This document discusses how ideas and memes spread through online communities. It defines memes as snippets of cultural information that are shared person-to-person until they enter widespread consciousness. Opinion leaders are identified as influential individuals who shape attitudes within a community. The concept of social capital is introduced as the resources accumulated through community relationships that can be traded for other benefits. LinkedIn and selectively accessed online communities called "gated communities" are provided as examples of networks that enable the building of social capital.

1. Digital Communities
By: Mollie Quinn, Tommy Hart and
Heather Meek

2. How Ideas Travel in a Community
• Network structure and composition play a role
in the community’s ability to support its
members.
• Whether online or offline, a community has a
culture that includes shared knowledge,
myths, norms and language.
Social Media Marketing, Tuten & Solomon

3. Memes
• A meme is a snippet of cultural information
that spreads person to person until eventually
it enters the general consciousness.
• These snippets can include songs, phrases,
ideas, slang words, fashion trends or shared
behaviors.
Social Media Marketing, Tuten & Solomon

4. Are there any memes you have
seen on any social media that have
stood out to you?

5. Some popular memes through the
years
http://www.pcworld.com/article/211994/the_8_most_memorable_facebook_memes.html

6. http://www.pcworld.com/article/211994/the_8_most_memorable_facebook_me
mes.html

7. Group Influences

8. Opinion Leader
• Individual who is able to influence a persons
attitudes and beliefs.
• This can be anyone with knowledge about a
certain topic such as, a business, company, a
person, product, or a community.
• Possess expert, reward, and authority power.
Social Media Marketing, Tuten & Solomon

9. Group Influence
• Two-step flow model of influence.
• Small group of influencers communicate with the
opinion leader then create “cascades” of information.
• People are able to connect with people through
LinkedIn who share common interests, and with people
that know someone that will help them in finding a
career.
• Connecting with many people on LinkedIn is a way to
build a professional profile that will benefit you in
finding a job. You will also be able to help others by
helping them connect with someone that you know
that can assist them.
Social Media Marketing, Tuten & Solomon

10. LinkedIn
• LinkedIn is an online community.
• LinkedIn is an influence Network.
• People connect with other people through
LinkedIn.
• Connecting with people through LinkedIn are
who important for professional success.
Social Media Marketing, Tuten & Solomon

11. LinkedIn: Helping B2B Marketers Build
Relationships That Matter
• LinkedIn offers Identity, Networks, and
Knowledge
• The importance of group influence through an
online community
• Personal relationships
http://marketing.linkedin.com/blog/linkedin-helping-b2b-marketers-build-relationships-that-
matter/

12. Social Capital

13. What Is Social Capital?
• Stems from the idea that affiliations from
community relationships lead to resources
that can be traded for other things.
• These “resources” are called Social Capital.
• Golf Course Example
• LinkedIn
– Connections
– References
– Job Posting

14. Elements of Bourdieu: Social
Capital in the Funny Pages
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tPQ-xOLSSE

15. Online Gated Communities
• Selectively allow access to only certain people.
• Offer a high degree of social capital.
• Summitas Example
– National Security Agency-level encryption
– $7,500 annual fee
– Send email, store/share documents, set up private
social networks
– https://www.summitas.com/

16. Work Cited
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tPQ-xOLSSE
• http://www.learnvest.com/2013/02/this-gated-community-is-entirely-
online/
• https://www.summitas.com/
• https://www.google.com/search?q=linkedin&es_sm=93&source=ln
ms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=uetWVJaqEcPasAT46YHoDg&ved=0CAkQ_
AUoAg&biw=1366&bih=643#imgdii=_
• https://www.google.com/search?q=linkedin&es_sm=93&source=ln
ms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=uetWVJaqEcPasAT46YHoDg&ved=0CAkQ_
AUoAg&biw=1366&bih=643#tbm=isch&q=social+capital&imgdii=_
• https://www.google.com/search?q=summitas&espv=2&biw=1366&
bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=sexWVJTwIu_IsASSiIHA
Cg&ved=0CAsQ_AUoAA