Social Media Privacy Issues

Social media privacy is an important issue, one that will remain relevant as social media platforms continue to grow and privacy settings lack transparency.  Most individuals fall into one of three general categories: those that give social media privacy no thought and post without much concern; those that give it some thought but proceed with caution; and those that give it a lot of thought and proceed with great care.  As with all things, there are gradations to the above social media privacy spectrum.  Regardless, there comes a point in time where you need to make a decision to join the social media rank, or not, and if so, to what extent.

Social media related privacy risks are tremendous.  Given that we are in the infancy of social media, it will be a matter of time before the real implications are fully understood.  “Some of Facebook's research on user behavior found that 71% of people drafted at least one post that they never posted” (Jayson, 2014).  The mere fact that there is data out there mining what we don’t post is enlightening – and a bit alarming.   Additionally, I am even more concerned for children growing up in an age where social media is the norm and the long term implications are unknown. 

I take a conservative approach in my privacy settings in all social media platforms I use.  It is important to read privacy statements before signing up for a social media account but most don’t take the time to read the fine print.  When you do, it can be very enlightening.  “For instance, when Facebook recently announced changes to its default privacy settings on sharing with friends, it revealed that it could access smartphone mics to capture and analyze the songs, TV shows, and other things users heard” (Baskin, 2014).  This is an important detail, yet it is largely unknown to the average Facebook user.

The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse suggests that an individual “become familiar with the privacy settings available on any social network you use.”  Most social media sites do not make it easy to read their privacy statements nor is it always easy to find the privacy statement.  “This is muddled communicating, at best, and it’s hard not to think that it’s purposeful, since  the profitability of these services depends on users remaining unaware of the extent to which their privacy is (or will be) exploited” (Baskin, 2014).

The growing fear factor has made me very discerning about which social media platforms I use and what content I post.  “Your every online move leaves cyber footprints that are rapidly becoming fodder for research without you ever realizing it” (Jayson, 2014).  I had privacy concerns while signing up for required social media sites for COMI 610.  Some have panned out, others were unnecessary, but mostly the bigger privacy issues remain uncertain.  What I now know to be true is that “these new media giants are recording, dissecting, and distributing a running log of our lives” (Schaefer, 2012).

Check out this Jack Vale social media experiment video showing just how easy it is to gather information about individuals (and freak them out in the process):

 

 

References

 

Baskin, J. (2014, May 28). Privacy Issues Could Threaten The Future Of Commercial Social Media. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathansalembaskin/2014/05/28/privacy-issues-could-threaten-the-future-of-commercial-social-media/

Jayson, S. (2014, March 12). Social media research raises privacy and ethics issues. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/08/data-online-behavior-research/5781447/

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. (2015, February 1). Fact Sheet 35: Social Networking Privacy: How to be Safe, Secure and Social. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from https://www.privacyrights.org/social-networking-privacy-how-be-safe-secure-and-social

Schaefer, M. (2012). Controversy and Turmoil.  In Return On Influence (1st ed., p. 128). McGraw-Hill.

 

Vale, J. (2013, November 18). Social Media Experiment. Retrieved February 25, 215, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P_0s1TYpJU

 



 

Adam Folker, Social Media, and Target Market Engagement

Adam Folker, CSCS, Professional Basketball Player &
Certified Professional Strength & Conditioning Coach

 

Professional Basketball Player Adam Folker and Audience Engagement

Paving the way for a new generation of basketball players, Adam Folker has built a training system targeting the aspiring basketball player available for sale on the ThincPro.com website.  As a professional basketball player and certified coach, Folker also has a strong business sense as evidenced by his marketing program and social media presence.  Transferring his on-the-court skills to off-the-court training allows young athletes to access his wealth of professional knowledge. 

Folker solves a specific problem for athletes who strive to compete at a higher level but cannot afford personal training.  With the privatization of youth sports, young athletes are required to play at a much higher level than in previous generations.  “Single-sport specialization, the privatization of youth leagues, and the ranking and cutting of young children have become widespread” (Atkinson, 2014).  For the most part, all sports now require a year round commitment if an athlete wants to stay competitive.  Folker’s video series provides an at-home solution for year-round basketball training. 

 

Folker consistently engages with his audience by regularly sending out emails to his existing and potential customers, thus creating a strong following.  Though Folker’s ultimate goal is to sell his product, he also shares meaningful content:  words of encouragement, basketball advice, and tips on life – all with a no-strings-attached approach.  “What matters is leading your site’s visitors and your constituent audiences to where they help you reach your real goals, such as building revenue, soliciting donations, and gaining new members” (Scott, 2013, p. 163).  He regularly features players’ photos and testimonials to reinforce the effectiveness of his program.  Folker uses video content in his emails to further engage his audience. Folker “produces content that people actually want to receive” (Kerpen, 2011, p. 50).  A recent video sent via email:

 

Social Media and Target Audience

Folker has three main target markets.  First, he specifically targets young basketball players looking to improve their game both offensively and defensively.  Folker has a narrowly defined audience with the bulk of basketball players falling into the 12-18 age range.  The second target market is their competitive-minded parents.  Parents, in many cases, make the final purchase decision.  The last target market includes collegiate, semi pro, and professional basketball players seeking to improve their game. 

To reach his target audience, Folker’s presence in social media is a business imperative.  “Social media will help you find your target audience and provide you with further insight about this group” (Kerpen, 2011, p. 34).  Folker’s ThincPro is present where the target audience is most likely to find solutions to their basketball problems.  “If you actively participate in the online communities that your customers frequent, you will earn their sympathy and patience when things go wrong” (Scott, 2013, p. 67).  Folker has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, as well as a personal website adamfolker.com, and a thincpro.com website. Folker is also well-represented on YouTube.com.

A YouTube.com customer testimonial: 

 

Buyer Persona

 

“Building buyer personas is the first step and probably the single most important thing that you will do in creating your marketing and PR plan” (Scott, 2013, p. 164).  Folker has three main buyer personas:

 

Aspiring Talent:

·       Ages 12-18

·       Striving to increase his/her playing time

·       Striving to improve his/her skillset

·       Highly motivated

·       Self-starters

·       Driven

·       Wants to make “The” Team

 

Parental Units (PU’s):

·       Parents of young basketball players

·       Eager to get the best for their kids

·       Hard driving

·       Strong work ethic

·       Understands the importance of high level training

·       Desires competitive edge for their child

·       PU’s want their child to make the most competitive teams

·       PU’s want their child to reach his/her potential

 

Ace Player:

·       College player

·       Semi-pro player

·       Professional player

·       Already playing basketball at a high level

·       Wants to increase playing time

·       Wants to fine tune existing skill set

 

Folker’s personal training videos support athletes and are perfectly timed as youth sports are increasingly privatized.  “Companies don't grow just to grow. They don't last just to last. They thrive when the world needs them, when they are committed to solving a problem that matters. Then there is reason for them to continue your work, to grow, to thrive” (Krippendorff, 2013).  Having a strong social media presence represents an understanding of his customer and their personas.  By consistently engaging his audience, Folker has cornered this niche market.

References

 

Atkinson, J. (2014, May 4). How parents are ruining youth sports. Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2014/05/03/how-parents-are-ruining-youth-sports/vbRln8qYXkrrNFJcsuvNyM/story.html

Kerpen, D. (2011). Be Authentic. In Likeable social media (1st ed., pps. 34 & 50). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Krippendorff, K. (2013, December 18). Great Companies Solve Problems That Matter. Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://www.fastcompany.com/3023216/leadership-now/great-companies-solve-problems-that-matter

Scott, D. (2013). Social Networking Sites and Marketing. In The New Rules of Marketing and PR (4th ed., pps. 67, 163, & 164). New York: McGraw-Hill.



Authenticity, Honesty, & Transparency in Social Media

Kerpen stresses the importance of authenticity, honesty, and transparency while utilizing social media. For week three’s forum please answer the following question:

While these traits are each unique, explore how they relate to one another.  Support your answer with this week’s reading using a specific example where a company or public individual was authentic (or inauthentic), honest (or dishonest), or transparent (or lacked transparency) while utilizing social media and state the ramifications both positive and negative of its actions.

Please respond according to the boundaries outlined in Professor Stevens’ syllabus.  #MaristSM15