Social Media: Lasting or Leaving?

The weather is fine. No, it's not fine, it is perfect. The sun is finally up, you can keep your coat inside, while you go outside and enjoy the perfect weather conditions.

With this kind of weather, all you wanna do is go outside and have a drink or a refreshing ice cream, right? Yes, that was what I thought yesterday. I went out for a drink with a friend and we talked about all kind of things varying from family to clothes to my blog. My friend told me she takes a look at my blog every two weeks and enjoyed reading it (thank you for that by the way - or for being a terrific liar ;)). However, she said she was unsure of the power that Social Media have. Are Social Media really 'the next big thing' ? And will they last? Well, I believe that Social Media will last. They might evolve, but the basic concept of a group of people, being connected in a different way that being together fysically, will definitely last. To find evidence for my notion, I searched the web and found a nice video about the power of Social Media. I would to share this video with you all.

You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm9GxGbZKvI

Media Me - Politicians and their social media use

Rtl is organizing a political debate on Twitter, led by journalist Frits Wester. He will ask the political candidates some questions, which he received from the audience. Due to the maximum number of words, questions have to be asked using 140 words maximum. The same goes for the answers from the politicians. Unique about this debate is that the broadcasting station will only use Twitter. Dutch broadcasting stations have used Twitter before, but they always combined it with an actual television programm, Twitter has never been used exclusively.

Harm Hasselaar, who is the editor in chief of RTL Nieuws, states that nowadays social media are taking a prominent spot within the landscape of news. The debate can be seen as a special way to contact the viewers of RTL with politicians

(Source: Emerce.nl)

It appears that the debate, which will be held on the 2nd of June, will comprise the first actual "political" Tweets of some politicians. According to media expert Jasper van Gils, most politicians mainly use social media to talk about personal things, like putting the children to bed. Their political message does not come across. Van Gils also notices that politicians use Twitter to attack each other and debate with one another, in stead of using this social medium to connect with their (potential) voters. According to the media expert, politicians should use social media to present their points of view in a clear way and provide their voter with arguments. "Internet should be an extension of their campaigns. In that way interactivity can arise between the voter and the politician, which brings politics closer to the citizen. That is what politicians want to accomplish with the use of social media, right?" (Source: RTL.nl).

I have no desire to repudiate the media expert. However, I was wondering why politicians would mainly use Twitter for personal messages? It is highly impossible that they are unaware of it or do this without any purpose. I believe politicians are 'revealing' some things from their personal life in order to work on their image. A lot of female voters might be sensitive for - the perfect daddy - act. Besides, if Jan Peter tweets he just put his children to bed, he must be a true family man, right? A man, who strives for family values (what a coincidence). It all revolves around image building. But how about using Twitter to attack the competition? Well, with a medium that does not require face to face contact and does not require you to directly provide an answer, it is a lot easier to come up with a good, striking argument or an insult. Twitter may be seen as a medium that allows you to react instantly, it is still different from being faced with an insult form a person in the same room and having to come up with an answer instantly, while a camera is constantly zooming in on your face.

I am very curious about the 2nd of June and how that is gonna work out. Will these politicians still be able to come up with some great statements, while being held under pressure by the stopwatch Frits Wester has? And will they be able to keep up their good standards and values, keeping their 'personally created image' off the ground?

Bits of Best Bites

"Our amazing cows. I wish I had such beautifull eyelashes" was the answer Marijke Helwegen gave when she was asked wat she liked about Holland. Best Bites, a magazine that is created to celebrate 'The 'Week of the Magazine' is filled with statements like these.
When I was heading to the train this morning, I decided to grab a cup of tea on my way. A cup of tea led to a cup of tea and some chocolate chip cookies, which led to a cup of tea, some chocolate chip cookies and a magazine. After completing my - I can go back to my journey now -survival kit, there was just one thing I had to do: I had to pay for it. Well, you all know that paying is not exactly my favourite part of buying things, but a pleasant surprise was waiting for me. Even though I still had to pay (shoot), I got a free magazine called *surprise, suprise*: Best Bites!

This magazine contains statements from 306 famous Dutch people. All these 306 people were asked to think about what they liked/loved about Holland and what they disliked/hated about our little country. I read the magazine in the train and was pleasantly surprised by its design and some quotes in it.

Not all quotes were all that interesting however. Turns out 80% of all Dutch people seem to agree on what is good ánd Dutch and what is not so good, yet still Dutch. After reading the 50th quoted that revolved around the same issue, you get kind of bored. However, 20% still remains interesting. Here is the quote I liked the most:

Susan Smit, a famous writer, stated that things she disliked about Holland/the Dutch culture are: "Giving your opinion without nuance, without arguments, without being properly informed. While having antipathy for those intellectual people our country has. Everything belongs to the elite according to people who do not want to be a student in/of life."

Hungry for some more bites?

Click on the pictures I placed in this blog. You'll find some nice example Bites there.

So...here I have this magazine that I got for free and that I was quite enthousiastic about, but what does it have to do with social media? Well, I started to google 'Best Bites' and found a website where they have a 'Best Bites'-election. You can vote for the Bite you liked the most and win a price by doing so. A good combination of an old, traditional medium and a new, social medium.

PS: Feeling lucky? Visit http://www.weekvanhettijdschrift.nl/ ...Best of Bites to You!

Students becoming a social mess!

Are you a student? Stop using Twitter, Hyves, Facebook or whatever social medium you are using! Turn off your computer (not just yet, but in a minute or two), your mobile phone, every single item you have that links you to the world of social media.
The Telegraaf wrote an article about a research, executed at the University of Maryland, that proved that students of this University are addicted to social media. Two-hundred students were asked to stay away from all types of social media for a period of one day.

After 24 hours, many students showed withdrawal symptoms, matching the symptoms that appear when someone has an addiction to alcohol or drugs. The students were not able to function normally without their social connections. Not being able to text, chat, mail or use Facebook were things that students seemed to miss the most.
So, for all the people who were not included in this research: Maybe there is still hope for you! Try to stay away from all social media now and then. Take a day off. It might keep you from turning into an addict.

PS 1: Keep reading my blog though ;).
PS 2: Interested in the article from The Telegraaf? Follow this link: http://www.telegraaf.nl/digitaal/6624770/__Studenten_verslaafd_aan_sociale_media__.html?sn=digitaal

What the Bieber do we know?

Have you heard about a 16 year old boy called Justin Bieber?
Well, I guess if you haven't an appropriate question would be: Under what stone have you been lying? I do not only have the honor to hear about his great moves from my little sister, I also hear his voice at least three times a day on the radio and I see his tweets each time I log in to my Twitter-account. Don't be mistaken...I don't follow this teenage idol, whom I could have babysitted. I just see his name on the general pages of Twitter, each time I visit the site.

So....as annoying as I may find it, I came to realize something (while being annoyed). Social media are not only a great way of putting your brand in the spotlight , it is also a great way to make a brand out of a person. Justin can connect with 256.800 people at the same time by just sending tweet. He can post a video on YouTube that will be seen by 978.343 people world wide and he does'nt even have to crawl for the major broadcasting companies to promote his video.
It's a matter of seeing the screen in front of you as the border to the entire world. You have to embrace every single opportunity to get noticed. If people feel related to your music/video/pictures or whatever you want to upload, than it's just a matter of time before 978.342 other people will be introduced to a great, unique product called you!

So, if you have a great quality that you want to share with the world, you can...
1. Place it on YouTube
2. Tweet about it over and over again (you will manage to be placed on the general pages of Twitter after you placed your tweet about a thousand times..keep up the good work!)

3. Respect your followers by updating them on a regular basis.

Should these tips not work for you, than you can either.....

- conclude that you may have different qualities than you thought.

- stalk Justin Bieber with your quality-gadgets. Maybe he will introduce your stuff to some nice people.
- stalk Justin Bieber with your 'not so much' quality-gadgets. Maybe he will undo his twitter account, withdraw his videos from YouTube and I will finally have a day without Bieber talk.

(If you chose this option, I thank you beforehand).

Social Medicine?

Have you ever felt like Alice in Wonderland? I am not referring to the beauty of an unknown world, but simply the confusion that comes with unknown territory. If you have no idea what I am talking about, I am very happy for you. See, when I first visited a hospital, I was really amazed by every little detail that is there to see. There was not a single thing that I could completely understand. Even the signposts were mesmerizing me. I just had no idea what all the terms were for, I felt like a child taking part in a business conference.
According to a reporter from newspaper 'Metro' (March the 2th, 2010) I am not the only one that feels a bit lost in the world of medicine. The Counsel of Public Health and Care believes that Social Media can be of great use for the Health Care-industry. They can be used to turn ignorant patients into well-informed patient. This could lead to people who enter a hospital with much more confidence, people that are able to actually discuss things with a doctor, patients who stand up for their rights. An example of a social network that is used to bring the everyday world and the world of medicine closer together, is http://www.deeljezorg.nl/. On this site, people can place messages about their experiences with caretakers. Caretakers, on the other hand, can also add posts to the site. This makes it a site that is focused on the dialogue between caretakers and patients. The site could be the bridge that is desperatly needed in the new Health market, where things are negotiable instead of already decided.
I, however, have to say that I have doubts about the use of social media in the world of Health Care. Why? Well, let's see. I believe that everything you read, see, hear etcetera can influence the way you perceive things that happen afterwards. Let's say that I am pregnant with my first child. I want to give birth to my baby in the hospital but I have no idea what to expect. I visit a social network where I read posts from people who already gave birth to their child in the hospital situated in my city. If I would read a comment, saying that the nurses took poor care of patient, the delivery was very painfull and the doctor was not nice at all, I will probably start to hesitate. I would start to worry, which is first of all not good for my condition and second of all makes it even more difficult for me to perceive the actual quality of the care that is provided to me. Therefore, I wonder....what is a better way to deal with the world of health care? Knowledge is power? Or ignorance is bliss?

How about a dance?

Do you happen to know Jill and Kevin? Because if you don't, I just have to show you something. It's hilarious and also a bit romantic. It's personal, yet also in public and could be for a good cause. Jill and Kevin got married in, I believe, 2009 and made quite a party out of their wedding entrance. They performed a dance among with their close friends and family and they taped it.
You can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

When I first saw this video, it made me happy. It's so funny and yet so touching to see two people having a great wedding day without having to deal with all of the traditional stuff (even though that can be nice aswell).
So, when I was watching the video, I saw that Jill and Kevin actually have a site called http://www.jkweddingdance.com/. You can visit this site and contact the happy couple or make a donation to Wellstone Action, an organization that deals with violence prevention. It turned out that the video of this crazy wedding dance was partly made and placed on the web in order to attract donations. So much for social media: a wedding, a dance, a video, youtube, an organization and a memory for life.
Did it stop there? No way! Turns out I was not the only one who actually enjoyed JK's Wedding Entrance. The wedding dance has been broadcasted on RTL4 and two Dutch celebrities have tried to copy the dance in the tv-show Let's Dance. Evidence? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLNfSp6lOE
Does it stop there? Sorry, just one more thing left. Apparently taping and uploading your wedding dance has become quite a hype. Just check it out on YouTube. Maybe it brings some sunshine to your (snowy) day ;).

$$$ocial Media

How to make the use of social media as profitable as possible?
Well, I believe that the website 'Battle of Concepts' can be of great assistance. 'Battle of Concepts (BoC)' is a website where organizations can put specific cases on. If a company has a problem or wants to start, for instance, a new campaign, it can place this case on the site of BoC. Students from schools all over the country can subscribe to te website and work on a case of their choice. If you submit your solution before the deadline, it will be judged by a group of people who read all the received solutions. The creators of the best solutions will receive a (big) cash price. So, if you are a student who has some time left: give it a shot!
That is, however, not what makes the site so interesting for companies. What makes it interesting is that a lot of cases put on this site are cases that involve social media. A lot of organizations ask students to come up with a good social media campaign in order to enlarge their brand awareness or introduce a new product. That is, in my opinion, a great way of using social media in the most effective and low-cost way. Think of it like this:
My business, a small company that wants to enter the market, places an online request. My target group consists of students and I am looking for ideas about how to use social media in order to gain more brand awareness. What I am asking from BoC-members is that they come up with an example of how to use social media in order to achieve my goal. By placing this request I have already reached a part of my target group. After that a group of people will start working on my case, let's say a hundred people work on it. All these people will start looking for information about my company. That means that I was able to get a hundred people involved and interested in the whereabouts of my company. These people might even consult other people about the case, which enlarges the group of persons I have reached, without even having a social media campaign. When the deadline is reached and all the possible solutions have been sent to my company, I am the owner of many, many ideas. Ideas that will help me reach my target group, ideas created by my target group. I can pick the best ideas out and start using them. You know what else is so great about this? I have a pile of ideas (my request) form young people (my target group), who are active on social media (my medium) and I didn't even have to pay some big, expensive advertising agency!

Hacking Hyves?

Are you using Hyves? Because if you are, the Dutch government has quite an interesting message for you. With the Internet campaign 'Veilig Internetten', the government wants to warn Internet users that they should be very carefull in placing personal information online.
Check the campaign by clicking the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbvHPrzqto0

Feels like watching an exciting movie, right? Well there is actually something extra special about this video. When someone sends you this video through Hyves and you open it, your own personal data will be implemented in the story. So, instead of a 40 year old married man, your picture will show on the big screen and pictures of your friends will be hanging on the pin-up board. This is a great example of using social media in order to reach someone and being able to deliver a personalized message.
There is, however, one major drawback to this campaign. It has endured a lot of critique by its viewers. Why? Well, the campaign actually warns people about criminals who cross the line and steal your personal online information in order to for instance empty your bank account. By now you also know that this campaign subtracts some personal information from your Hyves profile and uses it. Hyves users have complained that the personal information used in the video was in fact shielded information, which means that the government was not authorized to view it, nor to use it.
So here is a question for you to answer: Do you believe this campaign is a good way of communicating about the danger of putting your personal information online or do you believe that the campaign should have been executed differently?

Go Guerrilla!

Since I have to write something about media use by organisations, I may as well start with one of my favorite subjects: guerrilla marketing. I simply like the entire concept of guerilla marketing. It is innovative, creative, low in costs, surprising and it can be very effective. Maybe you have no clue about what Guerrilla marketing is. Well, here's a definition from Wikipedia:

"Guerrilla marketing involves unusual approaches such as intercept encounters in public places, street giveaways of products, PR stunts, any unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources."

So, in fact Guerrilla Marketing is a good way of promoting your (small) company or product when you have little resources (mainly money). This can help you, the small fish, in a big sea of whales, to jump out of the water en show yourself to the world without being eaten by the whales along the way. Okay, that was a rather strange metaphor, but hey..I hope you get the point.
I have deep respect for people who come up with a really great Guerilla Advertisement.
Here are some of my favorites:






I can't wait to see what 'Online Guerrilla Marketing' will lead to...Hope to find some examples soon.