Symmetry goes to Podcamp
Melissa Noonan, Kelly Lynch, & Emily MacIsaac // January 25, 2013
It’s been noted by scholars that social networks help enable symmetrical communication (Halpern & Gibbs, 2012). Indeed, it’s no secret that as aspiring communications professionals, it’s in our best interest to seek out and understand the latest trends on this pervasive media. Podcamp Halifax is an annual event in Halifax, N.S. where social media junkies come together and share their knowledge of the wired world. The Symmetry team dropped by to take in the scene and pick up some advice from the fan-freakin-tastic sessions throughout the day. Here are a few highlights:
Social Recruiting – Find Your Next Job or New Hire Socially
Some of the fine folks from Equals6 hosted a session on social recruiting. One great take-away was their insight on Twitter as a recruitment tool. President and CEO of Equals6 Andy Osburn noted that although a user is limited by 140 characters, potential employers can form a pretty thorough understanding of a writer’s voice and capabilities based on their feed.
Another interesting point made in the session, made by Findlay Hilchie, was how it’s a good idea to start following industry professionals on Twitter (especially in your own city). They can help you keep up with events and information relevant to your field – topics to keep in mind when going in for a job interview.
On Twitter Findlay is @FindlayH and Andy is @Equals6CEO
Unlikely Likes: What are big brands doing with social media?
Ian Conrad of MT&L shared some interesting points that made his audience think about why some companies have tens of thousands of likes on Facebook. The group discussed why this might be so and noticed that successful brands often engaged their audiences in creative and clever ways – one toilet paper company asked its Facebook followers to discuss which way they preferred positioning their toilet paper (over the roll, or under?).
Conrad also pointed out several trends on Facebook that brands tend to turn to when creating content for their Facebook pages. They include: posting useful information (like recipes); something entertaining – like a new app associated with the company; motivational quotes; messages surrounding holidays, anniversaries, or milestones; and some simply asked their followers questions to engage them.
Ian is @porcelainduck on Twitter.
How to build an enormously popular and successful blog
Andrew Konoff, of GoInstant gave a remarkable presentation on how to build an enormously popular and successful blog. The audience was eager to hear Andrew’s advice, knowing that he ran a travel blog that had 173,000 unique visitors in four months. Andrew was quick to point out that blogging is a process, with no guarantee of popularity. His entire presentation focused on four key steps:
1. Define your goal(s) and your commitment – what should your blog get you? How often will you post?
2. Choose a focus – decide who your audience is, what they would enjoy, and this normally includes experimenting to decide who your audience is and what they would enjoy.
3. Build a content calendar – give yourself room to explore various areas to see what works and to offer diversity.Consider your audience and the durability of the pieces you are writing. Mix it up! Also consider using a metrics tool such as Google Analytics to monitor unique visits, how many shares, and how much time someone spends on your page.
4/5. Expand! You will need to continuously consider your thesis, audience, and metrics to see what’s working and what’s not. Continue to write (practice makes perfect!) and look for opportunities to build relationships with other bloggers. If you would like to learn more about Andrew’s presentation you can view his PowerPoint presentation here or follow him on Twitter @andrewkonoff.
Hacktivism, DDoS and #Anonymous
John Blanchard presented this session. If you want to learn more about John, you should read this article from The Globe and Mail.
The web can be seen as a chance for radical freedom and transparency; it also has the potential for levels of information control we can’t possibly imagine the ramifications of. This is what makes the Hacktivist group Anonymous so interesting – it can go either way.
Anonymous puts power in the hands of the individual. Not necessarily empowering ‘the little guy’ but more putting efficacy in the hands of those who may previously have felt powerless. One of the more interesting things Blanchard pointed out in his talk is that efficacy in the hands of those who may previously have felt powerless isn’t always good. It might be the wrong people who suddenly realize they can take it upon themselves to create a disturbance. Which is why, with internet activism, we need to start thinking really hard about security, being proactive about our digital footprint, and making auditing of our websites a way of life, as he put it.
Things to watch out for:
John Blanchard is @DexterDyne on Twitter.
Reference
Halpern, D., & Gibbs, J. (November 01, 2012). Social media as a catalyst for online
deliberation? Exploring the affordances of Facebook and YouTube for
political expression. Computers in Human Behavior.
