Virtual hello to my COM011 colleagues. My name is Nancy Moloney, but my blog name is “strategicmoi”. That is a name that was automagically generated by the system, and one I am OK to keep using. The strategic part is from the email for my freelance communications business: Strategic Marcom. The “moi” seems obvious. I also work full-time at Nokia in a campaign strategy role.
I joined this course because both my Nokia and freelance roles require that I be far savvier at social media. While I have been exposed to a lot of social in my work, I don’t believe I am taking full advantage of its power. So I want to know more and be more confident when I engage in social media in my work. In the early days in B2B marketing, especially for telecom, I thought social would not be a big draw as the audience is mostly 40-something and older. But it has proven its staying power in niche markets and I need to know more. Ideally, I don’t miss out on becoming more agile in this new communications field and I can use it to improve my options for my next career move.
Social media to me refers to being “social”, i.e. sharing and interaction between individuals with similar interests, and using various media or platforms to facilitate this exchange. Where I have found social media to be harder to define is its usefulness within a business context. As an individual, it’s pretty easy to engage in social – commenting, liking, sharing things that elicit a strong response. It’s much harder to be on the other side when you are trying to get consumers or businesses to engage on your site or a third-party site or click on your ad.
A blog site I like is PopSugar. At first, I thought it would be standard-issue hard-sell with a focus on being perfect. But it’s actually quite informative. The nutritional blogs are honest and link to healthy foods. The exercise ideas appeal across a range — from the fanatical to the part-timer (me). What is more interesting is how they reach me. I can go to the site or get an email. They let you refine your topics so you don’t get spammed. There are different kinds of media within the content – powerpoint presentations, videos, text, for example. It’s very female-focused, which is great. And it’s always provided with a realistic and positive tone, which makes it more inviting. Despite the name “Popsugar” it’s for people of all ages, and I often send articles to my daughter, niece, sisters, and aunts. That’s good social!
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 