Protect Your Intellectual Property Online

Social media is a great way to connect with friends and family, as well as network professionally and promote brands. It is also a great way to share ideas, photos, opinions and products. But, what if someone stole something that you posted online, without attributing credit to you?

Most online users don’t think about their intellectual property until it is too late. As an online user, it is important to understand each social media platform’s Terms of Service before posting intellectual property that you want to protect. Publishing and posting your intellectual property on social media platforms shows that you “essentially permit these platforms to use whatever you publish online and license that material for their own commercial benefit” (Powers 2012). More importantly, you don’t get to reap the benefits of having others use your IP.

So, how can you protect your intellectual property from social networks?

It’s simple.  Watermark you images with a copyright symbol (or your logo) on professional images and use the copyright symbol on written content that you post online. Taking the necessary precautions will alleviate other online users and third parties from using your work.

Source:

Powers, Matt. 2012. Growth University. Cause for Concern: Intellectual Property Rights and Social Media. http://www.futuresimple.com/blog/cause-for-concern-intellectual-property-rights-and-social-media/ (accessed March 2, 2013).

Blogging Best Practices

Blogging began as an online journal in 1998 and has since exploded into a popular social media communication platform where users (or authors) focus on every topic imaginable. There are several notable basic best practices for building and managing a successful blog. Here are some that I found worth noting.

Respond to comments.  

As the blog administrator, you have the option to moderate comments by approving and responding comments posted by others. Responding to comments is a great opportunity to engage in two-way communication and be a part of an online community with your readers.

Cite sources.

Don’t violate copyright laws. Be honest and provide a link back to the original source if you use information on another blog or website.

Create interesting content. 

Don’t bore your readers with dry content. In order to effectively grab your reader’s attention, “content must be compelling, informative and relevant” (Cohen 2009).

Fine a Voice. Give your blog a personality and voice that speaks to your target audience. It’s okay to write in a casual and informal tone since most blog readers find formal tones to be too serious and authoritative. The best blogs are written in a tone that is natural, casual, and almost conversational.

Sources:

Cohen, Jeffrey. 2009. “10 Business Blogging Best Practices.” Social Media B2B:   Exploring the Impact of Social Media on B2B Companies. http://socialmediab2b.com/2009/06/business-blogging-best-practices/ (accessed February 15, 2013)

Gunelius, Susan. “5 Tips to Write Blog Posts. About.com. http://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingtips/tp/TipsWriteBlogPosts.htm (accessed February 15, 2013)

Experiences with Adobe Connect

I have to admit, I was nervous and intimidated about the idea of presenting a social media webinar for my class. In fact, I was dreading it. I don’t usually mind conducting presentations, however, my lack of knowledge on Adobe Connect concerned me. I was worried that I would not be able to learn the software in time to present my topic. My biggest fear was the possibility of facing technical difficulties. For those who know me well, I don’t work well under pressure, especially when in front of an audience (regardless of being virtual!).

The beauty of owning two computers (desktop & laptop) was that I was able to conduct trial runs on my presentation and view what my class could see. I was also able to work out the kinks, upload documents for my presentation, and test out  features prior to presenting. I even had friends log on as participants so I could practice and gather their feedback.

Conducting the trial runs was significantly helpful because it helped me feel more confident and prepared for my presentation. I didn’t realize how easy it was to use Adobe Connect with others all over the world. This is definitely a useful tool for professionals and online courses. I am actually surprised that it is only now that I am finding out about this web conferencing software.

A Little About Pinterest

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard (or what I call “dreamboard”) that allows you to organize and share all of your favorite things online. This social photo-sharing site connects people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests. It is a unique tool when compared to other social media sites because it focuses on visually collecting and sharing anything found online, whereas other social media sites focus on personal sharing through status updates.

Pinterest is commonly used for life planning, inspiration, self-expression and social sharing. Most users spend their time on Pinterest either pinning or liking, and less time actually commenting. This is because the “conversation” among users tends to happen more through “likes” and “repins.”

There is high value in having pinned images because it provides an opportunity to drive people directly to business websites. Many small businesses have caught on to this social media tool and are utilizing interesting, visual content to drive customers to their brand and build an expanded following.

With every social media site comes best practices that are recommended to effectively reach and communicate with audiences. Below are several best practices for Pinterest.

Use social channels. Share your pins on other social media communities (i.e. Twitter/Facebook) to help expand your reach and generate engaging conversations.

Use keywords. Make your pins searchable using effective keywords for descriptions. Keywords will help users navigate and find your images.

Don’t ignore comments. Two-way communication is key in social media, and it is important to acknowledge comments by responding and engaging with followers.

Use visually appealing photos. The most popular images are ones that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. You don’t necessarily need to be a professional photographer, but it helps to have photos done right so it grabs some attention.

Social Media is Not a Fad

This video is interesting because it offers a broad perspective about social media and the role it plays in our personal and professional lives. The stats provided by Eric Qualman suggests that businesses should harness the power of social media to communicate directly with consumers and increase sales. Overall, this video proves that social media is not a fad, or a phenomenon. It is here to stay and it is constantly evolving.

 

This video can be found on http://bit.ly/SBkwBv 

First Time Blogger

I would like to start off by noting that I do not consider myself a blogger. I've never really owned a blog that I was really passionate about. Last year, I attempted one for my photography, but it didn't last more than a week because I just couldn't keep up with another social media tool. Plus, I had no idea what to really write about on my postings. It looks like this E-Communications in the 21st Century course will challenge me to revisit this "blogging" tool. I will admit that as I write my first post, I'm beginning to feel more comfortable with it. I never saw myself as a "blogger." Mainly because 1) I don't know what to say, and 2) I just can't seem to find the time to write. My thoughts are usually all over the place and I can't seem to get them organized on paper... or, more so on digits. I have actually found blogging to be somewhat intimidating! However, despite my fears and reservations, I'm eager to experiment and play around with this particular communications platform. As much as I have been avoiding it, I know it will be important in my field of work. So, here's to the next 10 weeks of fun blogging! Who's ready to blog away with me?

On another note, I think it's ironic that some people consider social media as an entertaining form of distraction, and yet I get to enroll in a course where the use of social media applications are part of the curriculum! I'm super excited about this class. In regards to this course, I thought it was fitting to share this infographic that I found through another blogger. I know I've certainly been guilty with some of these distractions!

http://bit.ly/YMu69P