How Social Networking Can Be Effective in Business,

Communications, Government, and Academic Institutions

By: Lauren Ely, Cassidy Killinger, Bianca Rufino, and Jessica Duffy

What is Social Networking and Why Did We Choose It?

Why did we choose it? Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are a popular

phenomenon with our generation

Social Networking sites offer people new and varied ways to communicate via the Internet allow people to create their own online page and to construct and display

an online network of contacts, often called ‘friends‘ Users are able to build a network of connections that they can display as a

list of friends Social networking sites are not limited to messaging, communicating and

displaying networks Nearly all sites allow users to post photos, video and often music on their

profiles and share them with others

Basic Elements

Effects of Social Networking in: Business Communications Government Academic Institutions

Social Networking and Business

A great way for a business to monitor their popularity in various social networking sites is by joining these sites themselves

Example: Uprinting(an online printing giant)

Social Networking sites allow them to promote and check their status in the site touch base and react with customers, both new and

old

Social Networking and Business

Social networking sites are also a great place to host or sponsor events spread awareness to people on a certain product or

serviceSocial networks can also be used as a benchmark

for the popularity and the social relevance of a product, service sites usually play host to several comments both good

and bad about the company or the service It is important for a company to know where they

went wrong and what they are doing well 

Case Study

Company: Infogroup (the leading provider of data driven and interactive resources for targeted sales, marketing and research)

creates an unparalleled ability for direct marketers to find, attract, engage and retain customers

Gives marketers ability to gain valuable, in-depth and unique insight like never before

"Social media is becoming a vital part to every business' marketing.” ---Ann Kennedy, Senior Vice President of Infogroup's Product and Data Innovation

Social Networking in Academic Institutions

Social Networking in Academic Institutions

Today higher education websites are more than just static pages. They are strategic assets for admissions and enrollment, advancement and fundraising, brand awareness, disseminating information such as news and safety alerts, and, now more than ever, they are strategic assets for social networking.

•College students are also heavy users of social networks, relying on a few key websites to meet their social networking needs. •Anderson Analytics estimates that among 18- to 24-year-olds using social networking, 39% use only Facebook, 45% use Facebook and one other site, and 12% use Facebook plus two other sites. •In addition, according to a Noel-Levitz e-Expectations Class of 2007 report, 61% of students thought it was a good idea for colleges and universities to put up social networking sites to promote their programs, campuses, and students.

Social Networking in Academic Institutions

According to the Web Advantage Survey of 2007, nearly 77% of college marketers will have engaged in social networking, blogs, and social media during 2008.

Social networking via campus websites gives prospective students and parents a unique forum for building relationships and learning more about institutions. It can be a useful means to cultivate a responsive environment that encourages enrollment and promotes streamlined institutional enrollment processes.

Social networking has undoubtedly emerged as a powerful communications tool and provides institutions with a new opportunity to better communicate with students on their own turf.

The Effects Social Networking Has on The

United States Government.

Did You Know…?Fun Facts- about our President and

Facebook

Obama was the Internet's first choice for President even before the polls opened on Nov. 4, and now the blogosphere is heralding the ascendancy of the first "nerd" commander-in-chief.

By the time his campaign wrapped up, President Obama had more than three million friends on Facebook and more than 975,000 on MySpace.

Since his election into office he has become one of the hottest trends on the Web.

They Will Find You! Onto a serious matter…

"The government is increasingly monitoring Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites for tax delinquents, copyright infringers and political protesters.“ - Noel Sheppard

In an informal survey of 14 departments in this area, officials in half of them said they use social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace in detective work - particularly in investigations involving young people.

According To The Law..

Privacy law was largely created in the pre-Internet age, and new rules are needed to keep up with the ways people communicate today. Much of what occurs online, like blog posting, is intended to be an open declaration to the world, and law enforcement is within its rights to read and act on what is written. Other kinds of communication, particularly in a closed network, may come with an expectation of privacy. If government agents are joining social networks under false pretenses to spy without a court order, for example, that might be crossing a line.

What Do You Think?

Will the monitoring of social networking sites by government agencies produce similar outrage with a Democrat in the White House?

Social Networking in Communications

Social Networking is for Communicating

Social networking sites have changed who we communicate with, and how we communicate radically.

Our networks are much larger than they have ever been, and we have more ways to communicate with those in them. In the past we had a set of contacts, all of whom generally knew how to reach us — via phone, e-mail, or regular mail. Today, thanks in large part to social media, we have many different levels of communication

Social Networking in Communications

Some argue that social networking sites have improved our communication, and that they have provided us with a variety of communication forms which allows us to communicate more efficiently and effectively. However, some argue that communication sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or eBlogger have made communication for our generation difficult because we do not know how to communicate verbally it is all through the Internet.

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/

WATCH?V=OZ41-PVBEBG

VIDEO

References

Boyer, Tracy. “Why we, as institutions and companies, should friend and tweet.” Innovative Interactivity II. 10 June 2009. Web. 31 March 2010. <http://www.innovativeinteractivity.com/2009/06/10/why-we-as-institutions-and-companies-should-friend-and-tweet/>.

"Cyber Safety Glossary." Child and Student Wellbeing. Department of Education and Children's Services, 6 July 2009. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. <http://www.schools.sa.gov.au/speced2/pages/cybersafety/36277/?reFlag=1>.

"The Effects of Social Networking in a Business." Article Base. 16 July 2009. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. <http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/the-effects-of-social-networking-in-a-business-1041358.html>.

Loontjer, Kelly. "Infogroup Offers Direct Marketers Cutting Edge Insight by Combining New Social Media and Interactive Products and Services with Its Industry Leading Marketing Data Solutions." Market Watch. 29 Mar. 2010. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. <http://www.marketwatch.com/story/infogroup-offers-direct-marketers-cutting-edge-insight-by-combining-new-social-media-and-interactive-products-and-services-with-its-industry-leading-marketing-data-solutions-2010-03-29?reflink=MW_news_stmp>.

Merker, Lance. “Social Networking and the .edu Experience: It’s Time They Meet.” University Business Jan. 2009. Web 1 April 2010. < http://www.universitybusiness.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=1202 >.

Reference continued..

"LexisNexis." Business Solutions & Software for Legal, Education and Government. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. <http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/search/homesubmitForm.do>.

"The Government Is Monitoring Facebook And Twitter | NewsBusters.org." NewsBusters.org | Exposing Liberal Media Bias. Web. 02 Apr. 2010. <http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/12/14/government-monitoring-facebook-twitter>.

"Social Networking and Government from Webcontent.gov – WebContent.gov: Better Websites. Better Government." USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal. Web. 02 Apr. 2010. <http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/social_networks.shtml>.

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