Social media refers to internet applications driven by user actions and user-generated content. It differs from traditional websites in that users, not website owners, create and share most of the content. Popular social media platforms allow users to share messages, photos, videos, and participate in online communities. Social media is important because it allows influential individuals to quickly share information with many followers and it can be used to organize groups and campaigns. However, social media also raises issues around privacy, inappropriate content, and employers checking profiles. Organizations are advised to engage with social media themselves to avoid others defining their online presence.

1. Social Media (Web 2.0): What is it, why is it
important and what are you doing about it?
By
Ian Davidson B.Sc. MBA FCIPD MCIM
Leading Reward Manager and influential
commentator
http://iandavidson.me
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/iadavidson/

2. What is it?

3. Internet applications driven by user
actions
A conversation
between users
On line
communities
Communities of
Practice, CIPD,
nursing
Communities of
interest,
photography

4. 70,000
views
Ian’s Flickr page

5. How does it differ from the old web
User driven content
• There is no “web master”, the
users generate the content
Use of meta tags and
meta data
• The ability to “tag” with
location, time, subject,
keywords, makes the user
content easy to search and
also to link different sources
with common tags across the
internet.
• Does away with constraints of
time and space.

6. Examples
Twitter – short text messages sent to
“followers” with hash tags
#rebuildtrust @ianandmj
Facebook; personal profiles and
conversations
Flick – user photos
You Tube – User videos
Blogs
Written – user generated writing with
syndication http://iandavidson.me
Audio
Podcasts – user generated audio musings,
with syndication (see also ITunes)
www.idavidson.podbean.com
Video
Video blogs – increasingly common

7. Blog page by HR consultant

8. Podcasts Eg
Views over the City
By Ian Davidson
www.idavidson.podbean.com/

9. You Tube

10. Examples (2)
Wikipedia
User generated
encyclopaedia entry
Mashups
User content on Google
Earth
Linkedin – business
network
Communities/Forums
Yahoo Groups
Second Life – “Virtual”
reality with Avatars

11. Image from 2nd Life

12. Google Earth Mashup
Time Travelling with
Google Maps
Museum of London -
Street Museum
The Museum of London
have created a great
iPhone application to
showcase
hundreds of images from
its collections
Note use of IPhone app
using a Google Earth
Mashup!

13. Wikipedia entry for Commerzbank

14. Linkedin ; http://uk.linkedin.com/in/iadavidson/
Major business
user network

15. Why is it important?
Potential to be very influential
Stephen Fry's Twitter feed has 2
million followers
Union leader used Twitter during
negotiations with BA
Mash up on Google Earth has been
used to follow environmental disasters
Facebook campaign achieved a UK
number 1 for an old record
IBM set up a successful recruitment
platform in 2nd Life
Breaks down "official channels" of
communication, news and marketing

16. Social media issues
Where is the Revenue stream?
Facebook parties, flash mobs,
demos
Checking of LinkedIn and Facebook
profiles by employers
Employee Facebook entry partying
when supposed to be sick
Blogs can give inside information on
organizations
Well known police blog – critical of
Home Office policy
It never goes away, comments made
as a youngster be retrieved and
cause reputational damage

17. Conclusion
Use it or someone else will
Competitive advantage
Wide reach
Mobile net
Disintermediation
A game changer
Why not?
Thank you
Ian Davidson
idavidson@mauritius.demon.co
.uk