Memorandum

To: Dr. Laura Vernon

From: Glen Carmichael
Date: 20 February 2018
Subject: Research Report
______________________________________________________________________________

Communication in the Field of Social Media

INTRODUCTION

Communication is a value that our society could not function without. Communicating through
the web is something that when affectively done, can either make or break businesses.
Communication and writing are important components when working with social media and
content writing for the web because of the increase in today’s technology. Though this idea may
seem obvious, there is much more to affectively communicating through social media than meets
the eye. Social media is now a staple of our culture and the earliest generations do not know a
life without access to the Internet and social networking. With the increase in technology and
availability of social networking, the knowledge of how to use these platforms effectively has
become more of a necessity.

The advancement in technology through social media arises the concern and lack of knowledge
on how to effectively use the platforms for businesses. When used effectively, businesses can
increase traffic through online advertisements and social networking. There is an immediate
correlation between using communication efficiently online through search engine optimization
(SEO) and increasing the credibility of a brand. If prospect clients are exposed to products and
services while browsing their social media networks, they are encouraged to further look into the
business. Marketing and technical writing students should be exposed to the specific knowledge
involved with writing content for the web and social media platforms. The purpose of this report
is to demonstrate the importance of effective communication for social media platforms and the
essential skills students need to be exposed to before entering the field.

METHODS

Within this section I will explain the methods I used to attain the information needed to support
my theory in communication for social networking.

Interview

Mari Carr is a New York Times Bestselling Author of romance, romantic suspense, and romantic
comedy. She received her Bachelor of Science in English Education from Radford University in
1992 and her Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in Library Science from James
Madison University in 2000. She is currently actively promoting book sales through use of social
media and a monthly newsletter.

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Carr’s interview was conducted over the phone due to distance and questions were prepared
ahead of time and made available via text message. Answers to questions were hand written by
me and will be recorded on the same document as my questions. The interview was completed
within 20 minutes and I was able to collect extensive information on the use of social media in
her everyday life.

Secondary Resources

National Public Radio includes handbooks within their website dedicated to ethics for multiple
professions, including one for social media. Its purpose is to present specific audiences with a
guideline of how to navigate their occupation efficiently. This source includes a bulleted list of
adjectives to keep in mind when in the workplace.

Two articles were chosen to illustrate the essential skills in focusing on communication and
writing in social media marketing, one by Jeff Bullas and the other from AdWeek online. Both of
these sources were created within the last ten years and I found this time frame to be relevant
when researching the increase of social media marketing throughout the last decade. Older
articles would not be relevant to this field because of the increase in use of social media for
marketing. These articles display the skills needed for effective communication in social media
marketing when reaching out to clients over the web.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This section illustrates the types of communication involved with social media marketing and the
most effective ways to use communication techniques when advertising for the web.

Essential Skills for Social Media Managers

When starting an online-centered business, it is important to keep up with content and businesses
may prefer to hire a social media manager. “Although I can run most things on my own, I find it
helpful to have a publicist, or social media manager, to ensure that content is user-focused and is
always relevant to my brand” (Carr 2018). In hiring these specialists, businesses ensure that their
presence is consistent and strategically planned out.

According to Bullas (2017), social media managers work a 24/7 job to “monitor, manage,
update, and become inspired by clients and other sources” to ensure that a business’s presence
online is appropriate and that their overall objective is met. Carr (2018) told me that without
social media, her promotions and sales would not be successful. This online presence ensures
that clients are being constantly updated on information about the business and prospect clients
can access information on a business at any time of the day. Without information online,
potential clients may not feel comfortable trusting the business or take the time to call and find
out more. This online presence is more planned out than one would think. The majority of our
society has access to the Internet and a business has to know “how to make content move and
maybe even go viral” (Bullas). Optimizing content for technology requires an understanding for
how platforms work and making sure the information follows the search engine optimization

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(SEO) guidelines in order to receive a higher rank when first searched. Like earlier stated, the
business should be monitoring their online presence 24/7. AdWeek (2015) suggests that daily
tasks should include responding to client messages, monitoring brand mentions, creating
conversations with brand advocates, engaging with potential clients, researching one’s specific
industry, and scheduling online content to post even when not logged in directly. These tasks are
just some examples on how to effectively communicate through use of social media. AdWeek
(2015) offers not only daily expectations, but also weekly, monthly, and quarterly tasks as well.
The author goes into detail for each task at hand and explains the importance of each, he/she
explains that “Social media is one of the most dynamic industries out there today, and if you
don’t keep up, you can easily get left behind.” It is encouraged to always utilize networking for
new techniques in online content writing. National Public Radio (NPR) reinforces these ideas
with a list of guidelines on content writing for the web. One point they include is the attention to
accuracy. When posting online, one question clients may face is the accuracy of data. Businesses
have to ensure that they are portraying their brand in the right way and to be “transparent about
what [we’re] doing” (NPR 2017). Keeping the focus on the client and their needs should always
be the most important concern for the brand.

As well as being honest with content and knowledgeable in SEO to ensure consistency, it is also
important to keep creativity in mind. Social media is constantly being used as a way to portray a
brand’s image and though researching your competitors in the field is important, it is imperative
to keep your brand unique and original. Bullas explains that, “Social media marketing is not just
cold hard tactics. It means understanding the creative process that provides creative content that
engages with your customer” (2017). Social media managers should not just be knowledgeable
in marketing but in creative design as well, as it is usually their job to create images that are eye
catching to their clients. Without this sense of design as a marketing strategy, social media
managers are not completely fulfilling the job that he/she is required to do.

CONCLUSION

Effective communication is imperative when working in social media managing and online
content writing. If one cannot communicate their business’s ideas and information through
different online platforms, the business may not attract clients successfully. We live in a world
that relies heavily on the Internet for information and potential services and without knowledge
on how to run a business, whether strictly online or not, brands may see their company fail.
Social media managers ensure that content is consistent, accurate, and creative in a timely
manner to attract clients and advertise their brand. This specific training is one that should be
taught to technical writing and marketing students while in their undergraduate studies to
guarantee success in the Internet-centered society that we live in. Those who take advantage of
this opportunity will be more valuable when applying for positions in online marketing and
content writing. This is a growing field that if promoted and taught correctly, those students offer
something to online businesses that will set them apart from the rest.

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Works Cited

“A Complete Checklist for Social Media Managers (Infographic).” Adweek, Adweek, 1 July
2015, www.adweek.com/digital/a-complete-checklist-for-social-media-managers-
infographic/.

Bullas, Jeff. “10 Essential Skills a Social Media Manager Needs on Their Resume.” Jeff Bullas,
29 Aug. 2017, www.jeffbullas.com/10-essential-skills-a-social-media-manager-needs-to-
have-on-their-resume/.

Carr, Mari. Personal interview. 19 February 2018.

“Social Media: The NPR Way.” NPR, NPR, July 2017, ethics.npr.org/tag/social-media/.

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Appendix A
INTERVIEW

What are you degrees and what year did you receive them?
I receieved my Bachelors in English from Radford University in 1991 and my Masters degree in
Education with a concentration in library sciences in 2000.

How much do you rely on social networking as an author?

I rely on it quite a lot. I use it to promote book sales, I usually have joint promotions with other
authors such as one for this past Valentine’s day. I was working with 80 different authors and a
blog to promote our books.

What types of networking platforms do you use?

Just the usual ones; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Newsletter, and my website. I also use third
party promoters such as Book Bub

Do you do this alone or with a specialist?

Although I can run most things on my own, I find it helpful to have a publicist, or social media
manager, to ensure that content is user-focused and is always relevant to my brand

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Appendix B
CODE OF ETHICS
http://ethics.npr.org/tag/social-media/

EXCELLENCE

Social media platforms are great tools when handled correctly.

Social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Slackhave become an integral part of
everyday life for people around the world. As NPR grows to serve an audience that extends well
beyond radio listeners, social media are an increasingly important way of connecting with our
audiences. Properly used, social networking sites can be valuable parts of our newsgathering and
reporting kits because they can speed research and quickly extend a reporter’s contacts. They are
also useful transparency tools — allowing us to open up our reporting and editing processes
when appropriate. We encourage our journalists to take advantage of them.

RESPECT

Words matter. Try to strike the right tone.

NPR has always tried to be engaging, entertaining and informative – while being civil. We’ve
never shouted at our guests. We seek answers, not confrontations, when we conduct interviews.
We are firm when we need to be, but never mean.

We take the same attitude to social media. We shouldn’t SHOUT IN ALL CAPS when we’re
angry. We shouldn’t take the bait from trolls and sink to their level. We don’t use foul language.
We pause to re-read our responses before hitting “reply.”

How we treat each other.

How we deal with abusive behavior by others.

Journalists are just like those in other professions. We enjoy being praised when we do good
work. But unlike those in occupations that aren’t in the public eye, journalists have to accept that
being criticized is part of the job. We know that the words we write and say, the photos and
videos we post, the charts we produce and – yes – the things we say in social media may anger
others. If we’re willing to report facts that may cast public officials in an unfavorable light and
are willing to dig into controversial topics, we have to be willing to put up with some pushback
from the public.

We do not, however, have to put up with threatening or abusive communications from those who
don’t like our reporting. We do not have to put up being personally attacked because of our
gender, race, religion or any other identifying factor.

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We are considerate of community norms.

We know that different communities – online and offline – have their own culture, etiquette, and
norms, and that we should be respectful of them. Our ethics don’t change in different
circumstances, but our decisions might.

Awareness is critical. Strive to be knowledgeable about each social media platform’s culture, and
be attuned to gaps in your understanding. Your colleagues can be a terrific resource to help you
get up to speed on unfamiliar settings.

Consider as well how your conduct in a community will affect your reporting. As you adjust
behaviors such as language and dress in different situations, think about what might be most
helpful or harmful to effective reporting on social media.

Also, appreciate that journalism can be an intrusive act, and conduct yourself as a decent guest of
the community where you’re reporting. If it was customary to remove your shoes upon entering a
building, you would. It’s appropriate to follow the indigenous customs on social media as well.

ACCURACY

Don’t just spread information. Be careful. Be skeptical. Add context.

When determining whether to pass along information being reported on social media sites by
other news outlets or individuals, be thoughtful. When we point to what others are saying, in the
eyes of many we are effectively reporting that information ourselves. This is true whether the
platform is an official NPR social media account or a post to an NPR journalist’s personal
account.

Reporting about what’s being posted on social media can give our listeners and readers valuable
insights into the day’s news. We encourage you to do it, with these guidelines in mind.

One key is to be transparent about what we’re doing.

When in doubt, consult the Engagement Team.

Of course, it’s not always obvious how to apply journalistic principles to the social media arena.
One resource available to NPR journalists is our “Engagement Team.” Its members have
expertise in collecting information from a variety of sources, in establishing to the best of their
ability the credibility of those voices and the information they are posting, and in analyzing the
material they use.

Follow up offline when appropriate.

It’s not hard to fake an identity online. Tonal or contextual nuances can be lost in online
exchanges. So when appropriate, clarify and confirm information collected online through phone
and in-person interviews. For example, when a social media posting is itself news, contact the

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source to confirm the origin of the information and attain a better understanding of its meaning.
We must try to be as sophisticated in our use of social media as our audience and users are. The
Engagement Team is a key asset in this effort.

Take care in using images that have been posted online.

In considering whether to use photos and video that are being posted online by individuals, do
your best to verify their accuracy and when in doubt, do not publish them.

Images can be manipulated. Old video can be reposted and made to appear as if it’s new. Photos
or video taken in one part of the world can be repackaged and portrayed as being from
somewhere else. Again, when in doubt, leave them out.

HONESTY

We are open about who we are.

If as part of our work we are doing anything on social media or other online forums, we do not
hide the fact that we work for NPR. We do not use pseudonyms when doing such work.

NPR journalists may, in the course of their work, “follow” or “friend” Twitter accounts,
Facebook pages and other social media sites created by political parties and advocacy groups.
But we do so to monitor their news feeds, not to become participants, and we follow and friend
sites created by advocates from all sides of the issues. It’s as basic a tool as joining mailing lists.

We probably couldn’t hide anyway, because there is no privacy on the Web.

Imagine, if you will, an NPR legal correspondent named Sue Zemencourt. She’s a huge fan of
Enormous University’s basketball team and loves to chat online about EU. She posts comments
on blogs under the screen name “enormous1.” One day, an equally rabid fan of Ginormous State
(“ginormous1”) posts obnoxious comments about EU.

Sue snaps. Expletives and insults fly from her fingers on to the webpage. They’re so out-of-line
that the blog blocks her from submitting any more comments — and discovers that her IP
address leads back to NPR. The blog’s host posts that “someone at NPR is using language that
the FCC definitely would not approve of” and describes what was said. Things go viral.

Online sources should be on-the-record too.

Many contacts with sources are made online — via emails and social media sites. As we discuss
in the guidelines about accuracy and transparency, NPR pushes to keep its interviews on-the-
record. The same is true of our “virtual” interactions with sources. We make that clear to
potential sources when we reach out to them.

ACCOUNTABILITY

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Social media outlets are public spaces.

We know that everything we write or receive on a social media site is public. Anyone with
access to the Web can potentially see what we’re doing. And regardless of how careful we are in
trying to keep them separate, our professional lives and our personal lives overlap when we’re
online.

Rule of thumb: You should conduct yourself in social media forums with an eye to how your
behavior or comments might appear if we were called upon to defend them as being appropriate
behavior by a journalist. In other words, don’t act any differently online than you would in any
other public setting.

IMPARTIALITY

The same standards apply.

Do not advocate for political or other polarizing issues online. This extends to your Facebook
page or a personal blog. Don’t express personal views on a political or other controversial issue
that you could not write for the air or post on NPR.org. These guidelines apply whether you are
posting under your own name or — if the online site allows pseudonyms — your identity would
not be readily apparent. In reality, anything you post online reflects both on you and on NPR.

Your simple participation in some online groups could be seen to indicate that you endorse their
views. Consider whether you can accomplish your purposes by just observing a group’s activity,
rather than becoming a member. If you do join, be clear that you’ve done so to seek information
or story ideas. And if you “friend” or join a group representing one side of an issue, do so for
groups representing other viewpoints.

THE LEGAL FINE PRINT

When posting or gathering material online, consider terms of service.

It’s important to keep in mind that the terms of service of a social media site apply to what we
post there and to the information we gather from it. Also: The terms might allow for our material
to be used in a different way than intended. Additionally, law enforcement officials may be able
to obtain our reporting on these sites by subpoena without our consent — or perhaps even our
knowledge. Social media are a vital reporting resource for us, but we must be vigilant about
keeping work that may be sensitive in our own hands.

We understand that what we say on platforms such as Snapchat, where things seem to disappear
after a short time, may still exist in the service’s database. That’s why we follow the same rules
on those platforms as on all others. We’re as careful about what we say there as we are anywhere
else.

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Appendix C
INSTRUCTION TO AUTHORS: For Henry Stewart Publications
https://www.henrystewartpublications.com/jdsm/instructions

Style
1. The Journal particularly welcomes contributions from digital and social media marketing
professionals including best practice articles; case studies; new approaches and techniques;
market and consumer research; legal and regulatory updates; or other material of relevance to
digital and social media marketing professionals. They can be more descriptive (and less
analytical) of current business practice and need not display in-depth knowledge of previous
academic work in the field. The Journal also publishes traditionally styled academic papers
which are expected, at a minimum, to display a sound knowledge of previous work in the area
and some original research content. All articles must have clear implications for business
practice.

2. Articles and papers can be anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 words.

3. Authors should not seek to use the Journal as a vehicle for marketing any specific product or
service.
4. Articles and papers must be supported by references to examples and case studies, and
wherever possible industry surveys and existing literature.
5. References should be in the Vancouver system i.e. referred to by number in the text with
superscripted numbers (like so¹) and set out in full in a consecutive numerical list at the end of
the article. When referring to the same book or journal more than once, authors should not revert
to the original number. Rather, a different (consecutive) number is inserted. Then, at the end of
the article, the correct style is 'Surname (of author), ref x. above', or if it refers to the reference
immediately preceding, 'Ibid' is inserted in the list.
6. Submissions should be written in the third person and authors should avoid the use of personal
pronouns, slang and any other language which is not in keeping with the professional and
academic style of the Journal.
7. Tables and graphs should be submitted in their original Word/Excel format. PowerPoint slides
and screengrabs should be avoided. An electronic copy of the original data must also be
included.
8. All articles should be accompanied by a brief abstract of up to 200 words setting out the aims
and scope of the article and summarising the skills/knowledge the reader will take away from it.
9. All articles should be accompanied by 4-6 keywords which summarise the key themes of the
article.
10. Article should be accompanied by a short (up to 200 words) description of the author(s) and,
if appropriate, the organisation of which he or she is a member.
11. All acronyms such as titles of organisations etc should be written out first in full and
thereafter in their initials.
12. Photographs and illustrations supporting articles should be submitted where appropriate.
Photographs should be submitted electronically with figures saved as TIF, EPS/PDF with all
fonts embedded or JPEG (high resolution) files at a minimum 300dpi and preferably in black and

10
white. Further guidance on the submission of graphics is available on request from the Publisher,
Simon Beckett, at simon@hspublications.co.uk
13. With appropriate exceptions, eg pints and gallons, measurements should be in metric units.
14. Please note that the journal’s format does not permit sidebars. Any content contained in a
sidebar should be worked into the text.

General
15. Papers should be submitted via email in Microsoft Word format to the Publisher, Simon
Beckett, at simon@hspublications.co.uk
16. We do not charge authors for submission or publication of their papers.
17. Authors must ensure that references to named people and/or organisations are accurate, not
racist or sexist and without libellous implications.
18. All contributions sent to the Publisher, whether invited or not, will be submitted to the
Journal's Editors and Editorial Board for anonymous peer-review. Any such contribution must
bear the author's full name and address, even if this is not for publication, although this is
removed for the duration of the peer-review process. Contributions, whether published
pseudonymously or not, are accepted on the strict understanding that the author is responsible for
the accuracy of all opinion, technical comment, factual report, data, figures, illustrations and
photographs. Publication does not necessarily imply that these are the opinions of the Editorial
Board, Editors or the Publisher, nor do the Board, Editors or Publishers accept any liability for
the accuracy of such comment, report and other technical and factual information. The Publisher
will, however, strive to ensure that all opinion, comments, reports, data, figures, illustrations and
photographs are accurate, insofar as it is within its abilities to do so. The Publisher reserves the
right to edit, abridge or omit material submitted for publication.
19. Authors should be aware that papers submitted to the Journal should not be simultaneously
submitted for review to any other publications.
20. The author bears the responsibility for checking whether material submitted is subject to
copyright or ownership rights, eg photographs, illustrations, trade literature and data. Where use
is so restricted, the Publisher must be informed with the submission of the material.
21. No contribution will be accepted which has been published elsewhere, unless it is expressly
invited or agreed by the Publisher. Papers and contributions published become the copyright of
the Publisher, unless otherwise agreed.
22. All reasonable efforts are made to ensure accurate reproduction of text, photographs and
illustrations. The Publisher does not accept responsibility for mistakes, be they editorial or
typographical, nor for consequences resulting from them.

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