Blog post 5: 19/02/2016
When I discovered that the first module for the BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Arts was looking at and exploring web based communication technologies, I became extremely eager to get going because it is something so current that allows huge scope for discussion and reflection. At the moment I am lucky enough to be working with a young lady who has a completely separate business created through blogging which has quite frankly become epic. I was very excited when she kindly agreed to answer a few questions for me regarding her business and experiences within Web 2.0. As she is also a friend of mine, it's great that I've had the opportunity to engage in separate professional discussions and conversations with her that I think provides an even better insight than the formal interview or question & answer. A discussion and conversation being the equivalent to today's idea of participation on the Internet.
- Can you tell us a little bit about you, your business and which forms of web based technologies you use for your own professional practice?
"I am 22 years old and I run a successful food and fitness blog entitled 'Clean Eating Alice'. This has amassed a following of over 235'000 people. I use Instagram, Twitter and Facebook in order to run my business."
- When did you start these and which do you feel has been the most beneficial? Why do you think that is?
"I started these around 2 years ago. The most beneficial for me has certainly been Instagram and it still remains my most popular platform. I think because the nature of what I do is extremely visual, Instagram proved to be the most successful form of web communication."
- What are the negative effects of using web based technologies for work purposes?
"A negative, I find, is that it can only show a small insight to what is a much bigger picture and wider context. Also, targeting a large audience on social media sites does open you up to criticism."
- Do these have any disadvantages on your personal, day to day life?
"I don't believe there are disadvantages as such but it does require a lot of organisation and forward planning."
- Do you think it is essential for businesses in this day and age to be involved in social media?
"I do think it's essential because if you don't have a social media platform, even if it's just the one, you're alienating yourself from a whole different market that's out there and can really engage with you. I think it's important for any business to have something be it a Facebook page, Twitter page, something, just so people can access and find out information about whatever your business is. It tends to be the first thing that people do when they hear about a brand or a name, they Google it to see what comes up."
- Are there any ethical considerations that you consciously apply online and what do you consider to be good professional 'netiquette'?
"Yes, absolutely. In regards to what I do, I have to be very careful and sure that I don't promote anything unhealthy or that's not sustainable. It has to be achievable. I had to become a qualified personal trainer so that I felt confident in myself when posting exercise videos. With the food, making people aware that each persons diet is individual to them and that you just don't copy a diet. I don't give out nutritional information as such, just advice. I make sure that I adhere to the most cautioned approach as possible. In terms of netiquette, I always try to keep things as positive as possible to assure I don't open myself up to criticism. Any negativity I receive, I tend to just delete."
It was intriguing to hear that Alice's blog initially started due to her personal interests in food and fitness. A blog is effectively a modern day diary and hers began as a hobby. It quickly escalated however due to to the gross amount of followers she racked up in such a short amount of time. In society we are extremely affected by media, we are surrounded by celebrities, the ideal body shapes, fad diets; there are now massive cases on the news about the NHS expenditure, the rapid growth of diabetes for example causing the promotion of healthy eating and healthy living to have increasingly dominated our press over the last couple of years. It seems there was a hole in the market when Alice first began her online journal and she'd hit the trend square on without even realising. Since then, many people have attempted this style of blog with the intention of creating a business and purposely aiming to get a following but they haven't really worked; timing therefore is essential.
I personally am a follower of Alice's blog and I think the simplicity and consistency in which she presents her page and the accessibility of it, is definitely what draws real people in. I know she has to post everyday at around 8.30am to hit the morning commuters, i.e. The peak time in which people are active on their smart devices. She also makes sure her recipes can be created with products found in your local supermarket so that absolutely anyone can relate. She avoids the elaborate, expensive ingredients such as chia seeds etc that could potentially put the bulk of her audience off. After all it is public demand and public interest that has instigated the development from Alice's personal hobby to merge into a professional business. A similar concept to 'produsage' like in reader 1. I think the communicative and engaging nature of the blog, allowing participation in the form of commenting and sharing, is what has made 'Clean Eating Alice' such a success. It is clear that she is a great communicator when it comes to social media and web based communication technologies.
It is also a given that being in the public eye and exposing yourself to the media comes with a certain amount of responsibility, particularly if you're like Alice who now gets approached to front campaigns, advertise products - she is proudly awaiting the release of her very first book including recipes and exercise tips called, 'Clean Eating Alice - The Body Bible' (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Clean-Eating-Alice-Body-Bible/dp/0008167206) With knowledge comes power, and it is very easy to become criticised in today's society. I'm aware of nutrition courses and personal training courses which Alice has undertaken for both personal and career development, this in order to support the knowledge she already posses. The above links in with ethical considerations and moral authenticity. If you are being looked up to or providing advice in a particular area of expertise, you should ideally hold the qualifications to support this; instilling confidence within yourself, your network and preventing the desire for external sources such as journalists and competitors to critique.
The quote from Alice, "it can only show a small insight to what is a much bigger picture", made me think deeply about the idea of 'perception'. Not with Alice but in general when using Web 2.0 mediums and platforms such as Facebook. Even on a personal level, for some reason people feel the need to get justification or a backing in the form of 'likes' on Facebook. The desire to moan or gloat about how fantastic our lives are when really, are we just writing what people want to see? Or what we think people want to hear? Mental illness, particularly in the form of depression, has escalated. I truly believe that social media could be a hindrance in regards to this topic as we are constantly analysing how great other people are getting on and reflecting on our own achievements and accomplishments - more often the lack of rather than appreciating the ones we do have. In relation to business, management or sponsorships, do we write what we are told to put? Are we pressured into displaying a certain image or persona to get ratings and followers?
Society has become very good at communication through a screen and at creating several contacts, but what are our direct relationships like? Are we becoming consumed by technology and socially inept face to face? We live in a century where children have devices at the dinner table, where free time is spent in front of a computer screen rather than outdoors or doing activities. The concept of online dating is now the norm, granted due to today's busy work schedules, but also because it is convenient perhaps? Maybe because it's easier to paint an 'ideal' picture of yourself? What you 'perceive' to be desirable?
Online dating is actually a really interesting subject when it comes to ethical considerations and moral authenticity. Applications such as 'tinder' where you swipe yes or no after viewing 1 picture, goes completely against all these ethics. Think about why you would swipe either way. A good thing about the online dating phenomenon is that it's a safe way to meet people you don't know from your own home and a god way to build confidence before an initial meeting. The worry I do have is due to the intended ease of accessibility, it's great for the less tech savvy so that they can still get involved but for children who are rather up to speed, it is essential for these sites to create restricted ages and for parents to install appropriate software to block unauthorised access to these sites.
I have been a member of Facebook for years and it's still my 'go to' form of socia media for personal and business use; but when I began my first performing job, the company all seemed to be using and communicating via Twitter so I signed up to that as well. When Instagram came around I really wasn't bothered about having another for of social media on my device as I already felt rather consumed by them. However, I do love taking photos. So, when I finally succumbed to it I found it really worked for me. Recently I have connected to LinkedIn and Google+. I decided to register to these, as well as creating my blog after commencing the BA (Hons) in Professional Practice. I'm hoping it will expand my professional links and contacts whilst getting my cv and profile out to a wider audience. Skype is really useful for communicating at distance or on the go which is a great tool for me whilst my job involves so much travelling. It has helped me personally in terms of contacting my family as well as in business with meetings and interviews.
I decided to do a quick survey to see which form of web communication technologies are dominating at the moment within my workplace for both personal and professional use. Facebook is currently in the lead for personal use with a whopping 80% of people. Professional usage is currently verging on an even distribution amongst the varying forms of communication technologies. I believe this is due to several reasons. One being dependant on which works best for your particular professional use, like Alice for example using Instagram to promote her food blog for its visual benefits. I also found that the older members of the company still stick by Web 1.0 technologies such as email and websites as it is what they know and are comfortable using. They are already established within their practice and connections so don't feel the need to stay current with the ever evolving forms of social media.
This survey is something I will continue to fulfil and reflect upon so stay tuned for more results!
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