The Joneses Communication Networks to Do Your Dirty Work Tonya Oaks Smith 27 June 2011
The JonesesCommunication Networks
to Do Your Dirty Work
Tonya Oaks Smith27 June 2011
Meet The Joneses
Meet The Joneses
You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.
Who am I and why do you care?
Who are you? I do care
What are we talking about today?
@marleysmom @ a glance
Communications Director at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law
Co-chair for #hewebAR
Co-chair of the HighEdWeb regional support committee
Earned master’s degree in applied communication studies in 2010
Who are you?
On the agenda today
Background
Theory
Research
Results
Application
The background
Why Twitter? Presence is more and more
prevalent – use in Iran, Hudson River crash, H1N1
65 MM Tweets per day from millions of users
Why H1N1? Health catastrophe that was
anticipated Other communication vehicles
used in preparation for outbreak
Right place, right time
The theory
Diffusion of Innovation Ev Rogers – communication
researcher and supreme networker
The way a new idea is shared through both interpersonal channels and mass media
Begun as way to chart spread of information about and adoption of crop innovations in Iowa
Now theory is used as way to share health information on a broad scale – HIV, malaria, STDs
The theory
The theory
Reports of my assimilation have been greatly exaggerated.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Change agency – organization that desires the change
Change agent – individual who represents that change agency
Opinion leader – member of a social system who is able to influence other members’ behavior
Communication network – interconnected people who are linked by patterned flows of information
Opinion Leaders
Characteristics More external
communication – mass media, change agents, cosmopolitan
Greater social participation
Higher socioeconomic status
More innovative
The research
Over 300,000 tweets used one of three terms (H1N1, swineflu or swine flu) during the height of the outbreak – spring to fall 2009
Isolated tweets for three key dates in the outbreak – April 25, Sept. 4, Oct. 24, 2009 = 15,000 tweets
Detailed reading of 5,000 tweets for content analysis
Later survey of Twitter users for in-depth information about follow-through on vaccinations
The results
Influence means what?
A few years ago I was captured by the Borg. I was assimilated into their collective. I was part of their hive mind. Every piece of my individuality erased. I was part of them.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard
The application
Seek out those who…
Interact with your institutional accounts
Interact with other folks – online and IRL
Have friends in many circles – are connectors
Have toys, but not too many
And encourage them.
Fun will now commence.
- Seven of Nine
They will deliver communities.
To build communities, do: Accept the importance of the medium Build relationships Share salient information
Allow users to scoop you sometimes Encourage questioning Fill the information vacuum Reduce uncertainty
But we can help more…
Segment your populations
Bring together followers with similarity
Sprinkle in some difference
Create contact opportunities
No, seriously… assimilate already
To build community, don’t: Share information unworthy of your followers Ignore followers’ legitimate concerns Waste time sharing useless information Ignore misinformation Spread information you can’t confirm Abuse your followers’ trust Use Twitter without pondering the ramifications
So what did we learn?
Assimilation – in moderation – is not a bad thing.
Our followers trust us as change agents, and they trust those in their communities who are opinion leaders.
Twitter can’t be the only medium we use to communicate information – it is part of a toolkit.
Questions?
@marleysmom
501.324.9896
Complete research is on issuu.com/marleysmom