At the end of the period, the students must be able to:

1. Understand social media’s role in technical writing;

2. Analyze and critique technical documents; and
3. Create credible content/article to be published online.

Learning Outcomes
Social Media For Technical Writers
There are now many social media avenues by which technical writers could use to
provide
the information required by their target audience. We have Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
Blogging, Pinterest to just to name a few. With all these social media mediums, do we
still need
to provide paper documentation or should we just answer questions from users via
social media
channels? Social media contains user generated content. Will readers be more apt to
read
documentation on electronic devices than on paper? We are so tied to our mobile
devices, that
maybe, we should just place all our documentation online. We have the Kindle, iPad,
iPhone,
Android, Nook, blogs, webinars, and podcasts, etc., just to name a few which can all
communicate
technical information electronically.
The target audience can gain access to all the information they need quickly and when
they want no matter where they are. They can perform searches quickly for specific
information
and send comments and ask questions when they want no matter where the SME
(Subject Matter
Expert) is located. SME’s can be reached via links, e.g., tweets which can be added to the
end of
documents and get immediate responses; especially for critical questions and situations.
All these
new communication lines also keep all stakeholders abreast of critical situations, new
knowledge,
and keeps everyone up-do-date on all the latest events.
Even though this all sounds logical and exciting, should we do that? We still have to be
aware of some drawbacks or problems. Not every type of information can be placed
within social
media channels, especially if it is related to confidential information. Confidential
information is
a huge entity. Each organization will have to decide which types of documents can be
placed
online for social media access, which to remain on paper format, and of course which to
store/archive elsewhere. If the organization has an intranet or has been storing data
within the
cloud, they can set it up with privilege access only to retain confidentiality.
As a whole, using social media is useful for technical writers. Social media would provide
easier accessibility to SMEs, users, upper management and those across all levels of the
organization. One of the technical writers’ functions is to create help content and assist
in
creating marketing material. All these materials add to the good credibility of the
organization
and its products. Social media for technical writers in this area provides a plus for
consumer
service and sociability. If there is a problem w/a purchase or a question, the consumers
can
immediately, e.g., text, or tweet customer service quickly and the customer service
personnel
would be able to perform the search and provide answers quickly. In turn the
customers/consumers, could, e.g., re-tweet about the organization, its support and
cooperation,
and might even reply with new suggestions or products for the company.
Social media changes traditional technical communication by turning a
passive, reading
audience into active, contributing participants. Using social media channels,
the technical communicators get closer to the users, breaching the gap between the
creators
and consumers of the support content.
7 Social Media Content Writing Tips
1. Do your research
If you want your audience to notice and engage with your social posts, you need to make
them highly relevant to your target group.
The more relevant your posts are, the more success you will have - but relevance, in
general, is
not enough. You need to take the time to truly understand your audience. Start with the
general
demographic information and then go deeper.
What needs, obstacles or challenges do they have? Pick a need or challenge that might
be a high
priority for them right now, then develop content and social media posts which provide
them
with a solution.
PRO TIP: To connect with your audience on an emotional level, share success stories
from
your previous satisfied customers. This will help them envision their own success as a
result of
using your product or solution, and make them feel positive about you.
2. Speak their language
Take your research further and learn what language your ideal clients use to
communicate
their needs or challenges. Use this language when writing your posts to ensure your
content
resonates with your audience. This will help to show them that you truly understand
them and
their challenges.
For example, a post you write on LinkedIn for senior-level executives will read very
different to a post you write on Facebook for new moms. Not only do these two groups
of people
have different challenges and points of view, but their language – the exact phrasing
they use to
speak about their needs and challenges – differs significantly also.
3. Develop your voice
Although you should write social media posts in the language of your target audience,
the
overall message should be written in your own voice.
Your voice (or your brand voice) refers to the personality and emotion infused into all
your
marketing activities and social interactions online - you create that voice with the
language and
tone you use when writing your content or interacting with your audience.
This voice is primarily influenced by your or your company’s personality - your 'why'
story
and the language used by your ideal customers. This voice needs to be consistent
throughout the
content you create and the posts you share on social platforms, as well as any
engagement you
have on those networks. This consistency will help your audience connect with you
emotionally,
as well as build trust, and identify your social media posts as yours.
4. Be positive
This doesn’t mean every post needs to be happy - there's a huge difference between
positive and happy. You want your audience to be excited, and inspired by your posts,
and that
doesn’t always mean happy posts.
In some of your posts, you may choose to share your opinion or take a stand on
something
important to you and your brand. But there’s a difference between taking a stand and
attacking
or criticizing others.
A lot of schoolyard-style bullying happens on social media. Don't engage with it.
Whatever you do, avoid criticizing anyone (or any business) publicly. Criticizing others is
not only
unprofessional but also dangerous - it can draw more negative people to your page, and
can hurt
any trust or credibility you've built with your existing followers.
5. Keep it short and simple
People value their time. If you want your audience to give you their attention, you need
to show that you value their time also.
Great ways to do this include:
• Making your content and posts easy to read by writing at an eighth-grade reading level
• Using headings, bullets and lists where possible to make your content or posts easier
to
scan
• Keeping paragraphs to only two or three sentences
• Being as succinct as possible when writing on your topic
6. Use images and videos
Use images, graphics and videos to tell a story where possible. Visual content is more
engaging, and can often tell the story quicker and more succinctly than words alone. In
fact, an
image or video can often stand alone in social media posts while still conveying the full
message
to your audience.
Keep in mind that video, in particular, can better enable you to connect with your
audience on a deeper level. People respond well to video, as it can humanize you and
enable
them to get to know you more intimately.
Most platforms have live video features, which can greatly benefit you. An unscripted
live
video can make you feel vulnerable, but that vulnerability will give your video a level of
authenticity, which is often lacking in high-quality marketing videos. Those slick
marketing videos
are more likely to be ignored than a live video featuring your authentic self.
For best results, optimize each piece of visual content for the platform you're posting it
on to ensure your message is being shared, and that you look professional.
7. Add a call to action
At the end of your content or social posts, consider prompting your audience with what
you action you'd like them to take next by including a call to action (CTA). Without one,
most
people won’t take any action after reading your content, even if they enjoyed it and
derived value
from it.
CTAs come in different forms and have different purposes. For example, you can
motivate
your audience to take actions with these CTAs:
• Ask them to like or share your social media posts
• Ask a question they can answer in the comments
• Direct them to another piece of content
• Send them to a landing page
• Direct them to your website
• Get them to subscribe to your newsletter
• Ask them to connect with you on other social media channels
8. Increase your success with these social media content
writing
The competition for your audience’s time and attention can be fierce. The secret to
being
successful is to not compete, but rather to set yourself apart from the crowd by creating
and
sharing content and social posts your audience will want to consume.
You can bond with your audience over your content by ensuring that everything you
write
is created with their wants and needs in mind. Do your research and get to know who
they are,
and what they need and/or want most. Speak to them using their language, consistently
conveyed in your brand’s voice.
Keep your content and social posts positive (not to be confused with happy), and ensure
they're easy for your audience to consume. And look to add images, videos and CTAs to
increase
your content's effectiveness - and drive measurable results. (Melonie
Dodaro@meloniedodaroMay 31, 2019)
Biggest Challenges of Social Media Management
1. Finding time for everything. ...
2. Creating fresh and meaningful content for each audience. ...
3. Getting executive or client approval. ...
4.Having great ideas but a lack of resources. ...
5.Switching up the voice and tone for different channels. ...
6. Simply developing a strong and distinct voice.
Biggest Social Media Marketing Challenges
1. Lack of sufficient time to discover and create interesting content
2. Targeting the right platforms and audience for maximum engagement
3. Originality and lack of design resources
4. Ensuring right sizes for social media graphics
5. Keeping up with the ever-changing world of social media
6. Adopting a unique platform-specific approach
7. Aligning social media strategies throughout different departments
8. Staying up-to-date with latest trends on a daily basis
9. Balancing the daily tasks
10. Sorting across the most engaging content
11. Getting to know your audience
12. Limited social media budget
13. Keeping up with the unwritten rules
14. ROI on social media
15. Scaling up the social media efforts
16. Developing an effective social media strategy
17. Dilemma of choosing between quality and quantity
18. Managing and growing your community Tweaking the strategy for each social
media
platform
19. Staying inspired, optimistic and consistently creating and executing strategies
20. Lack of details from clients
21. No proper funnel set
1. Lack of sufficient time to discover and create interesting
content
Social media managers can face quite a few challenges in their day to day operations; or
at least they do if they're not leveraging the right tools.
Time management, for example, is one of the most significant issues faced by
marketers
- there's never enough time to create the content needed, post it at the right time,
research
hashtags, get approval from managers and clients and so on.
And that is a big challenge - one that is only solvable by being super organized and by
using the
right social media management tools -- tools that help you plan your posts, create them
quickly
and schedule them on multiple accounts. And what's more, being organized is key:
prepping your
updates ahead of time, getting posts approved in time, ensuring you have extra content
that you
can use and so on.
Another huge challenge is, getting stuck and not being able to come up with
great
ideas in time. Because social media moves at such a fast pace, and you always need to
come up
with new ideas, this is entirely understandable. One way to solve this is to regularly
brainstorm
with your team and come up with multiple ideas in one go, as well as to follow similar
accounts
and influencers to help inspire you.
2. Targeting the right platforms and audience for maximum
engagement
Social media is its own monster that needs care and attention to serve you in the way
you
intend (with the right strategy, of course). But even with the right goals and techniques
to get
there, managing social media accounts can still have its challenges:
Leverage each platform for maximum engagement. Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram,
LinkedIn; they all serve a different purpose, and your audience utilizes them for a
specific reason
(even if it's subconscious). Finding ways to align those purposes with what the audience
wants to
see and engage with can be a game of trial and error.
Understand who your audience is and what they want to see. In
comparison to public
speaking, posting to social media is a curated effort and is tailored to a specific audience.
Knowing
who they are so that you can keep their interest can be difficult. It's about listening to
them, too.
It takes patience. Refrain from sounding the same in all your posts. Variety is the spice of
life. It
can draw new eyes to your content. But when it's a one-person show, it can be a
challenge to be
the voice for the hundreds of people in your company.
3. Originality and lack of design resources
One of the most challenging parts of social media management is coming up with
new
content ideas to stand out in the sea of sameness. It's easy to fall into a routine of
repeating the
same types of content (e.g., new blog post announcements, new course launches,
upcoming
webinar promotion, etc.) to keep up our social presence on multiple channels. There's a
real
challenge in curating new and out-of-the-box content.
That leads to another challenge I often face: lack of design resources. Our in-
house design
team is overloaded with design projects outside of social media, so finding and coming
up with
creatives is something that I often have to do on my own. This is time-consuming.
Lastly, organic social media is hard to measure. Given our industry (CRO,
digital analytics,
and growth), it's imperative that I'm able to clearly measure ROI on all of my efforts
spent on
social media and communicate that with data back to the team. Tracking engagement
and other
social KPIs are siloed into various social platforms. I've yet to find a tool that consolidates
all of
that data accurately into one central repository. This is a time consuming, manual
process right
now.
4. Ensuring right sizes for social media graphics
Honestly, I think the biggest challenge I face right now is creating content that fits all
social
networks. Also, because I create so much visual content, making sure that a graphic will
meet the
different "recommended sizes" of each social network is a significant pain point.
5. Keeping up with the ever-changing world of social media
Probably the biggest challenge that I experience as a social media manager is keeping up
with the latest updates of each social media platform because each update would
impact our
social media process. For example, when Twitter limited auto-cross-promotion of the
same
content/tweet on different twitter accounts, we had to think fast and act fast because
some of
the twitter accounts we handle won't have anything to post because of this. And don't
get me
started with YouTube Analytics, which changes almost every month. But you know, some
of these
changes are necessary and most of it we're thankful that it happened.
How do we overcome this? We have a good leader on our social media team, Vengreso
CEO Mario Martinez Jr. who keeps us focused on what we need to do to find a solution...
we
meet. we plan. we execute. AND this is important... we are also fortunate to have a great
social
media tool, E clincher, who was able to adapt to these sudden changes. That's it.
6. Adopting a unique platform-specific approach
There are many challenges to daily social media management, but so many of them can
be bundled together under the problem of creating meaningful content
that ignites a spark with
audiences across various social platforms. When you think about it,
content that’s bright and
fresh is what captures attention and gets people engaged. Coming up with content that
effortlessly accomplishes this daily can be a struggle, especially once you start
considering the
nuances of each platform. The response you get to a post on Twitter might be
completely
different than what you receive on Instagram.
Fresh, meaningful content is what fuels interactions, which are necessary for gaining any
traction out of a social media campaign. But how useful content is defined changes
between
audiences. Discovering how to reach, deeply engage and encourage audience interaction
most
effectively requires a platform-specific approach, even if it’s just in the minor details.
The solution begins with getting to know your audiences on a personal level, not just by
their
demographics. Then analyzing each platform separately, followed by looking at them all
together
for a more cohesive snapshot of who you’re reaching and who you’re missing the target
with.
Too often, assumptions are made about social media audiences, and it results missed
opportunities.
Finally, going all in on varied content strategy – video, podcasts, blogs, infographics,
memes, etc. – until you find what sticks and generates the engagement you’re looking
for.
7. Aligning social media strategies throughout different
departments
Another problem for any social media manager is getting other areas of the company to
share what is happening in their business. Many do not see their day to day progress as
newsworthy; but, it may very well be for the social media manager.
Social Media Managers often need to push to be invited to meetings for business
development, operations as well as the more obvious sales and marketing meetings to
be able
to find opportunities to both help these other areas but also generate strong content for
social
channels. So many aspects of a business (from a company recycling program, the
product launch
date or even a new hire) can be essential and relevant for social media.
Getting team leads thinking of their ongoing business progress as potential social media
posts take time but can be fun for everyone involved once you get that ball rolling. I have
found
that training employees from other business groups can help this.
My tip: push to get yourself invited to the meetings for each business sector and keep
reminding teams of what could be social media relevant.
8. Staying up-to-date with latest trends on a daily basis
Social media is continually changing, so one of the biggest challenges can be staying up
to
date with everything daily. This can be changes to one of the platforms, such as
Facebook
introducing a new algorithm or function, a client dealing with a community management
issue
or even just daily trending events in popular culture that warrant a reactive social post.
Given
how quickly space is evolving, this is almost a full-time job in itself and becomes a real
balancing
act alongside the more day to day tasks. Reactive content and posts are the other tricky
bit of
the job to balance, given that these often need to consider client sign-off time and
design
resource means they are always keeping you on your toes.
9. Balancing the daily tasks
As a social media manager, one of the biggest problems we face is balancing
#allthethings
that need to get done in a day. From scheduling social media posts, to creating graphics,
to
writing captions, to sending client reports - it can be tough to know which tasks to focus
on. One
thing that's helped me is time blocking. I create my client content in batches, and I work
on
specific tasks at specific times. This helps me stay super focused on what needs to be
done, but
it also allows me to do more with the time that I have. Since I'm spending my time block
tuned
into a particular task, I'm actually able to accomplish more in that higher concentration
state.
. 10 Sorting across the most engaging content
Sorting across the most engaging content which can be scheduled for the social media
pages is the big challenge for Social media managers today. With tons of content being
published
and shared across the social media platforms, it is hard for the managers to predict
which content
will be most engaging among their brand followers.
Social media managers need to practice with many sets of updates among their social
media followers to test which post will be engaged by most of the followers. Now the
organic
decline in social media post is one more challenge among the managers.
11. Getting to know your audience
While social media managers have metrics for engagement, too often that extends only
to company posts. But real engagement with your audience also involves getting to
know them
by interacting with them in the conversations they are already having on social media as
well.
And that takes time and commitment to do so! You can't just try to do 15 minutes of
social
listening per day and check the box on having been working on engagement.
1. Limited social media budget
I believe that there are many challenges a social media manager faces in their day-to-day
operations. I suppose the first one is probably internally always having to fight for more
budget
and resources, as the job of a social media manager might not be as highly valued as it
should be.
That aside, a social media manager is always challenged with creating or curating or
finding
content that is going to truly engage his or her audience and drive the results that's the
company
social media program is looking for. Unfortunately, or fortunately, if you are a multimedia
content creator, the content that is needed is becoming overwhelmingly visual, and not
just
photos or even videos, but creative visual storytelling through stories. Of course, every
social
network algorithm becoming more and more pay to play over time creates an
increasingly tricky
atmosphere for social media managers to operate in, challenging them to be more
creative and
collaborative in the content they create.
2. Keeping up with the unwritten rules
I would say that keeping up with the rules, especially the unwritten rules, is the biggest
challenge. On Facebook, it’s how to make sure your content gets seen by your friends
and
followers, as it’s hard to keep track of the algorithm. On Twitter, it’s how to keep track of
the
follow and unfollow limits and what number of each in what period will trigger a locked
account.
Related to that is the ebb and flow of followers. When you wake up to find your twitter
account
has lost 150 followers, that’s a pain point.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the period, the students must be able to:
1. Secure students’ own cyberspace by following the safety and security against
cybercrime; and
2. Produce an advocacy campaign on safety and security against cybercrime.

Topic Presentation

Here are our top 10 tips to stay safe on social media:

1.Use a strong password. The longer it is, the more secure it will be.
2. Use a different password for each of your social media accounts.
3. Set up your security answers. This option is available for most social media sites
4. If you have social media apps on your phone, be sure to password protect your
device.
5. Be selective with friend requests. If you don’t know the person, don’t accept their
request. It
could be a fake account.
6. Click links with caution. Social media accounts are regularly hacked. Look out for
language or
content that does not sound like something your friend would post.
7. Be careful about what you share. Don’t reveal sensitive personal information ie: home
address,
financial information, phone number. The more you post the easier it is to have your
identity
stolen.
8. Become familiar with the privacy policies of the social media channels you use and
customize
your privacy settings to control who sees what.
9. Protect your computer by installing antivirus software to safeguard. Also ensure that
your
browser, operating system, and software are kept up to date.
10. Remember to log off when you’re done.
5 Rules You Should Always Follow to Stay Safe on Social Media
1. Privatize your social life
The first step is to go through your social media apps (and not just the ones you use the
most) and change your personal profile to private. Making your profile private is the
easiest way
to ensure that anyone who wants to interact with your posts has to at least be a friend
or follower
before seeing what you post. You get to be a gatekeeper for your own safety this way.
Otherwise,
you’re exposed to the entirety of the internet at any moment.
Every social media app or website has different privacy permissions, and some have
more specific
options that allow you to tailor which posts are shared even among your followers and
friends.
Take the time to go through them all, and you can be confident that you know who is
seeing your
posts.
2. Share your private information intentionally
Even basic personal information may lead to more private information for hackers or
would-be identity thieves. By posting your birthday, where you live and work, or even
your last
name, you can leave a thread that hackers and scammers can follow: Consider not
sharing that
information on social media (your real friends will know your birthday anyway, right?) or
keeping
your account private. Some people even use a middle name as their last name on social
media
for even more security.
Part of protecting your privacy online means staying on top of your passwords, too.
When
was the last time you updated your passwords (because you have more than one,
right?)? If
keeping up with several passwords seems too daunting, consider a password manager:
Password
safety is not the sort of thing you want to risk.
3. Avoid posting your location
While it may be fun to brag that you’re at the hottest new bar in town, do you want
everyone who sees your post (or their friends, clients, etc.) to know where you are at
that exact
moment? Something as simple as posting your vacation location or pictures could
potentially
lead to dangerous situations: Scammers, predators, and other problematic people could
be
watching tourist check-in spots and popular venues on social media for potential targets.
Not every person seeking your location is out to get you, per se. But at the very least, by
avoiding
posting your location, you won’t have to explain to your boss why you seemed so full of
energy
while you were out on a Thursday night but somehow acquired the infamous 24-hour flu
on
Friday.
Apps such as Facebook, FourSquare, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter may have
convenient options to check in at venues or show that you’re part of a massive event,
but think
about who may be lurking in the background before you post.
4. Do a business account checkup
A business account’s social media safety is as important as that of your personal
accounts,
if not more so. If you’re running a business account, you’ll want to stay public, but
businesses
should still be wary of strange messages, repeated friend requests from duplicate
accounts, and
odd names accompanied by long number strains.
Be mindful about who you do business with on social media and what information you
share
across those networks. While you might be delighted at receiving a message about a
fantastic
offer or business opportunity, it could also turn out to be a scam. As the adage goes: if it
sounds
too good to be true, it probably is.
5. Treat your online life like your offline life
Stay aware of what you put out into the world on social media, surround yourself with
good people, and make safety and privacy part of your routine. You can live your life and
share
it with others, but recognizing the risks involved may prevent you from sending the
wrong thing
out to the wrong crowd. You don’t have to be afraid, but you can be safe. If you wouldn’t
engage
in a conversation with a shady stranger at the grocery store, don’t do it through a social
media
messaging, either.
Cybercrime, also called computer crime, the use of a computer as an
instrument to
further illegal ends, such as committing fraud, trafficking in child pornography and
intellectual
property, stealing identities, or violating privacy.
5 Popular Cybercrimes to Effortlessly Protect Your Computer
and Data Against its Impact
1. Phishing scams. Phishing is a practice of a cybercriminal or hacker attempting to
obtain sensitive
or personal information from a computer user. ...
2. Identity Theft scams. ...
3. Online Harassment. ...
4. Cyberstalking. ...
5. Invasion of privacy.
What Are Some Examples of Cybercrime?
• Hacking into personal accounts.
• Hacking into work databases.
• Breaking into competitor databases.
• Various forms of internet theft and fraud.
• Schemes/scams based on fake websites.
• Various credit-related thefts.
Malicious Software (Malware) tops the list of computer crimes
as it enables cyber crime on a
massive scale. Malware can be of different types like Trojans,
viruses, worms and any other ow
to protect yourself against cybercrime
1. Use a full-service internet security suite. ...
2. Use strong passwords. ...
3. Keep your software updated. ...
4. Manage your social media settings. ...
5. Strengthen your home network. ...
6. Talk to your children about the internet. ...
7. Keep up to date on major security breaches.
software that attaches to a computer without individuals being aware of its presence.