Blog#5

Identify the risks and benefits of engaging with a public audience in a media space – what are the risks for a public figure or person in a position of trust (educator, lawyer, government official)?

The vast majority of social platforms are unstepped barriers, meaning that anyone can enter, browse the platform and publish their own opinions. Public figures have more opportunities for people to see them. We can make connections through social software, and these connections should be positive. But for these influential public figures, discretion is what keeps them in the public eye. What else do people need to learn from their mistakes? So I think their risk is not to squander their “brand” at will. As Judy Vance put forward in the video interview that she is her own brand, which I really appreciate. A wrong statement or presentation by a public figure can destroy their “brand”.

How to best address negative replies and critiques reflective of your personal values and employer social media policy?

The first step in dealing with criticism is to determine the quality of criticism. If it is someone with an aggressive personality, their comments are obviously not constructive, and they don’t really hurt you. Don’t argue, just stay calm, ignore them and you will probably win the other person’s respect. For the constructive criticism, on the other hand, needs to be valued. Constructive criticism should be seen as a gift because it is a shortcut to growth. Try to step outside and think like a third party. Don’t get angry or start thinking negatively about yourself just because you’re being criticized. This will unnecessarily drain energy and affect your self-esteem level.

How do notable individuals use social media?

Notables can use social media to interact with fans to establish good connection and improve the stickiness of fans. Then fans can get to know notables in an all-round way. When notables face their supporters of all ages and classes, they should keep their positive attitude, convey effective messages and inspire supporters. Since they are no longer an ordinary individual user, they are seen and received a lot of love by many people, so they should be careful what they say and do.

What are the benefits of being in the public eye and having a PLN?

As an influential person, they are of certain commercial value. They have more opportunities for development than they are capable of. The audience’s trust can get them a lot of business support, not only to take the advertisement, they can be on the TV show and get a lot of job opportunities. A good PLN with impact means being able to touch better targets. That is a resume of their own, can be seen by many people.

Building community with online tools provided by the employer can be limiting, what are the perceived restrictions and benefits?

The biggest limitations are in privacy and interpersonal interactions. The online community provided by employers means losing some of their privacy and making people nervous when they enter the community is a complete work environment, so they may lose the good communication with their colleagues. Meanwhile, the benefits they have are that decisions and ideas within the company are kept in a safe place. Employers and employees can communicate directly with each other, and all the information can be integrated, improving their work efficiency.

Delivering information in a connected society requires verifiable resources, how to build a PLN to rely on?

Being authentic and giving people a direct view of your abilities and opinions helps build a high level of psychological friendship and consistency. Don’t post fake or exaggerated content, this way you don’t raise fans’ expectations too high, because high expectations often result in disappointment. In addition to showing off your ability to attract attention, sharing the same attitudes and values with your fans can help increase their affinity for you.

How do those, who are veteran storytellers, minimize risk in sharing misinformation?

Publishers need to know if there is uncertainty in the content/decision, and if they have the ability to make authoritative judgments about this uncertainty. They need objective evidence to support their content based on their experience and data analysis, so this part of the content should be true, falsification will bring indelible negative impact on them. The last thing you should do is proofread, which is a common practice for people who have the ability to speak, effectively avoiding most mistakes and increasing their chances of success.