Lodi Unified to adopt social media contract

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LODI – Athletes and extracurricular club members in Lodi Unified are being told to tame their Facebook timelines and Twitter feeds, or they might find themselves on the sidelines.

Lodi High Principal Bob Lofsted describes the nature in which social media has overtaken the culture of his school as “zero to 60 in three seconds,” as teenagers are more commonly equipped with smartphones and instant Internet access.

For the most part, no problem, Lofsted said. However, there is a fallout to teenagers having the ability to type their thoughts on a whim and broadcast them to people they don’t see in front of them.

Nasty messages and cyberbullying are leading to an increasing number of complaints. Administrators can’t keep up.

“It’s massive,” he said. “You’d be shocked at what they say. It’s appalling.”

Lodi Unified last week approved a contract written by Lofsted and Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Dawn Vetica that must be signed in the fall by students that play school sports or participate in extracurriculur clubs. In summary, the contract allows school officials to suspend students from their activities if they post profane, sexual, or other demeaning statements on a social media site such as Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The policy doesn’t limit when, or how often, a student can use social media. Posting respectful opinions or a photo of “the most delicious bagel ever” is not a violation.

“The intent is not to limit free speech,” Lofsted said. “The kids can go online and say they disagree with me about anything. That’s like a school newspaper that questions policy. That’s fine. But kids play fast and loose. We want some discretion to be used.”

Punishments will be levied on a case-by-case basis and will likely be preceded by warnings. Lofsted said, however, examples of policy violations can be found in bulk and “spread like a virus.” Without being too specific, Lofsted said it’s common for students to say things that are demeaning, sexually suggestive, or that pose a threat of violence. Even students that teachers wouldn’t expect to be profane can be, he added.

When asked about the policy last week, several members of the Tokay High School track and field team said they would not hesitate to sign a social media policy. Although they said most teens are respectful on Twitter and other websites, some admit that they see too much negativity.

“Some people can get out of control and cross the line,” said Mitchell Shelton, 18, a Tokay sprinter. “I’d be OK with signing (a contract).”

McNair High Athletic Director Quincey Noble was quick to reference one athlete’s Instagram page that is filled with photographs of drugs and the student athlete using them. Noble said he has been the target of demeaning messages on social networks.

“I don’t know why they think something they wouldn’t say or do face-to-face is OK to say or do from behind the keyboard,” Lofsted said. “But they do. They’ll demean a coach or say something sexually explicit about another student. Those are things that we want to get out in front of and eliminate.”

University of the Pacific communications Professor Qingwen Dong has been studying social media trends for several years. Dong suggested that, because social media has so fully enveloped U.S. culture as a whole, the wealthy website owners should pay for public service campaigns to teach and inform users of their power.

He added that teenagers and young adults are not mentally ready to understand how their social media behavior is perceived by others.

“I’ve done some experiments and realized college kids … undergrads … are unaware of the consequences. Their awareness is comparatively low to graduate students. So I think it’s a developmental issue that (teenagers) are not aware of the consequences. It’s not in their mind-set,” Dong said.

Lofsted thinks Lodi Unified’s policy will help guide teens that are in extracurriculur activities to think about what they are typing. The policy will be taught by coaches.

He compared the new social media policy to a long-standing contract that athletes sign regarding drug and alcohol use.

“They know it’s 24/7. If they get caught drinking on a weekend, they can be suspended from the team or benched depending on the degree of the offense,” he said.

Still, he recognizes, teens will be teens. He knows the policy will not end all cyberbullying.

Tokay High senior long jump and high jumper Janell Hadnot, 17, said a lot of the vulgarities she sees are people posting lyrics to rap songs or making statements that are meant to be funny for their peers, but are misconstrued by adults.

“Sometimes you’ll read something and you can’t tell if it’s a joke or real,” she said.

Lofsted said the policy is legal and has been vetted by district lawyers. He added that the policy is similar to some he’s seen in Southern California districts.

“We’re going after things that are privileges, not rights,” Lofsted said. “Athletics and clubs are privileges and students that participate are representing the school in what they say and do.”

Lofsted added that the schools can’t and won’t monitor the social media sites. They will be dealing with violations as they are brought forward.

Contact reporter Keith Reid at (209) 546-8257 or kreid@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/lodiblog.

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Pinterest Web Analytics and Healthcare Social Media

Pinterest has been a wonderful resource for the healthcare community.  The community has been using the social platform to share stat heavy infographics such as 28 Odd Facts About the Human Body and Social Media Trends in Healthcare, and helping to raise awareness about different topics such as colon cancer and healthy dietary habits.  Yet, one critical piece that was missing from the Pinterest puzzle was a way to analyze how a pinned content was being used.  Finally, there is good news if your clinic has adopted Pinterest as part of its healthcare social media strategy.  Since Pinterest burst on the social scene in 2010 it has seen steady usership, but bloggers and organizations have had no way to officially track Pinterest traffic.  Today, Pinterest has officially announced its Web Analytics platform.

With Pinterest Web Analytics, hospitals and clinics with a verified website will be able to gain insights into what content has been pinned from its website, how many Pinners have seen these pins, and data about site visits directly from the Pinterest platform.  According to the Pinterest blog, there will also be statistics on the most repinned content, the most clicked content, and data on your most popular content.  Today’s announcement is building on new tools Pinterest has rolled out for business accounts, which includes hospitals, medical practices, and clinics.

In 2013 Reuter stated that Pinterest had a base of almost 50 million users worldwide.  If you are still learning the ropes of the Pinterest world and need some help getting started, here are some great articles to get you on the right track.  While these are healthcare focused, they can easily be implemented by other social media communities.

• Why Pinterest Deserves Attention in Your HCSM Strategy
• Putting Pinterest to Work in HCSM
• Optimizing Images for your Healthcare Web Design
• Ideas for Using Pinterest as Part of your HCSM
• HCSM and Pinterest
• 6 Striking Reasons to Use Healthcare Infographics
• What Images Can Do For You

Does your practice or clinic use Pinterest in its healthcare social media strategy?  Are web analytics something you medical practice has been waiting for?  Leave a comment below with your thoughts on the new analytics platform.

This article is an original contribution by Stuart Wainstock.

Find out how you can become a part of Business 2 Community.

Pinterest Web Analytics and Healthcare Social Media

Pinterest has been a wonderful resource for the healthcare community.  The community has been using the social platform to share stat heavy infographics such as 28 Odd Facts About the Human Body and Social Media Trends in Healthcare, and helping to raise awareness about different topics such as colon cancer and healthy dietary habits.  Yet, one critical piece that was missing from the Pinterest puzzle was a way to analyze how a pinned content was being used.  Finally, there is good news if your clinic has adopted Pinterest as part of its healthcare social media strategy.  Since Pinterest burst on the social scene in 2010 it has seen steady usership, but bloggers and organizations have had no way to officially track Pinterest traffic.  Today, Pinterest has officially announced its Web Analytics platform.

With Pinterest Web Analytics, hospitals and clinics with a verified website will be able to gain insights into what content has been pinned from its website, how many Pinners have seen these pins, and data about site visits directly from the Pinterest platform.  According to the Pinterest blog, there will also be statistics on the most repinned content, the most clicked content, and data on your most popular content.  Today’s announcement is building on new tools Pinterest has rolled out for business accounts, which includes hospitals, medical practices, and clinics.

In 2013 Reuter stated that Pinterest had a base of almost 50 million users worldwide.  If you are still learning the ropes of the Pinterest world and need some help getting started, here are some great articles to get you on the right track.  While these are healthcare focused, they can easily be implemented by other social media communities.

• Why Pinterest Deserves Attention in Your HCSM Strategy
• Putting Pinterest to Work in HCSM
• Optimizing Images for your Healthcare Web Design
• Ideas for Using Pinterest as Part of your HCSM
• HCSM and Pinterest
• 6 Striking Reasons to Use Healthcare Infographics
• What Images Can Do For You

Does your practice or clinic use Pinterest in its healthcare social media strategy?  Are web analytics something you medical practice has been waiting for?  Leave a comment below with your thoughts on the new analytics platform.

This article is an original contribution by Stuart Wainstock.

Find out how you can become a part of Business 2 Community.

SXSW Panel: Why Do Girls Rule in Rock? They Buy a Lot of Shit

It’s not unfair to say that a SXSW panel on women in rock was dubiously named. Girls and Tech: Why Young Woman Rule in Music was a discussion less of women in music as much as women consuming music. Most notably, the concept of the teen superfan.

After gushing over just having met Jared Leto, Shana Krochmal of Out Magazine started off the panel by going through a list of bands that had made girls squeal throughout rock history, asking people to raise their hands.

“Don’t laugh,” she said. “There’s no shame here.”

When she got to New Kids on the Block, the panel broke down into a fan-off, including one panelist, Lindsay Gabler, a social media specialist for the Grammys, showing off her her NKOTB T-shirt and Krochmal showing off a vintage NKOTB scrapbook from “before there was Tumblr.”

The central thesis behind the panel was that fans drive the market, regardless of whether or not their taste is critically lauded, and that young girls are statistically the most rabid fans out there.

“What pisses me off is that we respect the people that market to these women, but not the women that consume the products themselves,” said Megan Westerby, vice president of marketing at Collective Digital Studio.

Westerby also pointed out that while the tweens who went wild over the New Kids were a joke back then, they are now grown up with middle-income salaries. That’s why the band is playing stadiums on its upcoming tour, despite being decades past relevance or cuteness.

Another observation made by the panelists was regarding the quickness with which young girls pick up on social media trends that can then be used to reach them.

“That’s why you’re seeing this shift now where Justin Bieber and his manager are investing in startups,” Westerby said. “So if Justin Bieber says, ‘Oh, I love this new app,’ then it immediately has users because he is using it.”

The booker for an all-ages club in Boston threw in that respecting the audience regardless of its taste has done well for her business as well.

The panel was more than two-thirds finished by the time an audience member asked the question that seemed to have been posed by the panel’s title: What about the female performers?

The answer remained much the same: The fans rule the market, especially the women.

“Those artists that learn how to market themselves are going to be successful,” said Gabler.

Electronic Communications Coordinator

Alma College is seeking a full-time Electronic Communications Coordinator. The individual who fills this position is an integral member of a dynamic communication and marketing team and serves as one of the college’s primary storytellers and brand champions. Responsibilities are divided between monitoring, updating and creating content for the college’s social media sites as the institutional “voice” of Alma College, and writing compelling content for Web pages or for print that will engage key constituents.

Supervision Received/Exercised
This position works within a dual reporting structure to the Director of Communications for writing assignments and to the Director of Marketing for social media coordination, and will provide oversight to student interns as assigned.

Essential Functions

Writing for Web and Print
• Write original, Web-appropriate articles on Alma College faculty, students, staff members, alumni, donors and programs. Identify story topics and sources, gathering facts and information, interviewing sources, and fact checking for 100 percent accuracy.
• Work collaboratively with the Web Editor to monitor institutional, administrative and academic department Web pages for accurate, relevant content; plan and implement elements that enhance the College’s online presence and successfully target intended audiences.
• Consistent with the brand platform, prepare compelling audience-specific content for print communication pieces, including alumni and admissions marketing materials, press releases and other assigned projects.

Social Media Coordination
• Continuously monitor the college’s social media activities, seeking to increase engagement with current and prospective students, alumni, community members, faculty, staff, and other key constituents. Evaluate social media trends and opportunities and make recommendations to improve the College’s engagement with all audiences. Assist with crisis communication when assigned.
• Serve as the institutional “voice” of Alma College’s official social media networks, especially Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, providing appropriate responses and frequent updates.
• Work with the Digital Media Coordinator to identify and locate appropriate multi-media resources to supplement written content for Web pages and social media feeds.
• Provide advice on best practices in social media for others on campus seeking to develop a social media presence. Oversee authorized student-generated content.
• Analyze and measure the effectiveness of social media outreach and prepare quarterly reports that demonstrate the college’s performance on various social media platforms.

Required Qualifications
Bachelors degree in new media studies, communications, journalism, or a related liberal arts field. At least one year of related experience in public or media relations, journalism, or social media communication. Experience in interviewing, writing, researching and editing to produce content for a variety of formats, such as web pages, news releases or articles. Excellent communication skills. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects under deadlines. Ability to work collaboratively with office colleagues, faculty, students and staff across all disciplines. Willing to monitor social media networks during non-business hours.

Preferred Qualifications
Experience in writing for the Web and/or news publications. Knowledge of new media trends or web design. Experience promoting special events. Demonstration of strong news judgment. Familiarity with Associated Press and Chicago Manual styles.

Physical Requirements
Walking around campus. Sitting at a desk up to eight hours a day.

Process for Submitting Applications

To apply, send application letter, resume, contact information for three references, and links or attachments to two professional writing samples to:

Nan Freed
Office Associate for Communication and Marketing
Alma College
614 W. Superior St.

Materials may be submitted electronically to: Freed@alma.edu. Review of applications will begin March 25th and continue until the position is filled.

Alma College is a selective, baccalaureate liberal arts college committed to academic excellence and development of responsible leaders. Alma’s undergraduates thrive on challenging academic programs in a supportive, small-college environment emphasizing active, collaborative learning and close student-faculty interaction. Alma is a private Phi Beta Kappa institution located in the center of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

Alma College is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff and student body. For more information about the College and available positions, visit
www.alma.edu/community/personnel/jobs.

4 Emerging Trends in Social Media & How They’ll Impact The Music Industry

Social media has had an impact on the music industry. Technology like IoT are helping artists by connecting physical products and the Internet. Using IoT has allowed people to check in and share info about what they are doing by scanning their wristbands. What emerging social media trends will affect the industry this year? On Music Think Tank, Marcus Taylor posted about four emerging trends and how they will impact the industry. Do you have additional trends to add to the list?

UCCS Confession Facebook page draws attention, criticism

     “Some of the stuff on there has got’n a little cray cray,” said Gilbert Kuhn, a junior biology major. Kuhn referenced a Facebook page that allows students to confess about occurrences at the university.

     The UCCS Confession Page on Facebook, which started Feb. 13, has more than 200 likes. It is part of one of the latest social media trends at universities that asks students to submit “confessions” that are then posted to the Facebook page.

     The site instructs readers to submit anonymous “confessions” through a Survey Monkey link. Page moderators then post the submissions on the Facebook page.

     Comments range from citing crushes on fellow students to making fun of sororities.

     Others take a more serious tone: “I learn more from one of the bus drivers between 4D and Centennial hall than I do from my professors” or “I feel like it’s harder to make friends here than anywhere else.”

     Still, many question the more deviant posts, such as urinating in the elevators and on the Clyde statute, and spitting in the water fountains at the gym.

     Many of the posts involve references to sex and masturbation, including one involving sexual relations with a Sodexo worker.

     One student wrote on the page, “this whole webpage makes me hate [UCCS].”

     “I know that other colleges do it and it’s a common college thing right now … but I don’t think UCCS [should] do that,” Kuhn said.

     “They can’t really review what’s posted before it’s posted,” Kuhn said. “A lot of things can go negative really fast.”

     Kuhn said the university shouldn’t try to necessarily get rid of it but said it should be more controlled.

     “Figure out who’s running it and find a way to figure out how to control it better,” Kuhn said. “I’m surprised it’s still going, with UCCS’ name on it.”

     Katie Kralik, a third-year junior majoring in education, described some of the posts as “raunchy.”

     “I just feel like it’s not appropriate,” Kralik said. “Some things on there I wouldn’t really feel comfortable saying.”

     “Post somewhere on there that they can’t be using UCCS names or logos … they’re not really representing UCCS well,” Kralik added. “We don’t want that showing up on our news feed and getting us in trouble.”

     “We already have enough problem with the whole rape thing,” Kralik said. “We don’t really need people going off on ‘Well, they also have this page of very inappropriate things on Facebook.’”

     Others find the page harmless.

     “Some of these things … they just want to put it out there to get it off their chest,” said Steve Merrifield, a freshman transfer student majoring in business.

     “It really doesn’t bother me, and that’s just me,” Merrifield said. “If you’re gonna get upset by it, just don’t read it.”

     Still, Merrifield said that some of the posts “are just looking for a problem,” like those making fun of Greek life. “It’s something that’d [be] incredibly hard to regulate and still have the freedom that it’s intended for.”

     Some think the page could get out of hand.

     “It’s got so much hate on that page … and they’re very derogatory about women,” said Elisabeth Van Remortel, a junior majoring in strategic communication who answers phones at the university.

     “I like the idea behind it … but there are some questionable people on it,” Van Remortel said. “I’m pretty proud because my ‘confession’ or whatever is the most liked one on there right now.” She said that her confession pointed out the sexism on the page.

      “I ended up unliking [the page] because I don’t want it in my feed anymore,” Van Remortel said. “If I have to see one more thing about having relations with an RA, I might die.”

     “I understand that there’s gonna be raunchiness involved,” Van Remortel said, adding, “It’s getting a little out of hand, I think.”

     Van Remortel said she thinks more students will like the page. “People are posting and trying to figure out who’s saying it,” she said. Concerning the moderators: “Hypothetically, they’re only facilitating.”

     The page currently tells those that submit to leave out names and specifics. “It could turn into a bullying thing very quickly if names were involved,” Van Remortel said.

     “I think it’s a lot of the freshmen,” Van Remortel said, noting that many of the comments are dorm-oriented.

     “If they start using names or if they start to reference to people that we all know well – if it mentions a teacher and a student relation or anything like that – that’s going to cause a lot of controversy.”

     Other schools, like Colorado State University and CU-Boulder, have amassed more than 5,000 and 6,000 likes in just a few weeks, respectively.

     “Hopefully ours doesn’t get that big,” Van Remortel said. “It makes our school look really kind of trashy.”

     While the UCCS Confessions Page is gaining a few dozen likes per week, the university doesn’t consider it a big deal.

     “We get 80 likes a week,” said Philip Denman, social media and communication specialist with University Advancement, regarding the official UCCS page.

UCCS Confession Facebook page draws attention, criticism

     “Some of the stuff on there has got’n a little cray cray,” said Gilbert Kuhn, a junior biology major. Kuhn referenced a Facebook page that allows students to confess about occurrences at the university.

     The UCCS Confession Page on Facebook, which started Feb. 13, has more than 200 likes. It is part of one of the latest social media trends at universities that asks students to submit “confessions” that are then posted to the Facebook page.

     The site instructs readers to submit anonymous “confessions” through a Survey Monkey link. Page moderators then post the submissions on the Facebook page.

     Comments range from citing crushes on fellow students to making fun of sororities.

     Others take a more serious tone: “I learn more from one of the bus drivers between 4D and Centennial hall than I do from my professors” or “I feel like it’s harder to make friends here than anywhere else.”

     Still, many question the more deviant posts, such as urinating in the elevators and on the Clyde statute, and spitting in the water fountains at the gym.

     Many of the posts involve references to sex and masturbation, including one involving sexual relations with a Sodexo worker.

     One student wrote on the page, “this whole webpage makes me hate [UCCS].”

     “I know that other colleges do it and it’s a common college thing right now … but I don’t think UCCS [should] do that,” Kuhn said.

     “They can’t really review what’s posted before it’s posted,” Kuhn said. “A lot of things can go negative really fast.”

     Kuhn said the university shouldn’t try to necessarily get rid of it but said it should be more controlled.

     “Figure out who’s running it and find a way to figure out how to control it better,” Kuhn said. “I’m surprised it’s still going, with UCCS’ name on it.”

     Katie Kralik, a third-year junior majoring in education, described some of the posts as “raunchy.”

     “I just feel like it’s not appropriate,” Kralik said. “Some things on there I wouldn’t really feel comfortable saying.”

     “Post somewhere on there that they can’t be using UCCS names or logos … they’re not really representing UCCS well,” Kralik added. “We don’t want that showing up on our news feed and getting us in trouble.”

     “We already have enough problem with the whole rape thing,” Kralik said. “We don’t really need people going off on ‘Well, they also have this page of very inappropriate things on Facebook.’”

     Others find the page harmless.

     “Some of these things … they just want to put it out there to get it off their chest,” said Steve Merrifield, a freshman transfer student majoring in business.

     “It really doesn’t bother me, and that’s just me,” Merrifield said. “If you’re gonna get upset by it, just don’t read it.”

     Still, Merrifield said that some of the posts “are just looking for a problem,” like those making fun of Greek life. “It’s something that’d [be] incredibly hard to regulate and still have the freedom that it’s intended for.”

     Some think the page could get out of hand.

     “It’s got so much hate on that page … and they’re very derogatory about women,” said Elisabeth Van Remortel, a junior majoring in strategic communication who answers phones at the university.

     “I like the idea behind it … but there are some questionable people on it,” Van Remortel said. “I’m pretty proud because my ‘confession’ or whatever is the most liked one on there right now.” She said that her confession pointed out the sexism on the page.

      “I ended up unliking [the page] because I don’t want it in my feed anymore,” Van Remortel said. “If I have to see one more thing about having relations with an RA, I might die.”

     “I understand that there’s gonna be raunchiness involved,” Van Remortel said, adding, “It’s getting a little out of hand, I think.”

     Van Remortel said she thinks more students will like the page. “People are posting and trying to figure out who’s saying it,” she said. Concerning the moderators: “Hypothetically, they’re only facilitating.”

     The page currently tells those that submit to leave out names and specifics. “It could turn into a bullying thing very quickly if names were involved,” Van Remortel said.

     “I think it’s a lot of the freshmen,” Van Remortel said, noting that many of the comments are dorm-oriented.

     “If they start using names or if they start to reference to people that we all know well – if it mentions a teacher and a student relation or anything like that – that’s going to cause a lot of controversy.”

     Other schools, like Colorado State University and CU-Boulder, have amassed more than 5,000 and 6,000 likes in just a few weeks, respectively.

     “Hopefully ours doesn’t get that big,” Van Remortel said. “It makes our school look really kind of trashy.”

     While the UCCS Confessions Page is gaining a few dozen likes per week, the university doesn’t consider it a big deal.

     “We get 80 likes a week,” said Philip Denman, social media and communication specialist with University Advancement, regarding the official UCCS page.

SC officials encourage Lowcountry grandparents to help protect kids online

Local and state officials are hoping another group — grandparents — will join the effort to keep children safe when they’re online.

The S.C. Attorney General’s Office recently began teaching older caregivers to protect children when they log on to the Internet.

Patti Fowler of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a division of the Attorney General’s Office, typically addresses students at schools across the state during her online safety talks.

But for the first time last month, her audience was much older. She spoke to a Columbia support group for grandparents raising grandchildren.

Members of a similar support group in Beaufort County also got a taste of the new educational push recently. At a “Grandparents Leading the Way” conference at Beaufort Elementary School in late February, representatives of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office used materials from the state to share tips about online safety for kids.

Regardless of how much technology they know, grandparents can help spot Internet dangers before children become victims, Fowler said.

Her new target demographic includes people like Debra Polk of Beaufort, a member of the county’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group.

Polk has 10 grandchildren but no personal computer. Polk said she was aware of issues such as cyberbullying and Internet predators and thought it was important to find out more. She learned that she doesn’t have to be up on the latest technology or social-media trends to help keep her grandchildren safe when they’re at her house. She just has to be present.

“It’s really just about being with them and keeping computers in a more open space where you can supervise,” Polk said.

Fowler encourages grandparents to ask their grandchildren to teach them how to use computers and show them the sites they visit and the people they talk to online.

Red flags include a child who suddenly begins going online excessively or becomes reluctant to use the computer at all. Fowler said grandparents should talk to children if they notice they’re minimizing a screen or shielding the monitor when they walk into the room.

Attorney General’s Office spokesman Mark Powell said the new push is important as more grandparents have become guardians for young children because of the economic downturn. According to a recent fact sheet from the AARP, 13 percent of children under 18 in South Carolina live with grandparents or other relatives who are not their biological parents.

Fowler said her first talk in Columbia was so well-received that she’s planning others. She said she will reach out to the Beaufort County School District to offer a similar presentation.

Follow reporter Allison Stice at twitter.com/IPBG_Allison.

Related content:

Is your child a victim of cyberbullying? Nov. 7, 2010

Zeichick’s Take: Is Big Data a fancy way of saying Big Social?

What do companies use Big Data technologies to analyze? Sales transactions. Social media trends. Scientific data. Social media trends. Weather readings. Social media trends. Prices for raw materials. Social media trends. Stock values. Social media trends. Web logs. And social media trends.

Sometimes I wonder if the entire point of Big Data is to sort through Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and Tumblr–as well as closed social media networks like Salesforce.com’s Chatter and Microsoft’s recently acquired Yammer.

Perhaps this is a reflection that “social” is more than a way for businesses to disintermediate and reach customers directly. (Remember “disintermediation”? It was the go-to word during the early dot-com era of B-to-B and B-to-C e-commerce, and implied unlimited profits.)

Social media–nowadays referred to simply as “social”–is proving to be very effective in helping organizations improve communications. Document repositories and databases are essential, of course. Portal systems are vital. But traditional ways of communication, namely e-mail and standard one-to-one instant messaging, aren’t getting the job done, not in big organizations. Employees drown in their overflowing inboxes, and don’t know whom to message for information, input or workflow.

Enter a new Big Data angle on social, one that goes beyond sifting through public messages to identifying what’s trending, so you can sell more products or get on top of customer dissatisfaction before it goes viral. (Not to say those aren’t important, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.)

What Big Data analysis can show you is not just what is going on and what the trends are, but who is driving them (or who are at least on top of the curve).

Use analytics to find out which of your customers are taste-makers–and cultivate them. Find out which of your partners are generating the most traction–and deepen those ties. And find out which of your employees, through in-house social tools like instant messaging, blogs, wikis and forums, are posting the best information, are attracting followers and comments, and are otherwise leading the pack.

Treasure those people, especially those who are in your IT and development departments.

Big Social is the key to your organization’s future. Big Data helps you find and turn that key. We’ll cover both those trends at Big Data TechCon, coming to Boston on April 8-10. Hope to see you there.

Alan Zeichick is editorial director of SD Times. Read his blog at ztrek.blogspot.com.