It begins…

“I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better. I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.”

Elon Musk

Here we are, at the beginning of the semester, undertaking the challenge of writing a blog. And the first step in this journey is to identify our field of study… What is Social Media? There are many definitions out there, but the main consensus is that it comprehends electronic-based applications which facilitate the collaboration, communication, connection and cooperation. It transcends physical location, ethnicity, gender, cultures, etc. – it breaks down barriers, generates rapport and helps build bridges between people.

Since it’s establishment in the late 1990’s there have been a wide range of these tools developed; there have been many fails and quite a few successes. A lot of evolving and learning along the way too. Just by looking a the 4.0 version of the Conversation Prism designed by Brian Solis & JESS3 you can see the wide range of Social Media tools available. Trying to grasp its implications can be daunting. Where do you start? Do we really need so many?

Our online presence is defined by our active digital footprint; which social media outlets and websites do you use? We decide how much we want to share and communicate with the online world but the information we don’t know we are sharing is classified as a passive digital footprint.

By creating this blog, I’m making a conscious decision to expand my digital presence in the World. What impact will this have? It will probably go unnoticed to be fair. But some people aspire to go viral and have an overnight exposure, reaching millions of people. This can have it’s benefits and disadvantages, of course. When the conversation reaches thousands and you can’t keep track of what’s been said; does it become detrimental to your goal? When the Conversation Prism becomes so big you can’t keep up with the new technological developments; how can you differentiate the useful ones from the redundant? When your voice is drowned upon millions of others; how do you stand out?

Blogs have many purposes but the main one is to provide an outlet for the author. (Let your voice be heard!) By deciding to read this you have become a part of it, whether you participate or not it’s ultimately your decision. But you are a part of the audience, with your interactions (in the form of comments, shares, likes, etc.) you have the chance to express your opinion, you will increase your online footprint and let the World hear your voice. So welcome audience – welcome to The Social Blog Experiment! Do you have something to say? Let’s hear your voice.