Lannie Byrd » Social Media

Social media response flow chart

Lannie — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:14:10 +0000

An interesting look at Ohio State University Medical Center decides to respond to social media comments and questions.

Social media’s use in Senate elections

Lannie — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:53:55 +0000

Mike Allen shares in interesting report in this morning’s Politico Playbook from the Emerging Media Research Council analyzing social media usage in US Senate elections specifically looking at the Florida Senate race. The draft report outlines three winning social media strategies (which seem pretty much like common sense to me).

Facebook – “Candidates who update their profile page regularly give fans a reason to return more frequently, resulting
in higher rates of interaction and larger fan communities.”
Twitter – “High rates of messaging result in greater absolute numbers of followers and a greater level of follower engagement.”
YouTube – “The most popular political videos are campaign advertisements and position statements crafted specifically for the Web.”

Big Brother IS watching: the feds in social media

Lannie — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:20:41 +0000

First we had Please Rob Me outlining the best time to burgle your friend’s house from foursquare information. Now we have the IRS and the Justice Department training their agents on how to use social media to collect useful information about you.

I know this sounds conspiracy theorist, but it’s not. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has actually collected training documents from the feds detailing procedures.

Also, I know that the feds aren’t the only governmental body using what you publish on the Internet against you. I personally know someone who was audited by the Arkansas Department of Revenue because of the professionalism of their web site (I guess we all know who is next after this post).

They all aren’t really your friends

Lannie — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:25:16 +0000

I’ve written about my rules of facebook before, but I just want to reiterate that research has shown that you really don’t have 5,000, 1,000 or even 500 friends on Facebook. Back in the ‘ 90sRobin Dunbar, professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University, came up with the theory that the part of the brain used for conscious thought and language — limits us to managing social circles of around 150 friends, no matter how sociable we are. Basically these are the people that you come in contact with every year and 150 was known as Dunbar’s number.

Now, Dunbar is researching whether larger social networks (like facebook) have allowed people to stretch their Dunbar number. Dunbar told the Times Online, “The interesting thing is that you can have 1,500 friends but when you actually look at traffic on sites, you see people maintain the same inner circle of around 150 people that we observe in the real world.”

An interesting aside on newspapers and Dunbar’s number: One of the concepts behind hyperlocal newspapers and web sites is that you must reach into all of your reader’s social circles– reach into group of 150 friends– and photograph, report on someone to keep your readers. That’s why you see all the photographs of your neighbors pet or cousin’s softball trophy in your small-town newspaper.

Chicks rule and other social media truths

Lannie — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:41:52 +0000

Some very informative social media graphics on the Penn Olson blog.

My favorite one follows

Wow! One out of four pageviews is from Facebook

Lannie — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:36:04 +0000

In the United States one out of every four pageviews is from Facebook. Amazing! Google only accounts for one in eight page views (15 percent).

Will broadband and media innovation sustain democracy?

Lannie — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:56:22 +0000

The free flow of information “is as vital to the healthy functioning of communities as clean air, safe streets, good schools and public health.” That’s what the Knight Commission on Information Needs of a Democracy concluded in their report on Sustaining Democracy in a Digital Age. The 145 page report urges the nation to making sure all Americans have broadband access just as the emphasized ground transportation in building an interstate highway system a half-century ago.

The commission also examined issued the media is facing recommending:

Direct media policy toward innovation, competition, and support for business models that provide marketplace incentives for quality journalism.
Increase the role of higher education,community and nonprofit institutions as hubs of journalistic activity and other information-sharing for local communities.

Why ruin their false reality for them?

Lannie — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:36:42 +0000

I had an interesting conversation the other day with some people that were making fun of social media in general and using social media for marketing/public relations. Eventually I just gave up arguing with them. It wasn’t worth it. I’ll just let them stay backwards. They’re happy that way. They don’t have to think. WWhy ruin their false reality for them?

This morning I ran across this video full of great facts about social media (the facts are great, but the music is not so great). My favorite fact: Social Media is now the #1 activity on the Internet (not porn)!

Passing on culture – Lunch Lady Land

Lannie — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:08:06 +0000

If you’ve ever studied Mass Communications or Journalism you always discuss the purpose of Mass Communications in your introductory course. One of those purposes is to pass on cultural ideals/norms/values.

We just had sloppy joes for dinner. I had to pass on Adam Sandler’s Lunch Lady Land to my kids. So, here’s me inculcating you.

Will social networking kill healthcare privacy?

Lannie — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:19:06 +0000

Robert Scoble has an interesting conversation going on his blog looking at what happens to healthcare privacy as social networking moves into the medical arena (make sure you read the comments).

Scoble’s take on it is that the benefits of social networking and getting the crowds feedback on your condition, your physician and your prescriptions. I think it comes back to personal choice– if you choose to release your healthcare information, then you are free to accept the benefits and the consequences.