The Evolution of Work: Careers in Social Media

Last night I revisited a simply hilarious 2008 IBM commercial which illustrated the emergence of social media in the workplace. It featured a young employee dabbling on a social networking site at his desk (presumably Facebook).

When his manager enters, she inquires as to what the heck he is doing. He lets her know that he is exploring “social media” and that he has 800+ friends. He boldly adds that he can find “anyone”.  “Really?”, she says, and proceeds to rattle off directions for him to locate a group of international financial experts, with 10+ years of experience that speak Cantonese.  “By the way” she adds, “they need to hit the ground running by Monday.” His reply: “I don’t have any friends like that.”

Social media in the workplace

Ten years ago we would have never predicted the explosion of careers in social media. Where social media was once viewed as a diversion to the real work at hand, it has evolved into a key essential for many businesses. Organizations of all kinds have developed the belief that leveraging  social media is an organizational must. From small businesses to large organizations, the emerging value of the social media revolution is apparent.

The evolution of roles in social media has been a fantastic process to observe. Early roles concentrated on monitoring the “community” of users who interact with an organization or product. But these early roles have given way into an entire genre of social media jobs, seen as integral to the functioning of the organization.

Universities are reporting that recruiters are visiting campuses seeking candidates for these new roles. As discussed by, Scott Tsuchiyama, Community Manager at the University of Michigan Career Center, “We started noticing these sorts of dedicated social media positions crop up around 3 years ago…Most often, employers are looking for strong communication and research skills for these positions.” He goes on to explain that, “some organizations are creating positions devoted entirely to social media, many other organizations include social media responsibilities within more traditional roles in marketing, communications, public relations, and community relations departments”.

There is also growing recognition concerning the impact of social media on many related content areas. According to Linda Gross, Associate Director Career Services Network, at Michigan State, “…the reality is that social media has become so prevalent it is no longer a specialty area, but an expected competency associated with digital media. You will find employer competency and job function expectations for social media incorporated in public relations, organizational communications, advertising and marketing positions among others”.

Types of social media roles

Many types of social media roles have evolved. Here are a few of them:

• Community Manager -  An early iteration in the social media model, this type of role has the responsibility of interacting with customers and client bases.
• Social Media Designer – This group of individuals would be responsible for developing the visual, or “look and feel” components of an organization’s social media strategy. A background in the visual and graphic arts is a plus.
• Social Media Strategist – These roles clarify social media goals and outline the paths to accomplish them. This group of individuals would develop an entire social media strategy for an organization.
• Content Specialist - These roles concentrate on the content of the actual messages sent though social media channels such as company blogs ans Facebook pages. Individuals in these roles often have a journalism or PR background.
  
• Business Analytics -  This role entails using available analytics to monitor the social media presence of a product or organization. Working knowledge of various tools such as Google Analytics,  Radian 6, or YouTube Insight may be required.

How you get there and what you might find

At this point the field still appears to be quite open, as a well-defined, “set in stone” curriculum to land these jobs has not yet emerged. Programs at universities are beginning to emerge – but you’ll likely require another core skill set to pair with your interest in social media. A variety of disciplines can serve as a foundation for a role with a social media component. As described by Sean Nicholson, Director of Social Media, at InTouch Solutions, a Digital Agency in Kansas City, “You can start with a background in Computer Science, Communication, PR , Journalism or even Psychology. But the common thread is the desire and ability to connect and network with others through social media platforms.”

The importance of this mindset is shared by Chris Bowler, VP of Social Media at Razorfish, “Social media is essentially about relationship building and story telling. Those who succeed are likely to be highly creative or analytically driven.” Razorfish, for example, employs a large social media team of over 50 across the nation. The organization has developed various social media roles, at varying levels, ranging from social media coordinators (entry-level and likened to a community manager) to Social Media Directors (would oversee a team and advise clients). These  roles help clients paint a picture of their products and services utilizing social media and monitor message effectiveness.

Paths to social media roles

Just as roles in this realm have evolved, many with early careers in social media experienced a career evolution as well. Scott Bishop, Director of Social Media at Bozell, recalls his path, “I began with a degree in marketing in 2001.”, he explained. He found his early interest in social media was fanned by a desire to understand the psychology of  buying behavior  -  it was simple for him to see how this developing medium could apply. “Over time I became active in social media clubs, where we were all just figuring out the landscape.” He continued to sharpen his skills while networking with others in the space, which helped drive his  social media career journey forward. He finally committed to a full-time social media role in 2009.

Today, you need to assess whether your core skill set would meld with a social media role. Depending on these skills you may land in varying aspects of social media – such as content creation vs. analytics. For example, those with a journalism background would be most appropriate for content development. Those with a quantitative orientation would be most suited to social media analytics.  However, as Nicholson states, ” Being well-rounded can be a real advantage. A general background in business is quite helpful. Knowing how to connect social media to an overall business strategy is highly important.”

The world of social media seems to be changing daily – with this changing tide comes the evolution of a myriad of jobs in this arena. It is entirely possible that one of them is for you.

Note: If you are interested – you can observe an ongoing discussion of this list of social media roles discussed on Focus, by Jeremiah Owyang.

Another Note: Razorfish offers an internship program – you can get more information at http://www.razorfish.com/#/careers.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist located in East Lansing, Michigan. You can also find her on Twitter and Linkedin.

Crowdsourcing for the Rest of Us

In today’s world, harnessing the power of social media has become a necessity. But, how does the average business leverage cutting-edge tools to improve their day-to-day operations? Answer: You borrow the strategies of the big hitters like InnoCentive and Proctor & Gamble, and adapt them to your needs. One example:crowdsourcing.

Check out this crowdsourcing infographic.

It’s all about listening

Crowdsourcing is all about opening the lines of communication and forming new connections. The concept may sound intimidating, but it is simply about listening respectfully and utilizing the information to move your business forward.  When implemented correctly, it can offer you information that can help business grow.

Your customers and crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing can augment your overall customer communication strategy. The process can not only offer a needed layer of protection when tracking a developing product problem, it also has the ability to collect customer ideas for future improvements. Starbucks, Cadbury and Toyota are a few of the other companies gathering customer input, with links on their websites to gather ideas and feedback – a strategy that any business can implement.

Other social media platforms provide crowdsourcing opportunities. Consider posting a question on your company Facebook Page, include a poll on your blog concerning options for product updates, or post an informational video on Youtube (you’ll get comments). You can also utilize your Google+ Brand Page to hold a hang out with your customers and explore ideas relevant to your business plan. Whatever the topic you choose to explore – be sure to keep the “call to action” simple – and try not to overwhelm your customers in the process.

Get Creative

There are some truly fantastic examples of organizations connecting with their customers through crowdsourcing. Sweetgreen’s novel “New Years Resolution” campaign was not product oriented – but focused on developing a link with customers. By collecting resolutions through post-it notes at their physical store and though Twitter, customer relationships were started and strengthened. Utilize crowdsourcing to include your customers in your business story – whatever the topic.

Crowdsourcing within your organization

Crowdsourcing is not only about establishing a rapport with your customers, you can also open a new communication channel with your employees. It is possible to crowdsource just about anything within your organization, including ideas to solve inefficiencies within a department or a function. Have budget constraints? Want ideas on how to save money wisely? Pitch the question to your employees,  as they are the  experts concerning the day-to-day operations of your organization.

Does your organization routinely utilize teams to develop new ideas and solve problems? Social engagement platforms such as Jostle, offer opportunities to implement crowdsourcing within your day-to-day operations, by facilitating new connections and communicating current topics, issues and opportunities – essential elements for internal crowdsourcing.

Jostle, for example, provides opportunities to document team formation in response to ever-changing business needs. As explained by Brad Palmer developer of Jostle, “The idea is to connect people by encouraging the discovery of those within the organization. This facilitates cultural knowledge that can positively enhance effectiveness and extended teamwork.” As such, this information allows employees even somewhat removed from the work at hand to be a potential contributor or problem solver.

Before you shrug off the notion that crowdsourcing is inappropriate for your business, give the idea just one more thought. Implementing the process could offer you the needed edge to catapult your organization forward.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist located in East Lansing, Michigan. Contact her practice at marlagottschalk@comcast.net.You can also find her on Twitter and Linkedin.

The Fine Art of Recognition (Online and off)

I have written previously of the popular workplace inspired movie, Working Girl. The post, “Your Own Idea Management System”, concentrated on the power of ideas and the inspiration that sparks them. It explained that the source of the protagonist’s power, (Melanie Griffith’s character, Tess) rested in the value of her original idea.

Ideas are priceless

There is another key message presented in Working Girl. It is the notion that borrowing another person’s idea without somehow recognizing the owner is problematic. Tess, the main character in “Working Girl” was a victim of this specific type of workplace bullying. Of course, the “evil boss” (Sigourney Weaver’s character) was revealed to be just that -  evil -  because she simply couldn’t explain the inspiration behind her obviously stolen idea. Her behavior was the polar opposite of showing respect and failed to offer recognition deserved by her employee.

In the workplace, there are few behaviors more reviled than a leader taking credit for a subordinate’s idea. This type of behavior is a quick method to squelch motivation -  and the infraction has the ability to shut down the entire creative process. Research tells us that when employees are not rewarded for their contributions they suffer. This behavior is usually viewed as a “deal breaker”, (as Dr. Phil calls it) in the unsaid employee-organization contract.

What we can learn from the academic community

When considering the academic and scientific communities we can shed even more light on the topic. In these circles, there is a real need for the knowledge forum to remain open – without it, the world of discovery cannot effectively move forward. Projects would focus on previously discovered principles and theories would never be tested or refined.  But, there is also a great need to protect that forum. As a result, there is an unsaid practice of transparency which guarantees that a researcher’s work will be acknowledged.

In the on-line world of sharing, some of these tenets have not yet been fully tested or established. We are enjoying the fantastic exchange of information – and still establishing best practices concerning how to interact in this highly open community. However, this does not preclude an attempt to recognize an individual’s work or ideas.

I have heard many people dismayed, when their ideas are shared without a passing nod to their original idea.

Consider these points:

• Gather inspiration from the work of others – If you are particularly moved by an opinion or theory, let the author know. Send a message to them or post a comment on their blog or website.
• If you develop an idea further, reference where the idea came from. Build on the idea, but give a nod to where your inspiration came from.
• If you discuss a specific academic work, try to cite it. You can also take this a step further and contact the source – they are usually quite passionate about their work and are glad to share more about it.
• Don’t view the on-line community as a zero-sum game. As in the workplace, try to set aside feelings of competition. If someone appears to be a thought leader, recognize them as such.
• Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate. Make the effort to have a conversation with those who have ideas which intrigue you.

Above all, continue to share your expertise and ideas freely. Without this, we cannot learn and grow from each other.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist. You can find her on Twitter and Linkedin.

The Struggle of Klout to Measure On-line Influence

Observing the saga of Klout, a venture designed to measure the on-line influence of an individual or organization, has been nothing short of fascinating. A recent change to the Klout algorithm, and its impact upon scores, sent the world of social media into a frenzy. To put it mildly, open anger and rampant confusion concerning Klout have not been in short supply.

A difficult task

I have a bit of a different perspective on Klout’s struggle to develop into a meaningful measure. I find the struggle to be quite predictable. Probably because where I come from, when a new construct and its measurement are proposed, it often takes a very long time to determine true value and identify prudent uses in the real world.

On one hand, the outcry that resonated after the scoring revision occurred was a good sign. It let them know that Klout, at the very least, was actively being considered as one measure of influence. On the other hand, it was obvious that the scope of the development phase may have needed to be more controlled to allow for necessary iterations key to its development.

Measuring a new construct

In psychology, the development of a new construct is an important and often tedious process. But when you consider the importance of measuring key ideas, such as intelligence and motivation, the development of that construct – and its valid measurement are paramount. Yes, it is often useful to differentiate among individuals in a meaningful way – and it seems that a measure of on-line influence was a necessary development in the world of social media. But you have to tread very, very carefully.

A framework to apply

It may be useful to view Klout in reference to a few traditional elements of measurement:

• Does Klout have Face Validity? In other words, does the idea and its components seem to make sense to most people.
• Does the measure demonstrate reliability? In other words, does the measure show consistency.
• Does Klout possess Content Validity? Do the components that make up the measure seem representative of the elements of influence.
• Does the measure have Construct Validity? When you look at individual scores on the measure, the scores should jive with other key markers of influence.

There is another point to briefly consider here. Klout may be measuring “Potential to Influence”, and not influence itself. We simply do not know. As with other constructs, such as job satisfaction and its relationship with turnover – Klout scores may have a relationship with action, yet the relationship may not be a causal one.

Time to mature

In the end, Klout has to be allowed the time to develop fully. The algorithm should be subject to changes and iterations, as the organization sees fit, to adequately develop the measure.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist. Contact her practice at marlagottschalk@comcast.net. You can also find her on Twitter and Linkedin.