Adaptation in the Newspaper

The Newspaper Association of America is embracing social media! The gap between the newspaper industry and social media may soon begin to close. The article entitled “Newspapers use social media to say 'Smart is the NewSexy'” explains that they are encouraging students to receive their information via newspaper instead of Facebook and Twitter. Their slogan “Smart is the New Sexy” implies that the more you read the newspaper, the more attractive you become. What can we learn from this?

Social media has struck gold! The newspaper is realizing that they cannot compete with social media so they must concede defeat or join the enemy. This is how we know that social media has exploded and will continue to rise. It is only a matter of time that everything becomes associated with social media. The phenomenon is still growing! Those who were involved in the old way of doing things are now adapting which is a big step. 

The Newspaper Association of America is using Facebook and Twitter sites to promote their newspapers. Is this smart? Or are they ruining the idea of the newspaper? They have been declining in paper sales over the past few years according to the article so something had to be done. When it isn’t working, one has to fix it. Using social media can be their fix. This allows them to reach a broad audience and interact with newspaper readers all across the globe.  The newspaper is fighting social media with the use of social media. 

The success of the idea is determined by how the idea takes off and is managed. The slogan is catchy and may attract a few people, but that isn’t enough. Constant updates and involvement within each account is a must for success. Whoever is updating the Facebook statuses or Tweets must be prepared to keep the followers interested. If everyone loses interest in the sites or idea, it will only be remembered as a temporary fix. This site explains what Facebook groups and Tweeters need to do to reach students!  With the catchy slogan and the power of social media, the association stands a good chance of improving its situation. Crossing my fingers for the underdog!

.University.Social.Media.

John Hopkins University is using social media to the max. The university has its own site entitle Hopkins Interactive. It is a site where prospective students can learn about the college from current students. Blogs and videos talking about their experiences are released by students who attend the university. Prospective students want to learn about the campus they may attend and gain the information in a down to earth way. Social media provides students this opportunity. All the information below is a summary of the information presented by the article “How colleges use, misuse social media to reach students”. 

Reaching students through brochures and pamphlets should no longer be an option. Students want to receive information in a way that is appealing to them. Students are on sites like Twitter and Facebook a majority of the time, so why not tap into them. Anything can be posted on the site from campus updates to athletic contest information. It is just another way to get information across. However, social media must be used correctly or the idea will fail.

            The university must not leave the Facebook or Twitter account unattended. If they are unattended, people will lose faith in them and forget about them. Information must be constantly flowing through the websites. Students must have an eagerness to check the feed because of all the updates that occur. If only a few posts or tweets occur, students may not even bother. The key is to keep the students or prospective students engaged! 

            Use students to present the information! It shows the personality of the campus and helps prospective students relate. They don’t want to read blogs from the staff because it doesn’t give the college a real feel. Prospective students want to hear from the student body. They want to hear the truth about the campus and get an idea from the students who attend the university. 

            Social media is a powerful tool! Universities need to utilize this tool and change the way they promote themselves. Technology is changing the way people do business and relate ideas. Bring the information to the students and make them feel wanted! Make the students feel like the university cares about them and show the students they are not just a number. Tweeting to students or prospective students can be the first step. Remember, keep the account updated and post frequently!

It Could Be You

Google Plus is struggling. A Google engineer accidentally released info saying that the site was a “study in short-term thinking” and a “knee-jerk reaction”. This has caused a significant drop in Google Plus members and is not good for the site. Google Plus is essentially an attempt to capitalize off of Facebook’s success. However, it has been the exact opposite. The site was released in June and has almost hit rock-bottom. 

What does this mean for social media? It means that others are trying to capitalize off the success of already popular social media. We will always see new sites go up that essentially provide the same service.  The “original” social media sites need to be aware because they need to keep their sites up to date. They need to keep users pleased and give them reasons to stay around. Adaptation is the key word. Sites need to adapt their original ideas and intentions to fit some of the requests of the users. Usually the user has no say in how the site should be adapted, but it would be something to look at. Then again, who am I to say? 

Users need to be aware of this because something better may come along. We must be conscious of the other social media sites being implemented or we might miss out. Let us broaden our horizons and take a look at different Web 2.0. Other sites may be suited to our specific needs. Web 2.0 is an extremely large market and keeps expanding. Don’t be afraid to research other options! Don’t be afraid to browse around! 

This also means that you could be the next innovator. We are all experts in social media and know what we like about it and what we don’t. Don’t be afraid to express your ideas and expand on them. Google Plus tried an idea and it didn’t work, but I’m sure it won’t stop them. Don’t let failure stop you in your tracks.  Anyone of us can be the next Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. It all starts with an idea! Even just one YouTube video can make someone revenue beyond their wildest beliefs. The use of social media can possibly be used to get ahead. It is an outlet and possible money maker, so don’t be afraid to express yourself!

Monetization - Questions - Facebook

Monetization of Facebook? How timely? Just when we are discussing whether or not the monetization of blogging is capable, word about monetizing Facebook arises. Rumor has it that Facebook will begin charging users for the use of its site. Will this make users disband from the site? How many users will give it up? How many users will buy into it?  Everyone can quit worrying; there is no need to fret! Thankfully, none of these questions need answers. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, quickly put this rumor to rest during the Facebook f8 conference. 

However, what would it mean to monetize currently “free” social media? Would it be catastrophic or would it help social media grow? Monetization has pros and cons. With the extra money, social media sites may be able to provide more benefits to their users. The users might also have more say and power since they are buying into the company. All the Facebook changes cause enough controversy, but with monetization, contributors may be able to bring their opinions into reality. Although the pros sound good, there is always a list of cons. 

Those involved with Facebook or other social media would be required to pay membership fees. This will definitely turn a certain group of people away. It also may limit the use of multiple social media. People who use Skype, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube might only allow themselves to use one social media site. This means a drastic drop in numbers. Friends are going to make sure they have the same social media to keep in touch thus making one or two sites the main beneficiaries. 

Social media will hopefully remain free. It is tough to say what will happen even in the next ten years. Are we addicted to social media in that we would pay the prices? Or would social media sites that monetize lose face? The scary thing is that no one will know until it happens. Social media has become engrained in our lives. How far are we willing to go? Social media is a way to interact and express ourselves. Experience it before any monetization occurs. Get involved early and reap the benefits of social media!