Social Media Primer Part 1a - from the SMinOrgs S.M.A.R.T. Blog

Social Media Primer Part 1a: What is Your SMQ (Social Media Quotient)? Social Media in Organizations (SMinOrgs) S.M.A.R.T.* Blog *Social Media And Related Technologies Click here to read the full blog entry that corresponds with this SlideShare version

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Introduction
In part 1 of the SMinOrgs Social Media Primer , I included a link to a “fast and fun” quiz I created in the fall of 2009 to measure people’s SMQ (Social Media Quotient).
My intent was to move on to “social media realities” as the subject of part 2 of the Primer, but a question from a member of the SMinOrgs LI group , Elene Cafasso , made me realize I should talk about the SMQ quiz before moving forward.
Her request for the “answer key” reminded me that it’s not enough for the quiz to reveal what folks do/don’t know about certain social media platforms – it should also help them learn.

The SMQ Quiz
I created this “fast and fun” quiz in the fall of 2009 to incorporate into the presentations I give about the opportunities and challenges social media presents .
Asking people to take the quiz at the beginning of a presentation serves as both an icebreaker and an introduction to the subject.
Just as the quiz itself isn’t scientific, neither are the results I’ve gathered – but they’re compelling nonetheless.
The average score, out of a possible total of 56, has been around 11.
I always give a token gift to the people with the highest scores, which are usually in the 30s. Most people assume the “winners” will be the youngest folks in the group (i.e., the “digital natives”). In reality, most of the high scorers have been members of the Gen X and Boomer generations.
Click here or on the image on the right to access the quiz.

The SMQ Quiz Answer Key
After I administer the quiz, I show a slide like the one on the next page. Each of the symbols is hyperlinked to its respective home page, and there's also a link to Wikipedia to learn a bit more about each platform’s functionality and history.
I've also created a table (in Word) that contains the names of each platform as well as hyperlinks to their respective home pages and Wikipedia entries. Click here or on the image to the right to access the table.

Social Media Makes the World Go ‘Round Icons courtesy of Click on each icon to go to the site, and/or learn more about the platform on Wikipedia

“ Fast & Fun” is also “Quick & Dirty”
The SMQ Quiz is great for warming up a group and engaging them in the subject, but it’s completely unscientific.
Although I selected some of the most popular/representative sites based on usage statistics available at the time, there are significant limitations:
Certain types of sites (e.g., social bookmarking) are over-represented
Other types of social media platforms (e.g., knowledge/project management) and related tools (e.g., aggregators) are completely absent
The selection is also over-weighted toward personal applications rather than professional applications
The quiz has a US bias due to the absence of platforms (e.g., Bebo, Orkut) that are more well-known in other parts of the world
Realizing the limitations of the quiz started me thinking about whether there should be a “real” SMQ test. There are at least two important reasons why a valid and reliable measure of social media sophistication would be valuable ...

Reasons for a “Real” SMQ Test
People don’t know what they don’t know – but they think they do!
Familiarity with social media may be causing people to overestimate their social media sophistication. Some folks seem to think that a basic understanding and (often limited) usage of social networking platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter demonstrates that they “get it” and are on the leading edge of the social media movement. But when the conversation gets a little deeper, the limitations of their experience and understanding become clear.
As discussed in Part 2 of the SMinOrgs Social Media Primer , social media is far larger and will have a far greater impact than the popularly-discussed applications that are receiving so much attention today - and a comprehensive assessment of social media can help people realize that.
We need to know what people really know
As we begin to seriously consider the intra-organizational implications of social media, it’s important to get an accurate sense of people’s knowledge and understanding.
If we only rely on self-reported measures of social media sophistication, it will be difficult for organizational leaders to take appropriate action with respect to strategy, training, policy development, etc. A reliable, comprehensive measure would provide a much better starting point for both organizations and individuals.
If you know of a measure of social media sophistication and/or have any initial thoughts about whether one should be developed and what it should include, please share your ideas here or on the blog post. Thanks!

Previous and Next Primer Parts
Part 1: What is this “Fire” of Which You Speak? (clarifies the distinctions between social media, web 2.0, and social networking)
Full blog post
SlideShare version
Part 2: The Juggernaut is Bigger than You Think! (discusses some of the intra-organizational applications of social media)
Full blog post
SlideShare version
Click here or on the icon below to go to the blog to see all entries

Next Primer Parts
Part 3: Reality Check – Four Mental Shifts Organizational Leaders Need to Make (discusses the mental shifts necessary to accept digital era realities and move forward with social media)
Full blog post
SlideShare version
Part 4: Ante Up – Organizational Factors Relevant to Joining the Social Media Game (discusses organizational/workforce characteristics to consider in deciding whether and how to move forward with social media initiatives)
Full blog post
SlideShare version

Next Primer Parts
Part 5: You Can’t Outsource Leadership (discusses how leaders can prepare themselves to provide social media leadership in their organizations, not just in the short term, but over the long haul)
Full blog post
SlideShare version
Primer Part 6: Human Capital Management Challenges ... Leave No (Rosetta) Stone Unturned (discusses specific human capital management challenges organizations will have to address as social media technologies become more fully integrated into operations)
Full blog post
SlideShare version

Coming Soon to SlideShare …
11 Lessons about Digital Communities from Rome – A Photo Essay (using Rome as a metaphor for virtual communities, provides insights into the factors that should be considered when building, maintaining, and participating in digital communities)
Full blog post
The Early Bird May Get the Worm, but the Brave Bird Gets ... the Fries?!?! (discusses the importance of taking calculated risks to achieve goals, and the costs associated with risk aversion)
Full blog post

For Further Information and/or Help Courtney Shelton Hunt Principal, Renaissance Strategic Solutions Founder, Social Media in Organizations (SMinOrgs) Community 312.225.3365 (O) 312.752.7418 (M) [email_address] [email_address]

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Social Media Primer Part 1a - from the SMinOrgs S.M.A.R.T. Blog

by Social Media in Organizations on Jul 06, 2010

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Social Media Primer Part 1a - from the SMinOrgs S.M.A.R.T. Blog — Presentation Transcript