Tag Archives: online community
Finding A Student Who Wasn’t Lost: Social Media To The Rescue?
When it comes to social media, an issue that many of us struggle with is, how much is too much? Is it ok to be connected 100% of the time? Tweeting our every move and keeping tabs on everyone who was once even a minimal influence in our lives? While many struggle to conjure an answer to this question, the issue became a headline recently.
A little background: Jacob Boehm, a 22-year-old student was traveling around Malaysia on his own after finishing up a group tour. He constantly updated his social networks to communicate with his family and friends and to keep them updated on his adventure. Then suddenly, one day, he stopped. There was no reason as to why, but he stopped using his social networks. His parents panicked, and rightfully so. They contacted Jacobs friends who all reached out to their social networks to help #findjacob. Turns out, Jacob was never lost. He went wandering in a national park and did not have cell service.
News reports have been reporting this story as a social media miracle, in which Facebook and Twitter band together to find this lost boy. Even though he was never lost. Read More
While money-saving promotions are effective for increasing fans or followers on social networking sites, many companies don’t go beyond this. They offer promotions to increase their number of fans, see their numbers growing, and throw a massive party. Unfortunately, by the time their hangover wears off, they realize their ‘fans’ aren’t really fans at all, but rather coupon zombies with a singular goal: to save money on stuff they would buy anyway.
So how do you build a social networking presence which goes beyond coupons? Curious asked members of its research community, ShopTalk, why they were fans of companies and we found they liked companies that acted as ‘brand butlers’. A brand butler is a Trendwatching term for companies that assist consumers in making the most out of their lives, rather than try to sell them a lifestyle. When it comes to social networking sites, it’s all about providing value to your fans/followers through content that is unique, relevant, and useful. To become an effective brand butler on social networking websites, consider the following traits: Personality, Share-ability, Brevity, Channel Integration, Responsiveness.
COMMUNITIES
The Internet Makes it More Likely You Will Be Social, Not Less
When the Internet became the huge deal that it is today, and people began having Internet connections in every room of their houses, many worried that it would lead to the end of in-person socialization, as we knew it. People feared that social interactions would be limited to those that could be held over a computer and a stable Internet connection. However, recent research proves that those who use the Internet are more likely to participate in social events than those who do not use the Internet.
According to the article, “use of the Internet in general, and social media in particular, has become the lubricant for chatter and outreach for all kinds of groups ranging from spiritual communities to professional societies to ad hoc fan clubs.” In other words, the Internet encourages more social behaviors from users.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
Hipster is location-based Q&A – call it Quora for where you are
There has been tons of buzz about an up and coming network called Hipster. But it’s difficult to buzz about a site that refuses to disclose what it is all about, which is exactly what Hipster has done. The site has not launched yet, and no one knows exactly what it will do which leaves tons of room for speculation. Many are claiming that the site will be a location-based Q&A, similar to Quora, but with location capabilities. Users will be able to log their location, and ask questions about places around them. It sounds like an interesting idea (if that’s really what the site will be like) but the site Loqly might have already accomplished this. Check out the video in this article to find out more about Loqly and the potentials for Hipster.
MEASUREMENT
The Most Influential Colleges on Twitter
Measurement tool Klout has measured the influences of colleges and universities on Twitter. Read More
Working on a cult brand at CM that triggers nostalgic associations I was asked to create personas with a mandate that “we need to know a lot more about online consumer behavior”. But given the constraints it was evident that traditional surveys and focus groups are not the right options. Companies and researchers have traditionally relied on a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques to observe human behavior. While effective as standalone tactic, each approach is subject to bias and often proves costly and time-intensive.
Enter Netnography! Having studied it as part of my MBA curriculum I turned to this emerging field of research to mine consumer insights online. Now, with blogs, forums, social networks and the plethora of information posted in social media, data on consumer sentiment and opinion is readily available.
Simply put, netnography is ethnography done via the Internet. As Prof. Kozinets (Father of netnography and my professor in the university) puts it – “Traditional research methods like focus groups and surveys ask people questions in artificial surroundings and in an artificial way. Netnography is based upon the fact that people are already communicating about things that are meaningful to them in a natural way, as cultures and communities online.”
Anca Micheti | Critical Mass Calgary
Cultural theorists, from Michael Foucault to Judith Butler, have said it a long time ago: identity is not fixed and determined by demographics, but fluid and multifaceted. It is, to a certain extent, what we want it to be. It is a performance we put on for the world.
Social media makes this identity performance easier than ever. With more than 400 million active Facebook users and 73.5 million visitors to Twitter each month, it has allowed us to become content producers and consequently public performers of our identities. Every digital imprint we leave on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr, every blog post, review or tag is an opportunity for identity play. And who’s to say that each and all of these performances are not “the real me,” even if they’re not necessarily consistent with each other, and maybe each paints only a partial picture of who I “really” am. (more…)
At Critical Mass, we are all celebrating World Nutella Day today. Just this week we announced our interactive agency of record status for Nutella Canada, so all of our offices are making of most of this delicious day! Bistro specials, Breakfast Bake-a-Thons and an office dressed all in Brown. We are all aflurry discussing our favorite hazelnut breakfast recipes and sharing them in our online Nutella community along with photos and fun.
Want to get in on this?
Vote below on your favorite way to enjoy this deliciously healthy breakfast spread. Or visit the community to chat up Ella Nutella and find the recipe for your own World Nutella Day celebration!
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