Exploring questions of both exploitation and empowerment, Understanding Social Media provides a critical conceptual toolbox for navigating the evolution and practices of social media. Taking an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach, it explores the key themes and concepts, going beyond specific platforms to show you how to place social media more critically within the changing media landscape. Updated throughout, the Second Edition of this bestselling text includes new and expanded discussions of: Qualitative and quantitative approaches to researching social media Datafication and algorithmic cultures Surveillance, privacy and intimacy The rise of apps and platforms, and how they shape our experiences Sharing economies and social media publics The increasing importance of visual economies AR, VR and social media play Death and digital legacy Tying theory to the real world with a range of contemporary case studies throughout, it is essential reading for students and researchers of social media, digital media, digital culture, and the creative and cultural industries.

Understanding Social Media is the essential guide to social media for students and professionals alike. Drawing on the experience, advice and tips from dozens of digital marketers and social media superstars, it is an extensive crowd-sourced guide to social media platforms. Illustrated throughout with case studies from both successful and failed campaigns, Understanding Social Media democratizes knowledge of social media and promotes best practice, answering questions such as 'How do you create a compelling social media campaign?', 'How do you build and engage with an audience?' and 'Where is the line between online PR and social media drawn?' It is the most comprehensive and practical reference guide to social media available.

Instructors - Electronic inspection copies are available or contact your local sales representative for an inspection copy of the print version. Understanding Social Media provides a critical and timely conceptual toolbox for navigating the evolution and practices of social media. Taking an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach, this book provides a clear and concise explanation of the key concepts but also goes beyond specific brands, sites and practices to show readers how to place social media more critically within the changing media and cultural landscape. As an aid to understanding, key concepts in each chapter are illustrated by case studies to give real-world examples of theory in action. Cutting across the many dimensions of social media, from the political, economic and visual, this book explores the industries, ideologies and cultural practices that are increasingly becoming part of global popular culture.

Understanding Social Networks explains the big ideas that underlie social networks, covering fundamental concepts then discussing networks and their core themes in increasing order of complexity.

Social media offers an opportunity for people to enlarge their exposure to information; information about important changes and trends in technology, markets, government policies, or society in general that can facilitate entrepreneurship, business development, and more. Despite the widespread cultural and social effects of social media in the way people communicate and interact, little research has addressed the role of social media in entrepreneurship. This book fills this gap by exploring the influence and consequences social media has on entrepreneurship at the individual level, group level, venture (firm) level and societal level. Specific social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) will be explored as well as topics such as gender, education and socioemotional wealth.

Explains "what's real and what's fake on the various social media platforms, and how to tell the difference"--Publisher marketing.