Child Development and the Internet

Alef Innovations is a young and dynamic company with interests in Technology Innovation. Through one of our products – Social Media Marketing – we discovered that most children as young as 8 years are very active users of social networks. It aroused our curiosity how activity in the cyber community was affecting young minds in terms of their development and academic pursuits. We also came to realise that Education Technology was equally taking off like a whirlwind taking both educators and parents by surprise. Whilst it is easy for academic institutions to put policies and procedures in place on how Social Media can be accessed during schooling hours, when the child is at home at times parents do not see the need to monitor what children get up to when they are online. 

It is becoming almost impossible to ban our children from accessing the internet as it has become an invaluable source of information. Care needs to be taken though that not every piece of information in the cyberspace is authentic. It is equally important to note that there are many hazards that young minds can come across in the cyberspace. Some parents are literally addicts of social networks and may not be the best role models for their children.  However educators do have success stories of better results attained through incorporating the internet in the learning experience. 

It is for this reason that we thought it prudent to bring together stakeholders in child development, Information Technology and Social Commentators who are active in Social Media and are well acquainted with the happenings around these networks.

The objective of such conferences is to get these experts to share best practices in dealing with Social Media where children are involved.  For parents we want to make sure that they are aware of the dangers within these forums, we also equip them with available means of child online protection. For educators we assist them with policies and procedures suitable for their unique environments. We share with them the latest education technology available. We want these discussions to shape public policy on incorporating technology in the learning experience of our children. We also share with social workers how to identify and handle child development discords caused by technology. We share best methods of prevention and possible remedies where the situation has gone overboard. We want to involve organisations that provide this technology either as a service or particular products. From them we need to understand what systems they have put in place to protect minors. This discourse cannot be complete without the involvement of community and civic leaders. There is current legislation that governs technology in its various forms, it is important to understand what it is and how it protects minors. 

We are hosting one such conference on the 3^rd of March 2016 in Cape Town at Lagoon Beach Hotel Conference and Spar. We still have seats available and you can book yours by following this link www.cognitoforms.com/ALEFInnovations1/ConferenceRegistration 

The challenges of Education Technology

Technology is known to improve our way of life. It helps us multi task, we are able to save costs as processes can be streamlined. Through technology some physical barriers like distance can be overcome. I remember watching a short video a couple of weeks ago about refugees from one African country that were mesmerized when they found themselves in America. The cultural differences were just overwhelming. Technology makes it possible for us to have relationships with anyone from any corner of the world, and interact with them in a manner that exposes us to their lifestyles in real time.  I also watched an interesting video of airplanes battling strong winds during take off and landing, something that I have never encountered throughout my flying experience. Social Media makes it possible for us to share our experiences with the rest of the world, helping all of us to expand our worldview. This type of exposure is being exploited extensively in the education arena. Not only to expose students to other parts of the world but also to help with their learning experience. A friend on Facebook recently shared how proud they were of their child who recently completed a research on the continent of Africa. The child is only 10 years and still primary school. Some institutions are literally going paperless. Online applications (computer programs) are used to teach various concepts. Business innovation has enthused others to set up computer study centers where children get extra lessons conducted via computers.

Education Technology is most effective when it is online. Educational software is available some for free and some at minimum costs. Most schools have gone out of their way to provide hardware in the form of desktop computers, tablets and electronic boards. Schools as responsible institutions, have restrictions on which sites students are allowed to visit in the cyberspace. They are laid down policies and procedures on the access of internet even Social Media networks. However just like textbooks, parents find themselves pressed to avail cyberspace accessing gadgets for children when they are at home. Some parents have bought their kids laptops, tablets and or smartphones. Some of our homes have broadband internet with wireless connectivity (wifi). Our kids are able to navigate the internet from home for school work and entertainment. This is where the challenge begins for an average parent.  The policies and procedures from school are not applicable or enforced at home. So who is supposed to monitor what our kids are exposed to when they are at home? Who supervises their activities on Social Media when they are at home? In fact, even at school, maybe the polices are not as effective because we have seen disturbing images and videos of school children in school premises, some in classrooms. The internet and Social Media in particular, makes sharing of these videos very easy and they go viral inflicting serious emotional damages on our children.

Whilst the internet has brought in Education Technology, which enhances the learning experience and prepares our kids for the feature, it comes with some challenges. We cannot overlook the possibility of some of our educators not being technologically sound to handle appropriately this phenomenon. Neither can we underplay the possibility that some parents are equally challenged to supervise kids appropriately around this technology. Psychologists have made observations that too much time spent online leads to developmental challenges on our children. Whilst the internet has proved to be a good learning tool, it is also known to kill off imagination and self confidence two important aspects of any learning experience. Therefore, it is dangerous for kids to spend a lot of time glued to the internet. But how much time is too much time online for a child? What do you do if your child already has an internet accessing gadget but their school is not yet using any Education Technology? How can you assure the safety of children when they are online at home? For kids that already show signs of addiction, how can they be assisted? Join us as we discuss these and other cardinal issues on Child Development, Learning Experience and Online Safety in a one day conference on Social Media and Minors. For more details follow this link  alefinnovations.com/wordpressfiles/events/ 

It takes a village to raise a child - the cyberspace ain't no village

There is an old African saying that goes, "It takes a village to raise a child". The meaning behind the saying can only be understood by taking a look at an African village. An African village was made up of close family members. The village set up was such that the family head would offer pieces of land around his homestead to his offspring . The village head/chief or councilor would also be one of the close family members. Hence a child born in any of the homesteads within the village is either a brother, a cousin or a nephew. All adults in the village were related. Family matters could not wait for maternal parents seeing everyone was a close relative. When it came to matters of child upbringing, anyone within the village would always have their best interests for any minor.

Urbanization came and distorted this setup. In pursuit of economic opportunities we are now scattered so far away from our paternal families. I stay in a multi-racial complex. I have seen kids the age of my son, around 10 years publicly smoking in my neighborhood. We are of different nationalities although the majority are from our host country. Whatever values that I hold as a parent, can never be the same with those of my neighbor who hails from a different country. Most of our schools are multi-cultural, multi racial, multi-religious, and so are the teachers that spend most of day hours with our kids. I remember my father telling me that the headmaster at the school where he did his primary education was his father's (my grandfather) best friend; they actually called him uncle. Whilst we relate with our neighbors and community leaders, we are literally strangers to each other and hold different values.

Over and above urbanization we are now in the digital era where the internet rules supreme. We are now connected to strangers 24/7. You can get a solution to any situation through search engines. Someone can give you advice on how to commit suicide - even though they haven't done it themselves. You can belong to online networks and communities where there are faceless friends. Physical relationships are slowly being replaced by online relationships. For any caring parent, if your child has 5000 followers on a particular network and is chatting to hundreds of friends from chat platforms - never mistake the global village for the physical village. The cyberspace is infested with many hazards that you need to be aware of and alert your child about. In the rural village where we grew up, if my parents disciplined me and I went next door to bad mouth them, either I would get a hiding or I would be strongly reprimanded. Online we have seen children calling their parents all sorts of expletives, and you will find some members of the Cyber village encouraging such behavior. Unfortunately the same people who encourage children to do bad things, turn around and use that against them. They might start bullying them or black mail them in one way or another forcing the poor child into compromising decisions. Once emotions are damaged at a tender age, fixing them is very difficult.

Parents can not block their children from accessing the internet as some school requirements demand that. Other schools are going paperless and lessons are conducted using online applications. It is also not possible for parents to be technology masters in order to protect their kids. Some parents may not have the time to go through the child's phone/tablet/laptop and follow up on all conversations to make sure that their child is safe. Denying children access to a phone/tablet/laptop might not be possible. How best can we protect our kids. Carr Snow says, "Technology....is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other." We live in the technology era, it is our responsibility as parents to make sure our kids don't get stabbed at the back. For more information on how to protect your child, or what role you can play for a safer internet environment for children, we invite you to our conference. For more details kindly log into our website
alefinnovations.com

Smart Phone and Tablet the gift of choice for most parents

Most parents have bought their children gifts in the form of a smart phone or a tablet. Those that have not, are waiting for the perfect opportunity to do so. These clever gadgets are convenient. They make communication easy and affordable. With a budget of data only, you can still make voice calls. With these gadgets parents can trace the exact location of their kids at any particular time. Just this past week I saw a Facebook update of a parent who was fuming that her school runner had forgotten to pick up their child at school. If the child was in possession of a smart phone, the parent could have discovered this mishap earlier and easily by confirming the location of the child through online applications.

Don't we love these gadgets, they have saved many of us from embarrassment  as parents as they provide answers to our kids' home work. We can simply refer them to Google and this lady does answer any question you can imagine. With education technology, some of our schools are going paperless. Although in some instances tablets are provided, there are some instances where the child needs to have their personal gadget. If the tablet remains at school, when the child gets home, they at times become a nuisance disturbing us as we conduct important business on our gadgets. Hence the motivation to buy our kids these internet accessing gadgets. These gadgets have also eased up competition with our kids for the television set. When you want to watch your favorite program and the little one wants to watch their cartoons - its a battle you can never win. With a smartphone or tablet, kids can bury themselves in numerous games and educational material. 

However, good as these gadgets may seem, they can be very dangerous if we are not careful with what our kids are exposed to. The programs broadcast through televisions have have age restrictions, and we would not allow those under age to watch them. But even programs with 18SNVLP would not explicitly bare body parts and human copulation. The Internet accessed through smart phones and tablets leave nothing to the imagination. In fact, the Internet will show some things that are shocking to adults. This is not the only danger one encounters online, but the Cyberspace is infiltrated with strangers that have ulterior motives. Some may not be strangers but well known individuals who are given the courage of being anonymous to become iniquitous. Internet has innocent circles like Social Media networks, they may look harmless but are known to cause damage to human development.  Many families are dysfunctional because children are addicted to Social Media, they no longer converse nor are they interested in reading and school work.

It is cardinal to know what your child gets up to when they are online. They are measures that can be put in place to protect children. Schools have a role to play in Child Online Safety. For those of us in Social Work we need to understand how to care for the vulnerable who face challenges in the Cyberspace. Our community leaders must take charge in encouraging us to be responsible parents. It is now more than ever that we need policies that make the Internet a Safe Environment for all minors. In view of these concerns, on the 3rd of March, we will be hosting a conference on Social Media and Minors. You are invited to come and learn more about protecting your child from the hazards of the Cyberspace. We can not avoid having our kids access the internet - how can we secure their safety? For registration and more details visit http://alefinnovations.com/

Responsible Parenting and Cyber Gadgets

The 6th of December was my son's 11th birthday. For his present he wanted either a smartphone or a smart watch. We settled for a smartphone. The first thing we did after acquiring it was to make sure it is installed with software that blocks access to sites that have content above his age. Then we had to set rules on how he should use his gadget. We have WiFi at home and through his phone he has access to the internet. Almost all his classmates have smart phones and they have a class chat group on WhatsApp. This group can get very active and at times when I am working late they are messages that beep into his phone. The night activity of this group influenced another rule, that the phone does not go into his bedroom when he goes to sleep. Over the holidays we discovered that he was being bullied by one of his friends, a situation we had to address. Does this sound normal to a teenage parent?

As technology develops, it comes with challenges of varying degrees. I understand some kids as young as 5 years own smartphones or tablets. The challenge we face then is when we react to the hazards that come with these gadgets. At schools and at our work places, there are rules and regulations that govern the use of these gadgets. Unfortunately some of our homes are a free for all. We end up with kids who are addicted to online activities. Besides cyber bullies and sexual deviants, another danger our kids are exposed to online is Social Media communities. It becomes harmful when we fail to give them proper guidance on how to navigate this technology jungle. Maybe the bigger challenge is that we don't know how to handle it ourselves as guardians. Digital Marketing analyst Brian Solis says, "Social Media is about sociology and psychology more than technology." So, as a parent, its not about how much you are technically knowledgeable, its more about how your child is being influenced online. There is an African saying which goes, it takes a village to raise a child. That village used to be our physical neighbors. With connectivity and mobility, you have a million possible characters that have the potential to influence the character development of your child.

The academic space is equally moving with times. There is e-Learning and all schools are taking advantage of technology. Some schools have websites and are active on Social Media. This improves communication with stake holders. When there is an important message - it can be shared in real time at the click of a button instead of making numerous phone calls. Teachers can utilize various online programs for information dissemination and or conducting experiments. Carrie Snow, a stand up comedian and TV Series writer states, "Technology....is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other." Quite a mouthful. So as we cherish the advanced development that comes with technology like Social Media applications, let us beware of the hazards that come with it. Knowledge is power and we get knowledge from information; information is now readily available on the internet. However we ought to take heed of these wise words from Mitchel Kapor the founder of the spreadsheet Lotus 1-2-3, "Getting information off the internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant." The pressure can inflict serious injuries - although they can be physical, most are emotional and emotional injuries take time to heal. As a responsible parent, you would want to guide your child's Cyber Space experience.

We will be hosting a conference on Social Media and Minors in Cape Town, on the 3rd of March 2016. If you are a stakeholder in the provision of a safe environment of children, join us in this important discussion. For more details visit alefinnovations.com

Social Media in the home - Responsible Parenting

Social Media are websites and applications for social networking. Business and academia have taken advantage of these applications to roll out their own programs. Social Media Marketing is the buzz word in marketing spheres. Some governments have also joined the Social Media band wagon with e-learning projects. Students can use Social Media to do group studies with the assistance of various online communities. Connectivity and mobility makes it possible for students to tackle a number of challenging aspects of their academic journey. However, smart phones, through which social media is accessed, can spell disaster if children are left to access them without any form of supervision. Children do share stories with their peers and educators will admit that story telling is a critical component in child development. But a story shared with the wrong audience can leave children vulnerable.

Social media networks can be a dangerous jungle that can inflict damage with long lasting consequences to both children and adults if not properly managed. In most if not all organisations, there are regulations on accessing social media during working hours. After hours, if one does not discipline themselves, social media can be a serious time waster. At school, children can be allowed to access academic applications which can aid their learning experience. What is accessed at school is guided and directed. Now, who is responsible for our children's activities on social media after school hours.

Responsible parenting requires that every parent be involved in their kids activities on social media. Being involved does not necessarily mean invading their privacy but giving guidance and direction. Facebook keep reminding us of content that they do not allow on their platform. But many times we see that very content appearing on our walls. I remember Twitter also ran a campaign against bullying. These are the dangers that are available to our kids as they stroll through social networks online.

Our kids will one time or the other be exposed to undesirable issues on social media such as nudity, pornography, prostitution, vulgar language, bullying and gambling  which are all addictive in nature. Our duty as parents is to let them know about these and how to avoiding them. As a parent, you are the child's first friend and they are bound to heed your advice. Whilst teachers and relatives have a role to play, the bigger part belongs to the parent. In most cases, you the parent would have facilitated access to social media for your own child, and therefore you ought to practice responsible parenting when it comes to your child's online behavior.

As a responsible parent, how have you helped your child with this critical social phenomenon? Should you need any assistance with a social media strategy for the home, school or business - do not hesitate to contact us @innovationsalef  Alef Innivations Social Media consult  

3 Ways a Social Media Marketing Strategy can Propel Success in a Township Economy

The World Bank Group conducted a study entitled The Economics of South African Townships. It was published in August 2014 in their website http://worldbank.org This document details the potential of business opportunities in the Townships and Informal Settlements of South Africa. The Apartheid political system that marginalized natives, which was only done away with 21 years ago, left more than 60% of unemployed citizens inhabiting in these environments. Most of these settlements have limited services and are located far from commercial districts. Whilst property developers and large retailers are moving into some of these areas which are accessible; there is still huge potential for small scale entrepreneurs. Government at both National and Provincial levels have recognized this potential and are pursuing various Township Economy promoting initiatives. The private sector through programs like business incubation and capital support are also playing their part in the development of this sector. It is a fact that this scenario will bring in fierce competition between the already established businesses and the newcomers.

1. You can use Social Media Marketing as a Market Penetrating Strategy
Small entrepreneurial projects are usually similar. For any business to stand out, there is need for an effective market penetration strategy. Most conventional advertising mediums, be it print or electronic, cost an arm and a leg for a basic advert. Its critical to note that these advertisement may not necessarily reach most of the targeted audience for a small business in the Townships and Informal Settlements.  Some potential customers do not own Radio or Television sets and a newspaper or magazine is considered luxury. But now there is Social Media. There is no household that does not have at least one occupant who owns a smart phone and are online most of the day time into early evening hours. Almost all these individuals are on more than one Social Media Forum that offers Marketing services. A smart entrepreneur will utilize the services of Social Media Marketing to build a sustainable competitive advantage. It is important to understand what campaigns will tickle your prospecting customers. Planning can not be over emphasized.

2. You can use Social Media as an affordable Advertising Medium
Social Media Marketing campaigns can be quite affordable with the possibility of producing them in-house. One would need to master the use of some applications and tools which are available online, some for free whilst those requiring subscriptions do not cost much. Some form of informal training could help boost one's mastery. In Social Media Marketing we share content that is produced in a manner that attracts attention and encourages readers to also share. The content describes us and our services or products and when our content is shared, its like we get a free ride through the activities of our customers to reach potential market. Most of the material that has gone viral, is original work that has not been edited. Creating and broadcasting of this content can create business opportunities.

3. You can use Social Media to acquire loyal Brand Ambassadors and Marketing Data
Cardinal to success in our Social Media activities is the process of attracting and growing followers. It is essential that we have a number of organic followers before we consider boosting our activities. I would not advise buying of any followers because they may not be within out target market. The process of identifying Who we are targeting; What we will share with them; How we will reach them and When we want to reach them; is another business opportunity in the Township Economy for another small entrepreneur. The data that we will gather can lead to us to other profitable ventures if we analyse it properly. Data analysis could actually be another business potential for other entrepreneurs within the Township economy. Since Social Media Activities are available to us at no extra infrastructure, besides our smartphones; these activities are a mine rich with enormous business potential.

What other potential business opportunities have you identified within the Township or Informal Settlement Economy that one can pursue through Social Media Activities? You can share with your valued comments. Should you be interested in participating in this lucrative venture, we are more than willing to assist.

4 Reasons why Social Media Strategy should be part of our Enterprise Resource Process (ERP)

Every organisation has got different operating systems. For a manufacturing business you have the planning, purchasing, inventory, production, warehousing, delivery, sales, accounting, human resources, public relations etc.  With the aid of information technology it became possible to streamline processes and integrate them whilst automating some activities. Technology world has termed this the Enterprise Resource Process. An automated environment aids organisations to be effective and efficient. The quest for better effectiveness and more efficiency, which are driven by a better bottom line without compromising quality; are the reasons we keep developing improved software. This has also led to Mobile Applications that have popularized Social Media and can be integrated with our main stream business processes. Below are four reasons why a Social Media Strategy should be incorporated into any Enterprise Resource Process.

1. A Social Media Strategy can be aimed at both internal and external communities. Whilst content marketing targets external followers, internal communications can also be enhanced through Social Media Forums. Almost everyone in the working class has some form of visibility in the Social Media Forums. A loyal internal community is an attractive environment for positive communication. Above that when our internal stake holders rave about us, they become part of the whirlpool that draws followers into our Social Media Forums including positioning us positively on Search Engine Optimization.

2. Back office and front office communication can be automated so that delivery, confirmation of receipt and response can all be in real time.  Most ERP software include automated communication. But having internal and external communication embedded in Social Media activities will improve the communication process. Information is relevant when it is delivered and acted upon on timely. Some of our clients do not pay on agreed time intervals and claim not to have received invoices on time. If we are able to twit and share pictures in real time, so can we share business information and records on time - of cause with a little innovation.

3. Content Marketing is all about telling our story. In ERP processes is embedded our story that needs to be heard by both internal and external stakeholders. How we perform our various functions defines who we are and shapes our values. This uniqueness in our operations is the content that we want to share with our followers in order to gain their loyalty.

4. In order for our ERP process to remain relevant in this ever changing environment, it has to be continuously reviewed. There is no better way to improve what we are doing than to be given ideas by our stakeholders. All our processes are meant to impress our stakeholders. Our shareholders want us to have better profits, our employees want better care whilst our customers want a better service. A Social Media Strategy that meets its obligations, can provide the best platform to gather recommendations.

If you are planning on a Social Media Strategy, we can help you with its formulation all the way up to implementation. We can also review your current activities and help you to make them meet your organisational goals. Don't forget to share the article so that others may have this valuable information.

A Campaign on Social Media Gone Viral.........

Social Media Marketing is given value by Content Marketing. Your audience have to feel the need to be part of your product through understanding and identifying with it. Content marketing can therefore be referred to also as Target Marketing. It is not everyone who will be tickled by your content. That you will only appeal to a specific group goes without telling. Clearly it will not be possible for your content to tickle everyone.  An attempt to please everyone might dilute the results of your efforts to the extent of them being labelled as spam. Therefore, your strategic intent in a Social Media campaign is to appeal to a specific target audience. The main aim is appeal for engagement. If they only view your work; that is good. If they view and comment, that is excellent; it is actually your aim. If they view and share, that is a bonus, your potential reach might end up imeasurable. At the end of the day, brand loyalty is forged with those that rave about your products.

In Social Media Marketing, you have to put a personality to your campaigns so that your audience can identify with this particular personality. A personality has unique characteristics and not everyone will identify with a particular personality. There will always be different strokes that tickle different folks. Know your target audience. Plan and execute to appeal to your target. Conventional marketing campaigns in both print and electronic media, are like a shot in the dark aimed at everyone. With Content Marketing, the target is specific and the results are not only real but are measured on real time. Analytics in Social Media are an accurate reflection and will show you even where your audience was not happy with your efforts. We might know the viewership of a particular TV program but we may never know how many liked or actually viewed our advert slotted during prime time.

Most posts that have gone viral are associated with negativity. In blogging it is possible to ride on current events and align your campaigns on such activities. But again even with current affairs, it is the bad and the ugly that always have the viral effect. For instance the current Xenophobic attacks tacking place in South Africa. Shameful and inhuman as they are, one can choose to ride their marketing campaign on them. With a well thought out campaign, your work can go viral like the gory images and videos emanating from this incidence. But again you would not want your brand to be remembered through such kind of activities or associated with such.

I do not believe that a Social Media campaign ought to go viral. I believe that our campaigns must target specific audiences with a mission to compel engagement. If we are able to have such an effect on our audiences that they feel obliged to share our content, then we might as well have expanded our market potential as further sharing can go on for a while. This however is different from the viral effect of maybe an indecent image about maybe a prominent public figure caught in a compromising position. But again, like noted earlier, somebody whose campaign has no need for morals, can ride on such an event. The different strokes is also relevant in this scenario, as there maybe some that love gossip.

Social Media, the only media for some....

The advent of broadband with affordable internet, home wi-fi and smartphones, has left the average person with more options for media and entertainment. There are some who no longer own television sets whilst other long stopped buying newspapers and magazines.  Connectivity options, have made it possible for many to be online most of the time. Both formal and informal communication has migrated to online channels which are available as long as one is connected to the internet. Social and professional groups also keep us online all the time.

Online media has more advantages over conventional media because information is shared in real time. It is a fact that time is money and any peace of news received at the earliest possible time, will always carry with it potential for either outperforming competition or introduction of a new innovation. It is therefore cardinal for any entrepreneur to have a presence in the Social Media corridors. Timely information can also be cardinal for personal reasons, which could be safety, economic or even academic. Some institutions, private or public are also using Social Media forums for communication.

On the entertainment front, music is easily downloadable online and cost far much less than what is on the conventional music stores. Some music houses are only producing online versions of their work. There are also a number of online television and radio stations. Watching one's favorite movie, is now easier with so many movie channels and stores that are online. A number of Tv series and even some sopies are also now available online. All these online activities, make it not so necessary to own a radio or television set.

Clearly this has left the traditional advertising agencies under survival threat. Whilst other have migrated to the Social Media channels, there are some that still do not see the need for it. For anybody planning to run a marketing campaign, it is a fact that if they ignore Social Media, there will miss out reaching a sizable potential market.  It is therefore cardinal for any business to have a Social Media Marketing strategy.  An indisputable fact though, is that there are some traditional individuals, who are still loyal to the conventional media channels. It makes it important therefore to run the campaigns on both channels. Whilst adverts on the conventional channels, can cost an arm and a leg, with the right assistance, the cost for a campaign on Social Media will never break the bank account. An understanding of your audience will then help to know how much effort to spend on which channel. How have you migrated your marketing campaigns from conventional to Social Media? We would like to hear from you and don't forget to share this article so that others may be informed.

Hobbies turned into formal business projects through Social Media

Social Media platforms have a lot of business opportunities. Most of them are embedded in our hobbies. Take for instance someone who loves photography and they always take photos and share them on Social Media platforms. Some photos may end up being used on promotions and can earn the armature photographer extra income. There are some who attend various functions and after sharing interesting moments they captured during the event, end up receiving offers to use their work on formal advertisements. The joy with Social Media is that there are Tools and Applications for almost anything. Some of the armature work can be edited to look really professional. For videos, one can get free background music or other video streams to add on one's recording. A hobby in writing(blogging) can also be polished through a number of free Applications and Tools. Some people are naturally gifted at engaging debates on various topics. These debates can be sponsored with promoters of products related to the topic under discussion offering prices. Big projects shared through Social Media, which were success stories, began as pass time activities.

Social Media has also saved entrepreneurs the inhibiting cost of R&D especially in market survey. In Social Media, there is instant communication and observation of customer needs. For instance, the Selfie Stick. Its invention did not require a market survey since it was a fact that most if not all travelers shoot selfies and at times end up risking requesting strangers to do this for them. With the stick, one is able to do it all by themselves. I recently read about friends who have designed another version of a selfie stick but this one is for recording motion pictures. There is a ready market for this product both in the formal and informal sectors of Social Media activities.

Most Social Media commentators, warn us of the hazard of reducing our productivity by spending too much time on Social Media platforms. The best form of business one can ever run is where they enjoy what they are doing. Turning a hobby into a business, will assure one of success, because a critical ingredient for any project; being motivated - is assured. However other project management components remain cardinal, as motivation alone, cannot assure success. Social Media is about engagement, if you enjoy photography, Videography, writing (blogging) - there are business opportunities for you in the Social Media corridors. It is estimated that individuals have about 200-300 friends per Social Media platform. Each one of these friends have almost the same number of followers. Imagine you post an interesting story and just about 10% of your friends share it with their friends who in turn share it with their own friends. The potential total reach is enormous. That is the potential each individual has to send a message; recommend a product; or run a campaign. Remember to share a post will not need more than 30 minutes of your time including editing, despite the media of your choice. Applications and Tools will help speed up the process.

Each one of us is a potential marketer and most of the informal communication we share on a daily basis, can be turned into business opportunities that could earn us extra income whilst our other professional lives proceed undisturbed. Our activities on Social Media, can be co-opted into marketing strategies of whatever projects that we are running.  Are you running any formal activity on Social Media that  began as a hobby? Share with us your experiences and observations through your valued comments. Dont forget to also share this post so that we can empower others. For your training and strategy implementation on Social Media, contact us on alson@alefinnovations.com

Alef Innovations - Video speaks louder than text......

Facts about videos on Social Media:-

• The brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text - 3m Corporation and Zabisco
• On the top shared content 48% is video..... - Moz
• Videos are shared 13 times more than links and text combined - Orion21
• One minute of video is worth 1.8 million words - Forrester Research
• 100 million people watch video online each day - Britefire

The popular videos are actually not those that are professionally captured and edited but armature productions that depict originality and tell an undiluted story.......

If you have recorded interesting videos, we will help you put them together and make them part of your digital marketing strategy #socialmediastrategies

Social Media as your life coach

The status updates that we make on a daily basis in our various platforms are reflections of our experiences. We tell various stories. Depending on the platform of our choice, we may be restricted from sharing certain things or presenting our selves in certain ways. In some platforms as soon as we click the send or share button, that information ceases to be ours or under our control. Social Media platforms have become places where we learn to play by the rules and practice self discipline. Failure to do this has consequences that may be dire.

A status update is never enough to articulate and attract loyal followers that can be convinced to do business with you. This is where blogging becomes an important part of your Social Media strategy. In a blog you will be able to explain and express yourself in detail. However, the blog is also another master teacher of discipline and commitment. You are restricted to a topic and a style of writing that will be appealing to your targeted audience. You will have to be consistent on producing in the times that are expected, otherwise your followers will loose interest and follow someone else. A good article will allow readers to contribute by adding their views or asking questions. There are also encouraged to share the article with their friends on other platforms, who in turn will share with their other friends. But once your article is published, you have to be available to respond to any questions and comments so that your audience feels part of your conversation. Remember Social Media is about engagement.

May business projects have well articulated business plans, but at times lack of discipline on the part of the promoters lead to the failure of projects that are otherwise pregnant with potential. Social Media, because of the personal commitment one has to put on it, can be a be a strategic performance measure. For your Social Media strategy to be successful, it cannot be outsourced. For a small enterprise, the owner has to manage all Social Media accounts. For big corporations, various strategies can be implemented. Some opt for departments to run their own campaigns whilst others have a center coordinating Social Media activities. Some do sub contract the Social Media activity to third parties, but to be frank, a third party can only help you set up but the may not know every detail about your organisation as would be inquired by your clients. Social Media is not just a Public Relations exercise, use it to engage with your clients, whilst you provide them with relevant content about your business. We would love to hear your views on how Social Media is aiding your personal, social and professional life.

Social Media: An Antidote for Social Confinement

Social Media: An Antidote for Social Confinement

We have come a long way since 1999 when the Blogger and Napster was born, social media has brought a flurry of innovation and advancement personal interaction, shrinking the world into a “global village” which contains the hustle and bustle of a suburban city yet providing enhanced opportunities. Social media   as according to Jandle (1973) is a “reciprocal of time-space convergence”, that allows its users to interact amongst individuals, communities and organizations (Wikipedia).

As a generalization Social Media is largely known as a social site a medium where people can be social, get to know what is happening in the lives of friends, family, get in touch with old mates, or make new mates, enlarging the social interactions and circles of people. However according to CNET there is a growing interest in Companies in utilizing Social Media for marketing purposes, In 2013, 77 percent of the Fortune 2000 companies are using Social Media  a 8%  jump from 69% in 2012. The major apps in use being Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Blog, Pineinterest, Foursquare and Instagram.  This is estimated to increase as most have expressed interest in utilizing Social Media more, as it facilitates international advertising in three major ways (1) Networking Capacitating , cutting across geographic boundaries, and cultures.;(2) Enabling Image Transferability, a crucial key to attracting consumer markets ;(3) Enabling Personal Extensibility , overcoming the “friction of distance through communication” ( Okazake et al ,2013).  Companies like Tripadvisor, Virtual Tenant have revolutionalized the travel perspectives of holiday seekers, Advergames have brought a marketing concept that entices the gamer to desire a real life experience with products, increasing brand loyalty and sales. Twitter and Facebook the largest marketing company’s having 8,5 million and 95 million followers as per twitter records.   There is a new found ability to engage customers, partners, and vendors in ways that are beyond the imagination that were never present before.

In the academic space, several articles have been written about social media both on a positivist and interprativist ontology.  Conceptual Frameworks from the theories of Social Capital and Technology Acceptance Models to name a few have been utilized in the researches done to understand the phenomena that Social Media presents. The ability of Social Media to reach a wide community of practices brings into question the potential that it presents in” tools, platforms, processes, and scholarly voices working in the field of Digital Humanities” (Morris and Stommel, 2014). Of interest is a research done by Coleman (2013) regarding Social Media as Primary source of this age. In it Academic s are found to be quite active in the Social Media Space and according to his sample of participants there are five main reasons why they use Social Media: (1) Keeping up to date with topics; (2) Following other Researchers works ;( 3) Discovering new ideas or publications;(4) Promoting current work or research; and (5) Making new research contacts.  A growing number of articles and journals are utilizing the Social Media space as a repository.  Collaboration between connoisseurs is facilitated, on all levels, theoretical, practical, and technical ensuring sustainable teamwork.   

Where ever its being used, Social Media is providing a platform of communicating that ensures powerful networks between individuals, communities and organizations. These networks used wisely have the power to accomplish not only a lot of good but great emancipation of the users and their associates. 

Sophie Bhebe Msc Comp Scie. (NUST); D Tech (Candidate) (CPUT)

email - sophiebhebe@gmail.com; twiter - @sophiebhebe

Social Media and Small Enterprise Opportunities

Social Media and Small Enterprise Opportunities

The average member of any social media platform, engages to have a good time through sharing memorable lighter moments in life. Others also engage in discussion of various topics and yet some use these platforms to gossip. Various interests groups have different forms of engagements within these platforms. Some companies have turned to Social Media to pursue aggressive digital and electronic online marketing. Civic and Non Profit Organisations have also taken to Social Media to campaign for their programs and or specific projects.

What makes Social Media appeal to almost all spheres of life is engagement. Most marketing campaigns suffer the challenge of arm twisting if not forcing potential clients, and most of their promises are not real. Because the very nurture of Social Media is to get participants to share precious moments and ideas, advertisements and marketing campaigns on these platforms, have the same flair. All promotions are based on active participation with the targeted audience. Potential clients are encouraged to re-tweet, to like to comment or even make an addition on a campaign. The promoter also has to respond to all comments, leaving the potential client with the feeling that their views are valued. This naturally builds loyalty which could be turned into potential business or repeat sales.

A small scale entrepreneur can penetrate an existing market or introduce a new product without a lot of investment in marketing campaigns. Building relationships does all the advertising. There is no better way to win someone's trust than to engage them in a conversation. Social Media offers a platform to engage with potential clients. Most conventional advertisements are based on artificial scenarios and promises that are seldom realized. A campaign on Social Media addresses the exact challenges of the potential client and the promises can be measured against an identified need. The potential client is able to engage with the supplier and discuss not only the details of the product or service but any other possible interventions in solving the situation.

Social Media provides more opportunities to small scale enterprises as they are able to engage with potential clients. There are automated systems that can be used to respond to client queries and inquiries, but its easy to distinguish responses that are not personal. Once the potential client feels that there are not being given individual attention, they may loose trust in the potential supplier. Social Media is available to everyone who owns a smart phone and most teen to adults own these gadgets. A entrepreneur with the zeal to appeal to any targeted market or grow their market share, can successfully do so, at the fraction cost of conventional advertising, through Social Media.

Social Media in the home - Responsible Parenting

Social Media is a platform that has various learning tools. Students can use it to do group studies with the assistance of various online communities. Connectivity and mobility makes it possible for students to tackle a lot of challenging aspects of their academic journey. However, smart phones from which social media is accessed can spell disaster if children are left to access it on their own. Children can share stories with their peers and educators will agree that story telling is a critical component in child development. But a story shared with the wrong audience can leave child exposed and vulnerable.

Social media can be a dangerous jungle that can inflict damage with long lasting consequences to children if not properly managed. In most if not all organisations, there are regulations on accessing social media during working hours. After hours, if one does not discipline themselves, social media can be a serious time waster. At school, children can be allowed to access academic applications and conduct research. What is accessed at school is guided and directed. Now, who is responsible for the children's activities on social media after school hours.

Responsible parenting requires that every parent be involved in their kids activities on social media. Being involved does not necessarily mean invading their privacy but giving guidance and direction on their social media activities.  Recently we had Facebook reminding us of content that they do not allow on their platform. But many times we have seen that very content appearing, even though its reported. There is a campaign currently running on Twitter against bullying. These are the dangers available to our kids at the click of a button.

Our kids will one time or the other be exposed to undesirable items on social media such as nudity, pornography, prostitution, vulgar language, bullying, gambling and addiction to games amongst other challenges. Our duty as parents is to let them know about these and how to avoiding them. As a parent, you are the child's first friend and they are bound to heed your advice. Whilst teachers and other relatives have a role to play, the bigger part belongs to the parent. In most cases, you the parent would have facilitated access to social media for your own child, and therefore you ought to practice responsible parenting when it comes to social media in your home.alson@alefinnovations.com