Survival Tips April 18, 2010

This survival tip is one I have been putting off. Terrible, I know! Like all of the other survival tips, this one comes from A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization by Deltina Hay. The reason I have put this one off is because I thought I knew it by heart. You see, this survival tip is all about building a blog on WordPress. How much is left for me to figure out? I mean, this is a WordPress blog. Boy was I wrong…

After reading this chapter, I have learned two main things. Both are things I have never known about WordPress and I have been using the site for a few years. The first is the appearance section. Did you know you could add widgets to your blog? I didn’t! Now I have my twitter account tied into my blog. I never knew how to do that before. Sure, I had seen it on other people’s blogs but I never could figure out how they tied them together. But now I know.

The other wakeup call came in the part of the chapter that talked about the settings. Have you ever fooled around with the settings buttons on WordPress? If you haven’t…don’t. If you have…I know the pain you feel. Settings are always a tricky thing but usually they go back to normal if you mess up. Not WordPress. If you change them then they stay changed. Reading this chapter gave me a better understanding of what the settings do. From security to privacy to discussion boards, I learned what buttons to play and which ones to leave alone.

Guest Blogger April 16, 2010

This week in my Social Media and PR class, we were asked to have a guest writer featured on our blog. So, the following blog post was written by Allie Schulmper. Allie is my classmate and fellow PRSSA Executive Board Member. The post I am featuring was originally written in January of this year but it was a blog post that really caught my attention. I hope you enjoy!

TOW #3 – Social Media Monitoring

Written by: Allie Schulmper

Is social media monitoring ethical? Provide commentary and discussion on both sides of the issue, and offer your personal viewpoint.

For my topic of the week for week #3 in Barbara Nixon’s Social Media and PR course, we were asked if social media monitoring is ethical or not. This is a difficult question because there so many view points about this topic.

In my opinion, it depends on how you are monitoring a company or brand and what your purposes are for monitoring them. For this course, we have to monitor a Fortune 500 company to see what is being said about them through various social media sites. I believe that if people are monitoring social media to benefit a company or brand or to better their products, than there is nothing ethically wrong with this. Domino’s has recently come out with a new campaign that shows how they have improved many of their products because of all the criticism that they have received about their company and their items. Below is a video showing what they have done:

Domino’s used what people were saying and writing on social media sites about their company to better their pizza and to hopefully better their company’s image.

Those are a few examples of how social media monitoring may be used positively and effectively. On the other hand, I believe that there are things that are unethical when monitoring social media. People have to realize that although everyone has a right to their own opinion, it is in my opinion, unethical to write derogatory or rude things about a company that are not true or factual. Danielle La Marca wrote a post, “Social Media Code of Ethics,” that I found to be true and interesting. It is important to always be respectful, honest, credible, and objective when monitoring various social media sites.

Will focus groups fade away due to social media? April 15, 2010

In the world of PR, focus groups are a must…or are they? All through college, I have been taught how to conduct focus groups and why they should be conducted. I have spent countless hours transcribing tapes filled with ummmms and hummms just to read back over them and write and analysis. So, what have I learned through all of this? Focus groups take time; lots and lots of time.

I recently conducted and moderated a focus group. My group members and I had six people confirmed to participate, one showed up. Well, as you are probably saying to yourself, that’s not a focus group. And you’re completely right, so, we continued on and called it an interview.

So, why am I saying all of this? What exactly is my point? My point is this, through social media, we have the perfect focus group, so, why are we still trying to get four to six people in a room for and hour just to have to go home and transcribe a tape?

“Twitter is an instant focus group, on-call 24/7, and comprised of some of the most brilliant and thoughtful people you’d ever want to meet.” That statement was made by Todd Defren and you know he is absolutely right. So, what if some people cancel? Twitter has millions of users; find another.

Another thing you can do is check out the blogosphere.

Wikipedia says that “the blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions.” The blogosphere is a way for you to find the information you need from the sources you want. The blogosphere can be accessed through websites such as: Technorati, BlogPulse, Tailrank and BlogScope. All of these sites track blog activity and shows connections between blogs.

Like in the video, focus can prove to be a wash. I realize the video takes the idea to a new extreme but keep in mind that was their purpose. I know the focus group isn’t going anywhere. I enjoy conducting them and I have nothing against them. In fact, I have two scheduled for next week. But I did want to present an alternative. We are living in an age ruled by social media. Could focus groups be sucked into that world, too?

Viral Videos April 14, 2010

What is a viral video? The easiest way to answer this question is by showing an example. The following video is called “David after Dentist.” Take a look and then we can start answering some questions.

So, why is this a viral video? Well, Wikipedia defines a viral video as a video “that becomes popular through the process of internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites and email.” These videos are usually funny and appeal to a vast audience. Viral videos are typically spread via the internet. If one person sees the video and finds it funny/relatable, then typically they will forward it on to a friend; thus, a viral video.

The video above is a viral video because of the humor and the ability to relate to it. Everyone has been to the dentist and everyone loves a cute kid. If you put those two things together, it is the perfect recipe for a viral video.

This video is another example of a viral video. The cuteness factor plays a major role in why this video became a viral video. (The video is appropriately named “All My Single Babies.”) A baby in only a diaper, dancing to Beyonce has the humor and cuteness that people love. They watch it and enjoy it, and then they send it on to another person.

The last example of a viral video (above) is a different type of viral video. This started out as a commercial that aired during the 2010 Super Bowl. Not long after that, this commercial quickly found its way to YouTube and from there, into every e-mail in-box and Facebook page and Twitter post.  This commercial is a viral video. The way it spread is nothing short of viral. Nowadays, it would probably be difficult to find someone who hasn’t seen this video or at least heard of the “Betty White commercial.” To me, this is the best example of a viral video. It is funny, it is relatable and it is something people don’t get tired of watching.

Survival Tips April 11, 2010

Media communities, as well as, widgets and badges are two things that are discussed in Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization by Deltina Hay.  So, as always, lets get some definitions first.

• Media Communities: social sites where you can save, share, and comment on multimedia items
• Widgets: snippets of code, usually displayed graphically, that can be used to syndicate content, for example RSS feeds, or to add interactive features that users can drop onto their own blogs or websites

Media communities are sharing sites. Sites such as Flickr, YouTube and Slide Share are all examples of media communities. They are websites where users can save files, share files and comment on multimedia items.

Widgets and badges are sort of in the same categories as phone apps.  Widgets can pull information from the internet and send it to a central location. It is a way for you to receive all of your information, that you usually spend time searching for, to one place, which requires no searching. Badges are interactive designs used to grab the attention of the audience. They are often used with advertisements on webpages.

Widgets and Badges April 4, 2010

The terms widget and badge are two words being tossed around more and more these days. The social media world has turned these terms into everyday language. So, what are they? Wikipedia tells us:

• Widget – a stand-alone application that can be embedded into third party sites by any user on a page where they have rights of authorship
• Badge – a design used to grab the attention of the audience that can be used to display a big ‘Beta’ message on your website or emphasize a price or a promotion

Are we still a little fuzzy? If you’re like me, you probably understand the concept behind a badge but have no idea what a widget is. Am I right? Ok, so let’s spend a few more bullets on key ideas about a widget. Here we go:

• Widgets are roughly the same concept as the RSS feed.
• Widgets save you time because they bring the content you want to see directly to you.
• Widgets can send content to your computer or directly to your mobile phone.
• Widgets are interactive and can be customized.

And the analogy of the day (thanks to Wikipedia):

• Widgets are to websites what applications are to iPhones

Is it making a little more sense now? I hope so! Now, the question is, how can businesses benefit from using badges and widgets?

• Widgets can gather information you want/need and send it to one central location as opposed you having to search for it yourself.
• Unlike RSS feed, widgets can send information directly to your mobile devise.
• Having your own widgets and badges can help promote your website and attract an audience.
• Badges can help entice an audience to use a widget for information generated from your website.
• Widgets and badges are both ways of utilizing the sharing of information via social media as they both operate through interactivity.

Podcast: Using Foursquare in the Business World March 31, 2010

For my Social Media and PR class, I was required to create a podcast. I was asked to create a show, complete with name, topic and music. To create the podcast, I used Audacity. This is a great site to create podcasts for free. Here is the link to my podcast, as well as, some show notes to help you follow the podcast. Enjoy!

Podcast: Using Foursquare in the Business World

Show Notes

Show Title:

PR Today

Topic:

Using Foursquare in the Business World

Table of Contents/Time:

0-17 seconds – Theme Music

18-32 seconds – Introduction

33-1:58 – Explaining Foursquare

1:59-2:45 – Introductions to Main Points

2:46-3:53 – Point One: Target Audiences

3:54-4:53 – Point Two: Competition

4:54-5:54 – Point Three: Free Publicity

5:55-6:33 – Closing Remarks

6:34-6:49 – End Music

Credits:

Host and recording by: Haley Higgs

Theme music: http://www.podcastthemes.com/audio.php

• Free Theme Number Four

Information found from the following websites:

• www.foursquare.com

• www.wikipedia.com

• http://www.slideshare.net/6Smarketing/foursquare-for-businesses

Social Bookmarking March 31, 2010

Social bookmarking is becoming more popular. It is a way for people to connect and interact together through sharing links. One of the more popular social bookmarking sites is Delicious. Delicious allows users to post links for professional or personal use and then makes those links available to others. It is similar to the “favorites” section on your personal computer. The difference though is the fact that unlike your favorites, bookmarks posted to Delicious are accessible from any computer.

I created an account to better understand Delicious. My account is mainly are current links I found in the favorites section on my computer. I don’t feel like my links contribute to the greater good of society or anything but at least they’re out there. I am strengthening my social media presence if nothing else.

I think college students could benefit from using social bookmarking sites. Group work would become less of a hassle if the group had a social bookmarking page that they could all tap into, rather than passing hard copies around. This could also help because each group member could read every article as opposed to each member reading different things. College students could also benefit because social bookmarks would cut down on having to carry a jump drive everywhere or having to worry about not being able to use your computer at a public location. Social bookmarking allows you to access all of your bookmarked links without having to remember them, have them written down or e-mailing yourself links. Sites like Delicious allow you to have access to everything you need without having to carry you laptop with you wherever you go.

Survival Tips March 30, 2010

What is social bookmarking? Wikipedia defines social bookmarking as “a method for Internet users to share, organize, search, and manage bookmarks of web resources. Unlike file sharing, the resources themselves aren’t shared, merely bookmarks that reference them.”

I have experiment with social bookmarking. For me, Delicious.com works the best. Social bookmarking is a way for other people to access my “favorites” without having to be on my computer. It is also a way for me to access my “favorites” when I am on a different computer.

Social bookmarking is another example of the joint effort that is the internet. It allows for users to interact by sharing links and working together to find new links. Social bookmarking is also a great way to connect with people who have the same interests.

So what is crowd-sourcing? Crowd-sourcing is essentially like outsourcing except instead of contracting the job out to another company, they are “contracting” it to their users. It allows users, viewers, and everyday people to vote on stories or rate things. Crowd-sourcing also encourages people to go find information (or stories) on their own, rather being force-fed information. I don’t have much knowledge of crowd-sourcing, other than what I read in Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization by Deltina Hay, but from what I have learned, Digg is an example of a crowd-sourcing site.

Survival Tips March 30, 2010

The survival tip for today…have a presence. What I am saying is to have a presence in social media. And before you ask, NO, Facebook doesn’t count. Don’t get me wrong, Facebook is a wonderful application, but you need to widen your social media perspective. Set up a LinkedIN account or a Twitter page. Have multiple networks going at the say time and connect to people through each of them. A healthy presence is what the author of Survival Guide to Social Media & Web 2.0 Optimization by Deltina Hay calls it.

I thought the author made a very good point by saying:

• Choose your friends wisely; do not just add anyone who asks; do not just add anyone who asks; check out their profile first

This goes for any and all social media sites. It is important to know who you are connecting with because other people can see your connections, too. If you are the type of person who can’t say no to a friend request, set up a limited profile to ménage what that person has access to. Keep your private life and professional life separate on social media.