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Chapter 8: Social Media
The chapter continues the discussion of media options with a look at digital platforms that have a
significant social component: social networks, information- and content-sharing sites, blogs, microblogs,
and wikis.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Writing Strategies for Social Media
Social Networks
Business Communication Uses of Social Networks
Strategies for Business Communication on Social Networks
Information- and Content-Sharing Sites
User-Generated Content Sites
Content Curation Sites
Community Q&A Sites
Blogging
Understanding the Business Applications of Blogging
Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful Blogging
Microblogging
Wikis
Understanding the Wiki Philosophy
Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful Wiki Writing
Learning Catalytics is a “bring your own device” student engagement, assessment, and classroom
intelligence system. It allows instructors to engage students in class with real-time diagnostics. Students
can use any modern, web-enabled device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop) to access it. For more
information on using Learning Catalytics in your course, contact your Pearson Representative.
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LECTURE NOTES
Section 1: Writing Strategies for Social Media
Learning Objective 1: Identify seven key points for using social media in business communication.
Social media change the relationship between sender and receiver.
Because the relationship has changed, the nature of the messages needs to change as well:
• Remember that it’s a conversation, not a lecture or a sales pitch.
• Write informally but not carelessly.
• Create concise, specific, and informative headlines.
• Get involved and stay involved.
• If you need to promote something, do so indirectly.
• Be transparent and honest.
• Think before you post!
Classroom discussion question: Should business writers on social media match the writing style of the
people with whom they are communicating, even if that means disregarding conventions of spelling,
grammar, and punctuation? After all, isn’t it good practice to interact with customers and other parties in
the style they are accustomed to? Do you agree or disagree?
Section 2: Social Networks
Learning Objective 2: Describe the business communication applications of social networks.
Social networks are online services that enable individual and organizational members to form
connections and share information.
Businesses now use several types of social networks:
• Public, general-purpose networks (Facebook being the most significant of these)
• Public, specialized networks (LinkedIn is the largest of these)
• Private corporate networks
Business Communication Uses of Social Networks
Business applications of social networks include:
• Integrating company workforces
• Fostering collaboration
• Building communities of practice
• Supporting brand communities
• Socializing brands and companies
• Understanding target markets
• Recruiting new employees
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• Finding business partners
• Connecting with sales prospects
• Providing customer support
• Extending the organization
• Crowdspeaking—using social networks to amplify a message
Strategies for Business Communication on Social Networks
Guidelines to make the most of social networks for both personal branding and company
communication:
• Choose the best compositional mode for each message, purpose, and network.
• Offer valuable content.
• Join existing conversations, in addition to starting your own.
• Anchor your online presence in your hub, a web presence that you own and control, such as a
conventional website, a blog, and/or a company-sponsored online community.
• Facilitate community building; make it easy for customers and other audiences to connect
with the company and with each other.
• Restrict conventional promotional efforts to the right time and right place.
• Maintain a consistent personality across sites, while staying within the evolving norms of
each site (e.g., LinkedIn has a somewhat more formal tone than Facebook).
Section 3: Information- and Content-Sharing Sites
Learning Objective 3: Explain how information- and content-sharing sites are used in business
communication.
This diverse group of website categories include user-generated content sites, content curation sites, and
community Q&A sites.
User-Generated Content Sites
YouTube, Flickr, and other user-generated content (UGC) sites, on which users rather than website
owners contribute most or all of the content, have become important business tools.
Video (including screencasts) is a powerful medium for product demonstrations, interviews, industry
news, training, facility tours, and other uses.
The social aspects of these sites, including the ability to vote for, comment on, and share material,
encourage enthusiasts to spread the word.
The keys to effective user-generated content are making it valuable and making it easy, such as
organizing it all on a branded channel on YouTube.
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Content Curation Sites
Content curation involves someone with expertise or interest in a particular field who collects and
republishes material on a particular topic.
Pinterest and Scoop.it are among the most popular of these sites.
Curation has the potential to bring the power of community and shared expertise to a lot of different
fields.
Ultimately, it could reshape audience behavior and therefore the practice of business communication.
Two key ethical concerns:
• You must not plagiarize, which is presenting someone else’s content as your own.
• You are promoting yourself as an expert when you curate content, and people will expect you
to do a competent job of finding and filtering materials.
Community Q&A Sites
Community Q&A sites are websites (or sections of websites, including support forums) on which
visitors answer questions posted by other visitors or by representatives of companies.
Responding to questions on Q&A sites can be a great way to build your personal brand, to
demonstrate your company’s commitment to customer service, and to counter misinformation about
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1. Someone with limited work experience but a long personal history of using social media probably
would not be a good candidate for a community manager position because the job requires much
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2. The risks of having a single person be the voice of a company include “mental bandwidth” challenges
for the community manager (being required to know so many aspects of the company and its
products), the need for that person to be available 24/7 in the event of communication crises or
opportunities, and the chance of that individual’s personality eventually dominating the company’s
public persona. A good way to limit the risk would be to create an internal support network for the
community manager, so that he or she can get information quickly and to provide a backup so the
person doesn’t need to be on the job or on call without a break. Having “guest hosts” step in
occasionally could reduce the risk of one person’s personality dominating the company’s external
communications.
COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT STARBUCKS
Individual Challenge
This teaser tweet should combine an upbeat tone with key pieces of information, enough to compel
interested readers to click through for more information. Here is one possibility:
Show us your community spirit for a chance to win a $50,000 makeover for your park or
community center!
Team Challenge
Here is an email message that recruits new writers using the criteria of being able to write social content
that is engaging, personal, honest, and friendly:
[subject line]
Would you like to join the Starbucks social media conversation?
[message body]
When you tell a friend about something interesting or amusing that happened at work, have you
ever wondered what it would be like to share that story with the entire world? One member of our
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8.1. Straightforward, informative headlines are usually better for social media than headlines with
8.5. Blogs can assist in word-of-mouth (“viral”) marketing because bloggers and microbloggers often
8.8. Twitter hashtags make it easy to find tweets of interest. One can simply click on a hashtag that
8.9. Abandoning traditional notions of ownership is essential when writing for wikis, because the core
8.10. No, a company cannot expect to stay in control of its messages even if it stays off social media. It
can certainly control how it transmits those messages, of course; but if it isn’t engaged with
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8.12. A writer is able to use a personal, intimate style of writing and still adhere to the conventions of
8.13. The president of a hiking equipment company could use Twitter in multiple ways without being
8.14. Switching a blog to Twitter to accommodate mobile users wouldn’t be a wise move because
8.15. Message 8.A
The post is written in a tone that is unprofessional and excessively negative. The author loses additional
credibility by admitting that he or she has based the entire post on a very limited amount of information.
• The informal language might be appropriate for a personal blog, but not for a corporate one
(“WE’RE DOOMED!” “it ain’t pretty,” etc.).
• The purpose of the post is unclear. It sounds like the only purpose is to allow the author to vent,
but some comments (particularly in the paragraph that begins, “I’ve been saying for years”)
indicate that the author has some valid suggestions on how the company could improve.
• The author’s drastic claims are not supported with adequate evidence. A “10-second glimpse” of
the prototype would have provided only a limited understanding of its quality and functionality.
Also, the author’s interpretation of the “grin” is highly subjective. It may have meant that the
robot’s price was low, but could just have easily suggested that the price was incredibly high.
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8.16. Message 8.B
This wiki article is a good example of material that suffers from a lack of the “you” attitude. Here is one
possible revision:
Experience tells us that adult language learners are most likely to succeed when three conditions are
8.17. Message 8.C
Students should ask these questions when evaluating a wiki:
• What is the purpose of this document or message?
• Who is the target audience?
• What information does the audience need?
• Does the document provide this information in a well-organized way?
• Does the writing demonstrate the “you” attitude toward the audience?
• Is the tone of the writing appropriate for the audience?
• Can the readability be improved?
• Is the writing clear? If not, how can it be improved?
• Is the writing as concise as it could be?
• Does the design support the intended message?
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8.18. Student answers will vary. Encourage students to dig for the sort of breaking news that a real
8.19. Students should realize that as representatives of a company that offers products in this market
8.20. Here is an example of a revised post:
We’ve been unable to get our hands on enough high-grade chromium steel to meet our production
schedule, so we aren’t going to meet the June 1 commitment to ship 100 operating tables to
Southeast Surgical Supply. This morning we learned that we’ll be able to make only 30 tables.
The fact that we won’t be able to keep our promise to a valued customer is obviously
embarrassing and bad for business. However, it is also aggravating for all of us involved because
8.22. Students’ responses will vary, but the updates should be concise, easy to read, and contain a link
8.23. Students’ responses will vary; here is an example (based on this product:
www.lagunatools.com/bandsaws/1412-Bandsaw):
The new Laguna 14/Twelve bandsaw brings industrial-grade performance and high-end design to
small shops (1/3)
8.24. Media Skills: Social Networking; Media Skills: Microblogging
Note: The character limitations on Twitter are a great opportunity to force clarity and conciseness.
Use the free tools provided by Foursquare to attract new customers and keep your best ones coming back.
(1/4) [URL]
8.25. Media Skills: Social Networking; Online Etiquette
Note: Controlling the urge to harshly criticize these employees is vital. Students’ posts should be positive,
informative about possible negative consequences to the company, and helpful in offering guidance.
Students should also recognize the power of social media and its sometimes-delicate application in
business communications.
[Post title] Essential Business Netiquette
The Internet has revolutionized business communication. Now social media sites allow people to discuss
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1. Avoid personal attacks.
2. Follow company policies.
4. Respect people’s virtual space.
5. Do not assume privacy.
6. Maintain email etiquette.
Even in an informal email, we should ensure the writing remains grammatically correct, relevant, and
comprehensive. All emails don’t require the “Reply-all” option, unless it’s relevant to everyone in the
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8.26. Media Skills: Social Networking
Note: While the message is intended to guard against future embarrassment or negative employment
consequences, the receiver may see this effort as intrusive. The goal should be constructive advice
conveyed with respect. The example message below begins with complimentary comments on writing
ability and then moves swiftly into problem areas, helping the receiver become more open to the
feedback.
Subject: My review of your online presence
Hi Janet,
I’ve completed my review of your online presence, including a general search engine inquiry and a look
at your Facebook account, blog, tweets, and photographs. While evaluating your presence, I focused on
asking myself how I would react if I were in the process of hiring you.
Your online writing is impressive. I like your blog, especially the section with links to your published and
award-winning work.
I suggest you reconsider the following:
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8.27. Media Skills: Blogging; Compositional Modes: Tutorials
Note: In posting to their blogs, students should focus on exciting and tangible details to garner
enthusiasm for the program. While it may seem obvious that most consider travel abroad exciting,
students should remember to include practical details to make the experience more imaginable. The
author’s voice should convey upbeat and enticing information. A possible example is below.
[Post title] Study Abroad Opportunities for Students at Miami University
“Imagine studying marine biology in the “living laboratory” of the Galapagos Islands, while staying with
a local family in a small village in Ecuador! The learning curve was tremendous, and I received insights
into the subject that would have been impossible while sitting in a classroom in Miami. I swam with sea
lions and manta rays and ambled alongside giant tortoises, constantly wondering if I was treading ground
that Charles Darwin had previously walked on!” — Martha Wright, UGalapagos Spring Program, 2011
I am sure many of you have interacted with students who have returned from study abroad programs and
couldn’t stop talking about their experiences. Such programs provide students valuable exposure to new
learning, cultures, and peoples, which translates into tangible personal, academic, and career benefits in
today’s globalized environment.
Our University also encourages students to study abroad by providing a variety of foreign workshops,
exchange programs, and scholarships. Study programs sponsored by other U.S. universities and study
abroad providers are also accepted. Credits from these programs can easily be transferred to Miami
University, so we can avail of these facilities and still graduate on time.
Here’s what you can do to get your study abroad plans rolling:
Typically, students start making their study abroad plans at least two semesters in advance. The first
person to approach when planning your program is the academic advisor, who can help you decide on the
best time to study abroad, and arrange your academic plan around a study abroad experience.
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8.28. Media Skills: Blogging
Note: Students should write this post in a way that accommodates the audience’s need for concise
information and a recommendation. Some audience members might be skeptical about the magnitude of
the convention, so it will be important to include statistics to illustrate its magnitude and popularity. The
journalistic approach will work well, since it will help keep the post focused on the basics. (If readers
want more details, they can visit Comic-Con’s website, which should be listed in the post).
[Post title] What’s Up with Comic-Con?
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8.29. Media Skills: Blogging; Compositional Modes: Tutorials; Mobile Skills
Note: Students can use the Tumblr Help facility and other online sources to get information needed for
this post.
4. Get familiar with the Tumblr dashboard. The dashboard is where the action happens. Click any of
6. Decide how you want to use Tumblr and get busy doing it. How you use Tumblr is up to you.
7. Move on to more advanced capabilities when you’re ready. For example, you can invite other
users to post material on your blog, tag your posts to make them easier for people to find, take
advantage of Pages (additional pages where you can post permanent information such as your
résumé, background information, and so on), and link to your Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Tumblr makes it easy to just dive in and learn as you go, so why not dive in now?
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8.30. Media Skills: Blogging
Note: Students should find this an enlightening and potentially life-changing exercise! (Parts of this
sample blog post are adapted from material in the authors’ Business in Action, 7th Edition.)
[Post title] Staying Out of the Credit Card Black Hole
Every college student needs to be aware of the dangers of credit card debt. Far too many students dig
themselves into giant holes with such debt. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t panic—but stop
digging any deeper. Recognize that you’re at a make-or-break point in both your college career and your
life as a whole. No amount of extracurricular fun is worth the damage that a credit card mess can inflict
on your life. Excessive credit card debt from college can follow you for decades, severely limiting your
financial options.
Don’t assume that you can easily pay off those balances when you start working full time, either. Many
graduates entering the workforce are disappointed to find themselves bringing home less and paying out
more than they expected. You’ll be facing a host of new expenses, from getting a business-quality
wardrobe to making student loan payments to possibly supporting a family. You can’t afford to devote a
big chunk of your new salary to paying off your interest-inflated beer and pizza bills from the previous
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8.31. Media Skills: Microblogging; Compositional Modes: Summaries
Note: This post challenges students to distill a larger piece down to its essential points. Here is an
example using the following article: http://www.workforce.com/articles/20162-signals-jason-fried-dishes-
on-controlling-remote-workers.
Great interview with Jason Fried of 37signals on managing a global, telecommuting workforce [URL]
(1/4)
“When you limit yourself to hiring just people who live nearby, you’re limiting your ability to hire the
best in the world.” (2/4)
On the concern over productivity: how do you know whether people are doing their work? Easy, he says:
8.32. Media Skills: Microblogging; Compositional Modes: Teasers
Note: This exercise gives students an opportunity to pass along tips regarding the more exciting elements
8.33. Media Skills: Microblogging; Compositional Modes: Updates and Announcements
Note: Students should appeal to consumers’ desire to get great deals on travel and convey a sense of
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8.34. Media Skills: Wiki Writing; Evaluating the Work of Other Writers
Note: Wikipedia has many articles flagged with issues, from missing citations to disputed information. In
addition, students can browse articles to find one that needs improvement, even if it hasn’t been flagged.
For example, the brief section on health and environmental concerns about nanotechnology lacks a
coherent focus and clear structure (as of August 2013). Anyone reviewing this article might note concerns
such as the following:
The “Health and environmental concerns” section of the Wikipedia article on nanotechnology suffers
from several shortcomings:
• It lacks an overview that would help readers get perspective on the question of health and
environmental concerns. Instead, it opens with a detailed sentence about the outcome of one
experiment involving rats breathing in nanoparticles.
• The four paragraphs are a hodge-podge of examples, with no structure or context. It also lacks
transitions that could tie the examples together in a meaningful way.
• Both carbon nanotubes and nanofibers are separately described as being as harmful to the lungs
as asbestos. Is one more dangerous than the other? Or, given that nanoparticles are also
mentioned as being harmful to breathe, does this imply that every form of nano material is
dangerous to breathe? Readers need some context to distinguish the health risks of the various
8.35. “Viral marketing” is a misleading term because real, biological viruses are spread unwillingly and
8.36. A personal style of writing on blogs and other social media channels helps build stronger
relationships with audiences by presenting a more authentic voice. People are more inclined to