 2 billion Internet users worldwide.

• 62% of adults worldwide use social media

• Boomers represent 33% of all online users.

• 56% of Americans 45-54 years of age have a profile on a social networking site.

• Social networking is the most popular online activity, with 22% of time online spent on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

• On average in one year, we will share 415 pieces of content on Facebook.

• We’ll spend an average of about 23 minutes a day on Twitter, tweeting a total of around 15,795 tweets.

• We’ll check in 563 times on Foursquare.

• We’ll upload 196 hours of video on YouTube.

• Social networking is still the fastest-growing active social media behavior online, increasing from 36% of global Internet users to 59% managing their profile on a monthly basis by the end of 2011.

• There are now more than 2.8 billion social media profiles, representing approximately 50% of Internet users worldwide.

• Four out of five internet users visit social networks and blogs

Social media is also used In civil society as news filters, platforms for collaborations, and places to organize activism.

According to a CNN tech report this year, the top most visited social media sites in the United States are:

1. Facebook (750 million users, with 50% of those users logging in daily) 2. Twitter (500 active million users) 3. Pinterest (104 million U.S. users)

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Pinterest

Pinterest has rapidly become very popular. More than half of Pinterest users are female with strong activity coming from Alabama, Tennessee, and Utah. Pinterest lets you organize and share things you find on the Web or from other Pinterest users. As of August 10, 2012, Pinterest was opened to everyone without a request or requiring an invitation. Additionally, the Pinterest app for Android and iPad was launched a few months earlier on April 14, 2012.

Why use Pinterest?• Brides: Many brides-to-be have replaced bulky three-ring binder wedding planners with the simplicity and portability of a Pinterest account.

• Home Décor: Some people create a Board for each room in the house and then pin decorating ideas for that room.

• Art: Artists use it to organize inspiring images for their work.

• Recipes: Cooks keep an online recipe box. College students might create a shopping list of things they need to buy for school.

• DIY: DIY-ers can bookmark tutorials for those rainy day projects.

To sign up for Pinterest, go to www.pinterest.com, and select the button "Join Pinterest" at the top of the page. You can register via Facebook, Twitter, or an e-mail address.

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When you open a new Pinterest account, you will be provided with five templates for your boards. You can choose to keep these, create your own, or edit them. Boards can have multiple contributors, so collaborating with co-workers on a project is easy with everyone’s ideas and inspiration in one place.

To add to those boards, merely “pin” things from other Pinterest users or add your own. You can either pin something from a website, using the web address or upload it from your computer or portable hard drive.

Those from websites will have an automatic link attached to it, so that when Pinterest users click on that pin from the enlarged mode, that page will open, usually in a separate tab.

Using a URL

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You can also place a “Pin It” button that let’s you grab an image from a website and pin it to one of your boards. *Not all websites have “pinnable” images.

Instructions on how to add the “Pin It” button is located in the “About” menu. The directions vary according to the browser you are using; however, you can easily drag the button to the favorites/bookmarks bar of your browser.

Terms:• Pin: The main idea of Pinterest is to “pin” pictures to boards. A pin can be what you put on the board, but it can also mean the act of placing something on the board.

• Board: These are virtual cork boards or pin boards. You can name them according to the group of pins you want in that category. People use their “boards” to share pictures about their interests. You can also browse other boards created by other people. If you really like the board, you can “follow” it or all the user’s boards.Ways you can browse pins

When you hover your mouse over a picture, it gives these options.

You can add a pin or board.

You can adjust settings.

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• Repin: When you see a pin that you like, you can “repin” it and place it on the board you want.

• Like: If you see a pin you like but you don’t necessarily want to pin it on one of your boards, you can just “like” it.

• Follow: “Following” a board or a Pinterest user means that you will see that person’s pins on your Pinterest homepage.

• Comment: You can also leave a comment on your or other people’s pins.

TwitterTwitter is a real-time information network, an online social networking service, and a micro blogging service that enables its users to connect with the latest trends and stories, send and read text-based messages of up to 140 characters, known as "tweets.” Created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Twitter has more than 500 million active users globally, as of this year. Since its launch, it has become one of the most visited sites.

You can also view photos, videos, and conversations, as well as use external apps to enhance your experience. Unregistered users can read tweets (if it’s not a private account), while users can post, retweet with or without commenting, reply to tweets, send direct messages, follow accounts, and much more. Unlike Facebook, Twitter is, by default, less personal and less invasive.

Sign UpSign In

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Getting Started with Twitter

1. Shown on page 6 is the Twitter home page. While the background may change,

this is where you can log in to your Twitter account. If you do not have a Twitter account, you can sign up for one. Fill in the information on the home page, and click on “Sign up for Twitter.” 2. You will be directed to the next page to fill in the rest of your information,

including your username.

3. For your personal computer at home, you can keep the “Keep me signed-in on

this computer” checked. However, for public computers, this is not recommended. 4. The “Tailor Twitter based on my recent website visits” option allows Twitter to determine stories and suggestions on your recent visits to sites that have integrated Twitter, as well as other accounts and tweets. (See #Discover.) 5. Read or skim through the Terms of Service. By clicking “Create my account,” you

are stating that you agree to those terms.

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6. After you create your account, you will be taken through a brief tutorial with

suggestions of accounts to follow. You can also search your contacts (Yahoo!, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL) for anyone with a Twitter account and have the option to follow them. 7. Then you will have the option of filling in your “bio” and upload an “avatar” or a

picture representing you and your account. 8. You will be asked to confirm your email address. Go to your email account. In

your message from Twitter, click on the link to confirm your email, and your Twitter account will become active.

Shown is the @bplrlcc home timeline. Here, the tweets of the accounts you’re following will be displayed in chronological order, as well as suggestions “Who to follow,” and what’s trending. @Connect will display recent interactions (mentions, retweets). The #Discover tab displays stories and trends according to your network, recent tweets, follows, and your location. It also displays who tweeted about particular stories.

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Settings:

• Account: Changes your basic account settings as well as deactivate your account.

• Password: Changes your password.

• Mobile: Activates your twitter text messaging, allowing you to text and receive texts and notifications on your cell phone. You can also download the Twitter app on your smartphone or tablet.

• Email notifications: Controls how often and when Twitter notifies you via email.

• Profile: Changes your basic public profile and how you are viewed on search results. *Note: This is different from your account settings. The account settings are not public, while your profile settings are what your followers and the public see on your Profile page.

• Design: Customizes the way Twitter looks on your home page. You can choose a premade theme, upload a wallpaper, or create one in Themeleon.

• Apps: Lists the apps you have authorized to access your account. You can also revoke their access to your account.

• Widgets: Create widget you can place on your blog or other websites.If selected, your tweets are only seen by your followers. Twitter users wanting to follow you must request approval.

You tweets are not seen by the public.

Make sure your email is valid and active.

You can show the location of your tweets.