MTS: Strategies for Managing Social Media Platforms

Montreal Toheed Society (MTS), a community-based organization founded in 2012, has adopted various social media technologies to capture member interactions and to make the work of its board of directors more efficient and effective. The organization attempted to meet its needs by using JomSocial at first, followed later by Viber. MTS was partially successful in reaching its social media goals by implementing the Viber platform. The organization is now considering migrating to a new platform to overcome some limitations of the Viber technology. Two options for a new social media platform are Telegram and WhatsApp. In order to ensure a successful migration to a new platform, MTS must consider several questions: What should be the governing structure of the new social media platform? What would be the optimal balance of user freedom versus control? What sort of content should be allowed on the platform? Given its structure, how can MTS find the resources to manage a larger digital community?

This case illustrates the challenging process of managing social media over time and articulates the levers by which managers can maintain a healthy balance between user freedom and organizational goals. It is suitable for both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses on information systems. After the completion of this case, students will be able to do the following:<ul><li>Understand different types of social media technologies and the benefits and risks associated with open and participatory platforms.</li><li>Evaluate the complexity and importance of organizational stewardship for managing social media.</li><li>Evaluate the three forms of tension on open and participatory digital platforms: user control versus autonomy, individual versus organizational benefit, and output standardization versus variety.</li><li>Use the three key managerial levers of social media systems—gateway factors, features and functions, and governing policies—to create balance in the three forms of tension.</li><li>Evaluate the potential consequences of social media drifting.</li></ul>

• digital transformation
• online community
• digital community
• digital management
• stewarding e-community
• digital stewarding
• digital drifting