Week 3: Social Media Contexts

This week, I had company (for the record, my work friend Chelsea) while doing my Digital Humanities reading and I found myself constantly sharing points that I found interesting or surprising. Most of my fascination was with danah boyd’s discussion of different social contexts as determined by specific social media platforms. I was just really intrigued that the conventions of each community, from the choice of username to the perceived audience could be analyzed so accurately. Although my surprise was repeatedly met with a “Yeah, Jordan, that’s hardly a secret,” I do not think it is exactly general knowledge that humor fuels much of a millenial’s social media presence or that young people will switch between modes of communication based on the content of their conversations rather than convenience.

I later realized my surprise was due to the fact that many conventions on social media do not come naturally and require a lot of exposure to the platform before they can be understood, so it’s interesting that boyd managed to figure out so many as someone operating (assumedly) from outside. However, she is not the first person to demonstrate an unexpected amount of knowledge about the use of each social network. Last week, I discussed some unfortunate social media campaigns, but my focus this week is on one quite unassuming brand and their strangely successful Tumblr account. Denny’s does not have an exactly youthful image, but the brand’s approach to social media has won them plenty of exposure with millenials. Where many public figures end up troubled by the weird interactions they have on social media, Denny’s, with the direction of 23-year-old consultant Amber Gordon, has managed to embrace the weird energy of the blogging platform by establishing three goals: capitalizing on trending topics, engaging with humor, and community interaction.”

Although a lot of the brand’s content appears campy, especially when viewed altogether, it clearly demonstrates some knowledge about what young people are doing online and specifically how that activity differs by platform.

One thought on “Week 3: Social Media Contexts

  1. fmanto

    I love Denny’s social media accounts! They’re definitely known as one of the best brands on social. They know how to interact with their users and they know what their users like. It’s pretty much one of the most important pieces of the puzzle to being successful on any social media platform. Engagement means there’s this sort of relatability that people can feel connected to, and I think that’s a fundamental component of why we enjoy consuming social media. It’s why we spend time on the internet. As cynical as it sounds, I have a deeper appreciation for humanity when I see something on the web and think, “Ha. I thought I was the only one that did that!” It’s kind of a weird gratificiation, but great at the same time.

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