They saying that you hear a lot of times is how content is king. This can be applied in various contexts and situations, but I think the most recent cases have involved how this can be used for social media purposes. Providing useful, engaging, and insightful information that is beneficial for the community you are trying to reach is essential in building relationships and trust online.
While I think this is of course important, we have to be aware of the fact we can’t forget about the rest of the court. Distribution at times is referred to as a queen, but I think strategy has to have a factor somewhere in the royal court if we are using this type of reference. I would also add passion and enthusiasm to the mix as well. You may have all of the great content and fancy platforms to share these great points for your audiences, but if you don’t consider the best way to share this information for where your communities would be able to see it along with not being excited about it, it’s not really going to work.
These are the types of points I have been trying to communicate in my class. That’s why my students are writing two blog posts a week for class. One post is dedicated to the class topic for the week – so they are able to write, critique, and share their point of view when it comes to social media. However, the other post they have to write is up to them. I talk about this as their personal post – where they can write about their hobbies, interests, and even particular brands and personal experiences they want to share with the online community.
So far, I have been impressed to see the creativity and the openness the students have shared with the class as well as on social media with these posts. It’s been a way to get to know the students in class – and I realize of course that each student has their own persona and presence when it comes to their blog. I have found at times they need no reminding about writing these blog posts. In fact, they are exceeding the expectations and guidelines when it comes to level of length of the post as well as depth.
I’d like to share a story of one of my students who is in my #Freberg14 class and how her blog really got some huge hits in just a day. Molly wrote a blog oat that focused on what people may not know about the Louisville LadyBirds, the dance team that has won a ton of national titles for the university. Molly is a Ladybird and shared insights about the team that others may not be aware of before. Discussions on what goes on behind the practices and the amount of community service and activities outside of games the members of the dance team do is pretty inspirational.
Blog stats for Molly’s Post (courtesy of Molly Goldstein).
So, what was the result? Molly wrote such a great blog post that it immediately was shared and viewed on Twitter and online. In one day, she got more than 2,300 views from over 13 different countries. Wow! That is really great and congratulations on the numbers, Molly! I have had several students who have been part of the UofL Ladybirds in class since I have been at Louisville. These are indeed some of the hardest working students I have had in class. Molly is just beginning her blog for this class, and I am sure that this will continue to grow and become a great outlet to share stories, insights, and perspectives on this topic with the local, national, and even international community.
In summary, I think that this is why blogging and allowing students to write about content that they are passionate about in addition to discussing class topics is key. The best way to become a better writer is to write, which is true – but if you allow students the opportunity to write on a regular basis on topics that they are passionate about and like – that is the perfect combination here. You seem to write your best when you are interested, passionate, and engaged with the content. It’s going to be different for each person, and I think that’s perfectly fine.
For me as a professor, it has been great to see what students are writing about and what they are interested in. I would strongly recommend this to my fellow colleagues and professors who are teaching social media and who require their students to blog for class. I think you will be amazed with the stories, insights, and results you will have by adding this component to your class. For me, it’s been a truly inspirational experience to witness and I am very proud of what all of my students have done so far this semester with their blogs.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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