Once again, trying to find something of interest to write about that wasn't completely over discussed I stumbled upon the blog of a CEO (which just so happens to be the topic of last class!) Ronn Torossian is the CEO of a PR firm in NYC, 5W Public Relations.
In his recent post, Social Media & PR, Torossian talks about a discussion had with staff about the uses of social media. He points out that several people use Facebook as a means of creating a relationship with reporters. Through this relationship, they are then able to tailor pitches in a way that appeals to the reporter and therefor the story has a better chance of being picked up.
A commenter furthered Torossian's point saying he used Facebook to better understand a reporters interests and then moves from there.
It got me thinking... what ways have I (and others) used Facebook?
A few semesters back I took a marketing class in which the entire semester was spent writing a 40+ page paper. Now, if that wasn't bad enough, it was a group project. Even worse, the groups had to be at least 5-7 members. How a teacher expected five people to be able to work together all semester and calabratively write an (awesome) paper is beyond me. Unfortunately, I had no choice.
I had one friend in the class and we had a weekend to decide who to have in our groups. No one in the class really seemed up for the whole talk and get to know each other scenario so Gabe and I got smart about it... we got onto Blackboard, pulled up the class roster, and started Facebook stalking people in the class.
The next class period Gabe and I felt we'd found three students that seemed hard working, responsible, and shared similar characteristics. We approached them, asked if they wanted to be in our group and no one hesitated! Twelve weeks later we completed the paper and only had one disagreement throughout the process. To this day the teacher can't believe we were able to work that well together.
Call it chance if you will, but I fully believe it was using Facebook to scope out prospect that made the project so successful. If it worked that well for me, I can only imagine how well it works for PR professionals trying to establish credibility and relationships with journalists.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Social Media, What is it?
Using my handy dandy RSS reader, I came across this edgy slideshow (pictured below) via Slide Share. I suppose it was the use of profanity in the title that really caught my eye at first. However, after quickly scrolling through it I decided it was a creative and attention grabbing way of explaining Social Media in layman's terms. Kind of like a "Social Media for Dummies" on crack.
Created by Marta Z. Kagan, a social media evangelist and online marketing professional, the slideshow defines social media as "an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio" (slide 2). It is the process of "people having conversations online" (slide 3).
So why should people care? The slideshow states that social networking is more popular than porn and that other forms of advertising are less effective than many believe them to be. Check out all the interesting (and slightly frightening!) statistics on social media participation and advertising.
Kagan also lists some of the many reasons we discussed in class for using social media: transparency, flexibility, consumer-driven, etc. Not to mention, Social Media will only continue to gain ground in the future as technology becomes everyday for everyone.
Using creative graphics and language many students (and young adults) can relate to, Kagan makes a great case for why Social Media is important, what it is, and how to get involved. While many slideshows bore me to tears, I found myself interested in what this show had to say and it really helped continue to explain Social Media and its importance.
What do you guys think of it?
Created by Marta Z. Kagan, a social media evangelist and online marketing professional, the slideshow defines social media as "an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio" (slide 2). It is the process of "people having conversations online" (slide 3).
So why should people care? The slideshow states that social networking is more popular than porn and that other forms of advertising are less effective than many believe them to be. Check out all the interesting (and slightly frightening!) statistics on social media participation and advertising.
Kagan also lists some of the many reasons we discussed in class for using social media: transparency, flexibility, consumer-driven, etc. Not to mention, Social Media will only continue to gain ground in the future as technology becomes everyday for everyone.
Using creative graphics and language many students (and young adults) can relate to, Kagan makes a great case for why Social Media is important, what it is, and how to get involved. While many slideshows bore me to tears, I found myself interested in what this show had to say and it really helped continue to explain Social Media and its importance.
What do you guys think of it?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
StumbleUpon -- Entertainment or Social Bookmarking Tool? Or both?
All last summer my roommate would come in my room and show me new pictures, websites, recipes, etc. and every time I asked how she found it she'd just say "oh I stumbled upon it". It wasn't until about a month later that I asked her what she meant. That was when she introduced me to my new favorite obsession, StumbleUpon. No joke, for at least a week I stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning just repeatedly pressing "Stumble" to see what new and interesting website I came across.
For those who don't know, Stumble Upon is a social bookmarking site using Mozilla Firefox. You download a tool bar to your internet browser and basically train it to what you like and are interested in. From there, you're just a click away from a world of new information!
To be honest, I never knew that Stumble Upon was a social bookmarking site until class recently. In fact, I didn't even really know what a social bookmarking site was. However, in my short lived obsession with the program it has allowed me to do so many different things I never knew I needed.
For instance, work! I work for my dad's photography studio and he is constantly looking for new and interesting poses and backdrops. So... I told stumble upon I was interested in artistic creations, photoshop, photography, etc. and presto! I was able to pull up a ton of new ideas with a few clicks and hardly any time waisted.
When I took Capstone this past summer and I was in the preliminary stages of picking a topic, I thought it'd be funny to see if I could use Stumble Upon to break the surface!! So... I told stumble upon that I was interested in controversial issues, immigration, politics, and other similar keywords and within half an hour I'd narrowed in on a topic. Better yet, when it came time to find parties involved I used stumble upon to find non-profits and support groups!
As with all social bookmarking sites and similar internet tools, it is interesting to think about all the things you can do... a chef can use social bookmarking sites to find recipes, photographers can find images, parents can find helpful parenting tools... And if you happen to come across a social bookmarker with similar interests, just subscribe to their posts via RSS feeds and in minutes you can bring all the information to you! With all the new technologies springing up I can't help but wonder... what's next?
For those who don't know, Stumble Upon is a social bookmarking site using Mozilla Firefox. You download a tool bar to your internet browser and basically train it to what you like and are interested in. From there, you're just a click away from a world of new information!
To be honest, I never knew that Stumble Upon was a social bookmarking site until class recently. In fact, I didn't even really know what a social bookmarking site was. However, in my short lived obsession with the program it has allowed me to do so many different things I never knew I needed.
For instance, work! I work for my dad's photography studio and he is constantly looking for new and interesting poses and backdrops. So... I told stumble upon I was interested in artistic creations, photoshop, photography, etc. and presto! I was able to pull up a ton of new ideas with a few clicks and hardly any time waisted.
When I took Capstone this past summer and I was in the preliminary stages of picking a topic, I thought it'd be funny to see if I could use Stumble Upon to break the surface!! So... I told stumble upon that I was interested in controversial issues, immigration, politics, and other similar keywords and within half an hour I'd narrowed in on a topic. Better yet, when it came time to find parties involved I used stumble upon to find non-profits and support groups!
As with all social bookmarking sites and similar internet tools, it is interesting to think about all the things you can do... a chef can use social bookmarking sites to find recipes, photographers can find images, parents can find helpful parenting tools... And if you happen to come across a social bookmarker with similar interests, just subscribe to their posts via RSS feeds and in minutes you can bring all the information to you! With all the new technologies springing up I can't help but wonder... what's next?
7 Deadly Sins of Social Media
Thanks to my new RSS reader and Google Alerts, I recently came across a website stating the "7 deadly sins of social media":
Out of the seven sins mentioned above, I think its safe to say that the gossip blog abides by the rules most of the time. Post are generally humorous and playful (sin 7), Perez is quick to respond and react (sins 1 and 2), he always provides additional sources for posts (sin 5), and never appears afraid to get in trouble (sin 3). For the most part, I think the blog follows the typical etiquette rules expected of bloggers, which is probably why its had such success.
However, you have to wonder if he (Perez) decided to stop following the rules of the blogosphere, what would happen to his popularity? Considering that many of his readers are probably unaware of typical "blog behavior" (think young readers who only care to hear the latest on Britney Spear's unstable lifestyle) do you think he would disappear into the blog graveyard? Or, does the blog produce such a loyal following that many of these sins would be overlooked?
Because I haven't spent much time reading blogs until recently, I find this is really the only example I can personally relate to. However, I would love to find out more about blogs and bloggers that don't necessarily follow the rules, and if they are still able to attract a fan base. Can anyone think of a good example?
- Deafness
- Slowness
- Caution
- Phoniness
- Greed
- Inflexibility
- Seriousness
Out of the seven sins mentioned above, I think its safe to say that the gossip blog abides by the rules most of the time. Post are generally humorous and playful (sin 7), Perez is quick to respond and react (sins 1 and 2), he always provides additional sources for posts (sin 5), and never appears afraid to get in trouble (sin 3). For the most part, I think the blog follows the typical etiquette rules expected of bloggers, which is probably why its had such success.
However, you have to wonder if he (Perez) decided to stop following the rules of the blogosphere, what would happen to his popularity? Considering that many of his readers are probably unaware of typical "blog behavior" (think young readers who only care to hear the latest on Britney Spear's unstable lifestyle) do you think he would disappear into the blog graveyard? Or, does the blog produce such a loyal following that many of these sins would be overlooked?
Because I haven't spent much time reading blogs until recently, I find this is really the only example I can personally relate to. However, I would love to find out more about blogs and bloggers that don't necessarily follow the rules, and if they are still able to attract a fan base. Can anyone think of a good example?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Privacy and the Internet
Oh the 2008 presidential election.... I'm not one for politics, most of the time anyway, because I don't feel I know enough about the facts to form an opinion that I'm willing to stand by relentlessly (like so many people are.) But, with all the drama (yes, I prefer to see it as drama) surrounding the candidates I've had a hard time staying out of it.
I recently received an email regarding Republican vice-president hopeful Sarah Palin, forwarded to me by my mother. It first caught my attention because it opened with the following statement:
Dear friends,
So many people have asked me about what I know about Sarah Palin in the last 2 days that I decided to write something up . . .
Basically, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton have only 2 things in common: their gender and their good looks. :)
You have my permission to forward this to your friends/email contacts with my name and email address attached, but please do not post it on any websites, as
there are too many kooks out there . . .
Thanks,
Anne
When I mentioned the email to my dad, his first response was "give it a few days and it will be all over the news". Being naive, I told him that I doubted it and believed the email would stay in circulation but didn't think anyone would end up posting it anywhere. I suppose I thought the author's wishes would be respected.
Turns out I was way wrong. Crosscut News of Seattle reprinted the email with sites like Digg.com and Zimbio picking up the story. I guess what perplexes me is Crosscut is claiming they reprinted the email in its entirety yet they clearly leave out the introduction from Anne asking that the email doesn't make it on the web.
Obviously several things could have happened here... For one, Anne may have granted the website permission to post the email sans the introduction. However, I think its more likely the email was picked up and posted without the introduction and without permission.
Either way, the story is out. I suppose the author knew deep down her words would not stay secret for long. It would be unrealistic to expect such a substantial commentary on Palin to circulate the web (though through private email) and be completely ignored by the media. However, it further demonstrates that in the new age of the internet, nothing is private. It is becoming more and more difficult to keep your private life seperate from your public. I think Ashley makes a good point of this dilemma in her recent blogpost.
What do you think? Do you think that Crosscut picked up the email and posted it with permission? If not, do you still think the decision to post the article, claiming it was in entirety, is ethical? Unethical? And, what are your opinions on privacy and the internet? Should personal information via Facebook and Myspace pages be available? Where do we draw the line?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wiki's Implications for Public Relations Practices
Prior to class discussion I knew very little about wikis and all the ways they can be used. I'd never really thought about how important they are for someone in the PR profession.
In one sense, it makes the job of PR professionals a little bit easier. If negative information is posted about a client on a wiki it can easily be edited or removed. Using RSS feeds and readers, someone can easily "clean-up" their image with the click of a few buttons. It allows someone the ability to correct faulty information sometimes within moments of it coming into existence.
Unfortunately, it works in the opposite direction as well. Where as previously it took more effort for someone to post inaccurate or incriminating information about someone, it is now easier and quicker. PR professionals have most likely come to find that they have more information to sift through than before.
I also find it interesting to think about all the ethical implications of wikis and a company/individuals ability to alter the information pertaining to them that exists on the web.
It makes me wonder what I would do if I were in the public eye and found information posted about me on a wiki that I did not like. It would be instinct to want to correct the information or remove it... but what if the comment being made is true? Is it okay to tamper with the truth just because its undesirable? What would you do?
Where is the line drawn between managing your personal identity and behaving unethically?
In one sense, it makes the job of PR professionals a little bit easier. If negative information is posted about a client on a wiki it can easily be edited or removed. Using RSS feeds and readers, someone can easily "clean-up" their image with the click of a few buttons. It allows someone the ability to correct faulty information sometimes within moments of it coming into existence.
Unfortunately, it works in the opposite direction as well. Where as previously it took more effort for someone to post inaccurate or incriminating information about someone, it is now easier and quicker. PR professionals have most likely come to find that they have more information to sift through than before.
I also find it interesting to think about all the ethical implications of wikis and a company/individuals ability to alter the information pertaining to them that exists on the web.
It makes me wonder what I would do if I were in the public eye and found information posted about me on a wiki that I did not like. It would be instinct to want to correct the information or remove it... but what if the comment being made is true? Is it okay to tamper with the truth just because its undesirable? What would you do?
Where is the line drawn between managing your personal identity and behaving unethically?
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