Social media - connecting us to the future - just like the telephone did

I often compare the telephone's introduction a hundred years ago to the introduction of social media in the last few years.

           1908 Candlestick USA model

There are people who didn't want telephones in their homes. They saw it as a route to social breakdown, wives could talk to strange men, daughters could talk to boyfriends without a chaperone, and workers could tell the secrets of an organisation to competitors if telephones were installed in homes and offices.

And they were right, but they forgot to mention the benefits; the ability to call an ambulance to come and save your life, to speak to your dying father on another continent, to get an order that would save your business.

Similarly people resist social media as they say it takes too much time, is filled with stupid content and that they prefer editors to decide what the news is, rather than picking their own stories to read.

And undoubtedly all this is true. In a hundred years these things will come to pass (if not sooner), but the benefits, getting health advice from others that could save your life, engaging your dying dad in a video hangout and getting orders that will save your business, will all happen too.

Social media is simply another communication tool. It is up to is what we do with it.

To anyone who resists social media, just say this; I suppose you would have been against the telephone too!

The social media boost!

Every business could benefit from a social media boost to explode us into this new era of social connected-ness. Because it's not going away. Here's what I mean by a boost:

1. Daily mentions of something about your or what you do to 150,000 people all over the world for a month. With request for these people to share your information with their friends.

2. A short one page review with recommendations for you current web site and social media sites.

3. The setting up of your blog, if you don't already have one, with key pieces put in place so all you have to do is jump in.

4. A free 137 page guide to social media.

What price for all this? Tell us what you would be willing to pay.

Integrating social media into training: 4 ways to get it right

I have been preparing a course outline for a 12 week Diploma in Social Media Development. The course will run in Dublin in the final few months of the year. People will be able to attend remotely, as all classes are streamed over the internet.

The new elements I will be bringing to the course include the integration of social media into the course structure. This is what participants will get:

1. Pre-course ice breaking using questions posted on a course-specific LinkedIn group & a Twitter # tag. Personal objectives, questions and informal introductions can all now be done in advance of the first session. This will save time and ensure people get their social media accounts started before the course begins.

2. In-session Twitter backchannel. Remote participants will be able to ask questions at any time using a Twitter # tag. These Tweets will be visible through a dedicated page at http://twubs.com/, which anyone can access, or through a Twitter search. This will bring remote participants into the room and ensure that their questions and comments get listened to in the class and responded to.

3. Between session Twitter # tag use to send links to useful extra support material, ask questions, detail assignments and seek comments. Longer comments and assignment responses can be posted on the dedicated invite-only LinkedIn group.

4. Post course support will be provided using Twitter and LinkedIn, both to keep people in touch and to answer any follow up questions anyone has. This support will run for as long as is necessary, with long term support handed over to the group three months after the course ends.

These methods will bring social media into the classroom in a practical way. Similar activities can be applied to many learning situations. Why teach social media with PowerPoint?

In fact, why teach anything without social media?

If you have any suggestions for additional ways of using social media in training or comments please do submit them below.

And if you want to be a participant please follow this blog, above right, and full details will be emailed to you over the next few months.      

Guide to social media free to download in July!

I have edited and updated my guide to social media, Social Media is Dynamite. It contains 137 pages and all you have to do is share this page and then click here to download it. And please follow this blog, using the button to the right, so you can receive updates on new content.

This offer is limited to July 2013 only to introduce people to the guide. I hope you enjoy it.

You can share using any social media platform you wish. The guide contains the following chapters;

Chapter 1 - Understanding the explosive elements

Chapter 2 – Developing a social media plan

Chapter 3 – Your engagement strategy

Chapter 4 – How can you use social media to increase customer loyalty?

Chapter 5 – Measuring & monitoring

Chapter 6 – The power of social media to do good

Chapter 7 – How social media helped me

Chapter 8 – Arguments, mistakes and myths about social media

Chapter 9 – Using social media to sell more

Chapter 10 – Supercharging your social media with 12 Storytelling Techniques

Chapter 11 – Some social media puzzles explained

Summary

Appendix 1 – Social media tools list (some free)

Appendix 2 – Social media governance examples