semester has ended

Our class is over, but for many of the students in fall 2007 Social Media class the journey in understanding social media has just begun!

In this class, we spent most of the semester creating student-selected social media projects then worked to make those projects a success. From marketing via Facebook to making good ole fashioned business cards & hitting the pavement, each student worked to increase viewership of his or her project.

Another major project involved students coming up with a proposal for an organization to integrate social media. The best of the best were covered on the blog so if you're ever looking for inspiration then check them out.

We provided extensive live coverage of the social media conference UGA Connect. Live blogging, twitter'ing, flickr'ing, podcasts & interviews. We did the same for the college's PRSSA chapter event, Professional Connection. Was there anything the students didn't do in sharing the on-site experience with the out-of-town observers?

And then there was the 48 hours of Twitter assignment that everyone loved! What fun!

Thanks to everyone who followed & interacted with this class - especially the professionals who did a "digital drop-in" for our "social media spotlite" series.

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For more information about UGA's Grady College, please visit http://www.grady.uga.edu .

To contact Dr. Kaye Sweetser, please visit her blog or faculty page.

YouTube: An Effective Political Medium?

Last night the 8 potential Republican presidential candidates squared off in their first ever YouTube debate. As we had previously talked about the Democratic YouTube debate, I was excited to finally have the chance to watch it live.

Listen to whether or not I think the YouTube format is going to be successful in the political arena.

Bringing Social Media to Sports

There was a recent post on how we haven't really discussed social media in relation to sports. There is a company called XOS Technologies that is using social media to promote professional sports and I thought that this would be a great listen for everyone.

Listen here.

XOS Technologies is one of the leading technology partners for maximizing the value of content and commerce for sports organizations and fans.

Facebook is Ruining Christmas

So maybe you avoided the black friday mall rush and opted to buy your Christmas presents online this year, but did you know that the website you bought it from may have let the cat out of the bag. The beloved social media website of college students everywhere is to blame for spoiling Christmas. Facebook has added a new feature that broadcasts users information. In an article on SociaMediaToday.com, it discusses the problem the feature poses. This podcast gives a more detailed description of the problem and the larger implications.

Ben Leathers....How He is Putting His New Skills to Work!

Taking Dr. Scott Shamp's new media class is highly recommended by student Ben Leathers. In my interview with Ben, he shares his views on the average college student's knowledge of social media methods and where he sees social media headed in the future.

Ben is not only enrolled in the coolest class ever, but he is also one of the founders of the organization Tumornators, which creates fundraising efforts to raise money for NF and Schwannomatosis research. He also tells us the social media methods they used recently for their "Rock 4 Research" campaign.

Click here to listen to this exclusive interview.

Second Life Concerts...Were They Successful?

In a previous posting, we learned that UGA's Music Business Certificate Program partnered up with the New Media Institute to put on live concerts in Second Life.

I interviewed Steve Dancz, academic director of the MBUS program, to see how the concerts turned out. Steve speaks highly of Second Life and believes it greatly benefits young artists. Click here to listen and learn about the impact Second Life has on the music industry.

Social Media and Politics

Social media and politics must be one of my favorite combinations ever, but I'm not sure it's being used to its full potential at this point. It could be a great tool to open up discussion (two-way communication, hello!), but as my friend Shannon - a former blogger and politics aficionada like myself - points out, in most cases it's only being used as a recruitment tool.

Click here to listen to our discussion of politicians joining the social media realm through the YouTube debates, Second Life, blogs and more.