Social Media and You:
The Possibilities, Pitfalls and Promise
of the “Like,” the Post and the Tweet
Vincent F. Filak, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, UW-Oshkosh
Social media defined

Social media refers to websites, tools and
other digital approaches to information
sharing among and within social groups

Social media are more user-friendly,
scalable and adaptable to the whims of
users than are traditional media
Social Media Usage

Internet users spent 22.7 percent of their
time on social networking sites in 2010, up
from 15.8 percent in 2009

Users spend time upwards of six hours per
month on Facebook, with Twitter, Blogger
and other sites getting heavy usage as well

Surveys suggest this trend will continue
upward
Source: Nielsen Group
Tools You Can Use

Reacting Tools
◦ Comments
◦ “Likes” and “Diggs”

Social Networking Sites
◦ Facebook
◦ LinkedIn

Microblogging
◦ Twitter
◦ Tumblr
Tips for Tweeting

Tip 1: Spelling and grammar count
Tips for Tweeting

Tip 2: Know the Rules
Tips for Tweeting

Tip 3: Tweet to be Read
Bad Tweet:
MKEPD, SHDPT, TSA confirm 3rw crash d/t 4I snow &
MKE apt to close @ appx. 5pm; I94, 41, 45 +1h TT d/t
weather crashes
Better Tweet:
Authorities say Milwaukee airport has 3 runway
crashes due to snow & will close by 5pm; highways
slowed by crashes too
Tips for Tweeting

Tip 4: Tweet for Your Audience
Tips for Tweeting

Tip 5: Respond Promptly
• Use DM and @ functions to respond to your
readers
• Offer them opportunities to contact you via other
methods of communication (phone, email)
• Speed is key
Tips for Tweeting

Tip 6: Think
The Dark Side of Social Media

Failure Goes Viral
The Dark Side of Social Media

Heavy Workload
The Dark Side of Social Media

New Playing Field
The Dark Side of Social Media

Identity Management