Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: brand, career, facebook, interactive, marketing, social media, social networking, twitter
While conducting my statistics and researching my past 28 posts, I see I have learned a great deal in just 8 short weeks. Before this class I wasn’t on Facebook, now I avidly check in about every 2-3 days. I was greatly opposed to Twitter, thinking the persons who use this tool were all narcissists or celebrity gossip hounds. Now I am on Twitter and have found it very helpful with class. I have followers who post informative links, I can talk to friends, and I can continue my education on social media.
(Retrieved from http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/social-media-people.JPG)
In addition, this class helped me to secure a new job. I began interviewing after the first few weeks of class, when I knew about some of these new media methods, but not how to utilize them yet. This knowledge allowed me to discuss these methods with increasing knowedge and confidence during my three interviews and I am currently researching how to apply Facebook, Twitter and its various tools, and blogs into the communications with members of the non-profit union at which I am employed. This is an exciting time for professionally and educationally!
Of all the interesting things I have learned about social media, here are some highlights:
1. On Social Media in both the online and offline world: “No one lives in a 100% online world and limiting social media to only online is very short-sighted.”
And
2. On taking a long-term view on how new media should be used: “You can take a short term approach, but the minute you stop doing what you are doing it fades away,” both quotes from CC Chapman of the non-traditional marketing agency The Advance Guard, (Baer, 2009).
3. “You should also check out Twibs, an online business directory within Twitter. You can list your business or product within the directory and gain access to millions of eyeballs. Twitter had seven million unique visitors last month. Interestingly 62% of those people used Twitter for work purposes,” (Davey, 2009).
(Retrieved from http://www.mariareyesmcdavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/032309-twibsbusinesstwitterdirectory2.jpg)
4. “Expect any social media program to take at least 2.5x the amount of time and resources a traditional PR approach normally would. You need to plan ahead,” Jenna Boller.
And
5. “Before you jump in with a ‘me too’ Twitter account,” ask yourself these questions: 1. Is your audience on Twitter? 2. What do you want to get out of Twitter? 3. Who will Tweet for your company?” Kim Terca, (both from Page One PR, 2009).
There are many things to consider when getting yourself and your brand involved in these new media outlets. As in all marketing and advertising ventures, DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST. It’s not really possible to go back and start all over again and it’s bad for the brand.
References:
Baer, J. (2009, June 4). “CC Chapman – The Twitter 20 Interview on Telling Stories and Humanizing Brands.” Retrieved July 11, 2009 from http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-marketing/cc-chapman-the-twitter-20-interview/
Davey, J. (2009, April 23). Response to “I am a Novice when it Comes to Marketing via Social Media. Help!” Retrieved July 11, 2009 from http://www.smartcompany.com.au/social-media/20090423-i-am-a-novice-went-it-comes-to-marketing-via-social-media-help.html
Page One PR. (2009). “Archives: Posts Tagged Twitter.” Retrieved July 11, 2009 from http://www.pageonepr.com/blog/tag/twitter/
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bloggers, charity, donations, groupable, groups, mashable, meetings, social media, social networking, sponsors, twitter
I am sure that we have all had this idea, “Hey I love to do __________ (insert your passion or interest), and I know _________, ______________, and _________ (friends, colleagues, random yahoo’s) who love it too. And I bet there’s a whole bunch of other people who would be happy as a pig in mud to go on a trip to ___________ (fabulous place to do above mentioned interest)! Wow, I wish we could all afford to go do that together!”
(Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2009/07/08/groupable)
Now you can! Groupable is an “online community of groups and sponsors looking to match interests, goals, passions and needs,” (Parr, 2009). The sponsor organizations “connect [with] groups,” and the Groupable dashboard can track statistics on sponsorships, map out group locations, manage sponsorship levels, and even can take sponsorship donations via credit card, allows sponsors to create a profile, add videos and photos, and measure sponsors and activities” (Parr, 2009).
So how easy is it? Supposedly, as long you are a Groupable member you can “sign up, find a sponsor and connect,” (Parr, 2009).
The home page is easy to navigate and has some interactive features, but looks clean and like it’s easy to get started. There is a sponsorship video, some articles about why firms still sponsor and contribute to worthy organizations, and a featured group, which is the 2009 International Black Women’s Film Festival, (Groupable, 2009). And Groupable even has a sponsor, currently it is Adobe, featuring the Student Edition Creative Suite, (Groupable, 2009). This sponsor is mentioned in the far right hand bottom corner, so it is not in the way of the context of the site, and is mentioned in an ethical manner as the “Featured Sponsor.” It appears they have a blog and are also on Twitter, and a contact phone number is prominently displayed on the home page! (Unlike the shady peeps at Verizon who seem to not want you to find the number to call, so they bury it 20+ mouse clicks and wrong turns deep into their site, aaaaaaarrrrrghhhhh!)
Blogger Allen Stern states, “the challenge for Groupable will be getting enough supply of sponsors into their network. But at the same time, they need to get enough groups in to meet a sponsor’s requirements,” (Stern, 2009). But currently, it is free for both groups and sponsors to register on the Groupable site, making it easy to join and find out more. This being said…get out there and join!
References:
Groupable. (2009). “Home Page.” Retrieved July 8, 2009 from http://www.groupable.com/
Parr, B. (2009, July 8). “HOW TO: Find a Sponsor for Your Group.” Mashable. Retrieved July 8, 2009 from http://mashable.com/2009/07/08/groupable/
Stern, A. (2009, February 19). “Groupable Helps You Find Sponsors.” Center Networks. Retrieved July 8, 2009 from http://www.centernetworks.com/tag/groupable
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blogging, fakeawish, farrah, goldblum, Media, michael jackson, social networking
I was at the beach yesterday, so I found out some interesting news second-hand, through a series of text messages and phone calls, some true and some not.
1. Michael Jackson is dead. I heard about this pretty early, from Heather, a friend of mine in WV. She was irritated that the news was released before it was actually confirmed. The story is sad though; he was a musical genius and beloved by so many people of so many ages. I was a big MJ fan, from ‘Off the Wall’ until he made ‘Dangerous,’ (Rolling Stone, 2009). This is around the time he started to really weird-out and became less an artist who made news, and more of eclectic multi-millionaire who also made a little music from time to time. I prefer to remember MJ as he was at his best (and this picture was on my wall, so it holds a special place in my heart.) He will be missed.
(Retrieval info below.)
2. Farrah Fawcett has also passed away. This I heard over the phone from my boyfriend’s dad that this had happened. I liked Charlie’s Angels and also recall watching her in a few made for TV movies, as well as being shocked by The Burning Bed. It was the first I had ever heard of domestic violence (and admittedly, it made me scared to get married, well until my mom explained the movie to me.) It appears that NBC aired an hour-long special on her last night, “Farrah Fawcett: The Life and Death of an Angel,” and will air “Farrah’s Story” which is a two-hour documentary which she filmed herself on her struggles over the last 2.5 years with cancer, (NBC.com, 2009). Quite an interesting take on cancer and how it ravages the body and soul, this is something I would watch. On a side note, when I did a search on Farrah Fawcett, before I hit enter in the Google search box, one of the suggestions that popped up was ‘Farrah Fawcett Playboy Images.” I guess there are people out there who wish to remember her in a different way. I choose this one; goodbye Farrah.
(Retrieval info below.)
3. While talking to my friend Sami in Tacoma about the news of day, she echoed Heather’s irritation that the ‘news’ was released before it was actually confirmed. I told her that from what I have learned in this term that this is how we will be getting our news in the future; from a number of unconfirmed reports and half truths which we will then need to sift through in order to find the truth. She seemed incredulous and I told her it’s as easy as someone among the first responders texting the news to a friend, who then puts it on twitter, where it gets picked up and posted either to a blog or to iReport. From there, the newshounds then pick up so many of these stories that they take further verification measures and release the news. This news was so hot yesterday that my BF wasn’t able to access cnn.com on his mobile because the servers were bogged down!
Well, oddly enough, Sami also mentioned that she heard that Jeff Goldblum was dead. He is not, but it took awhile to find out from where this ‘news’ came. It seems that there’s a site, FakeAWish.com, which “generates fake news stories reporting the death of celebrities when their names are entered,” (SBS, 2009). Why does this site exist? Who in the world has this much time that they created this fake news site? How can this ridiculousness be stopped?
Here’s some real news that I can be sure is true…the aforementioned Heather is pregnant! However, I heard about this from my sister, who saw it on Heather’s MySpace page, before it was confirmed by Heather herself! That’s social networking for you. Regardless…Congrats Heather and Corey!
References:
Farrah Fawcett Photo. (2009). Retrieved June 26 from http://photos.ecanadanow.com/farrah-fawcett-Anal-Cancer.jpg
Michael Jackson Photo. (2009). Retrieved June 26, 2009 from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kb4mTDJLT6c/Ry95xUYev1I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/bGVCBLja-54/s400/michael-jackson-thriller.jpg
NBC.com. (2009). “Farrah Fawcett: The Life and Death of an Angel to Air Tonight.” Retrieved June 26, 2009 from http://www.nbc.com/news/2009/06/25/farrah-fawcett-the-life-and-death-of-an-angel-to-air-tonight/
Rolling Stone. (2009). “Michael Jackson Discography.” Retreived June 26, 2009 from http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaeljackson/discography
SBS. (2009). “Goldblum ‘Dead’ in Online Hoax.” World News Australia. Retrieved June 26, 2009 from http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1033981/Goldblum-’dead’-in-online-hoax
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: billboards, facebook, green, lamar, lay-offs, myspace, social networking, synovate, twitter
1. Looks like MySpace is going down, down, down. This social networking forefather may be going the way of the dinosaurs, under constant pressure from competitors Facebook and Twitter. First, their co-founder & CEO, Chris DeWolfe, was canned last month; last week they cancelled plans to move to a new office space and news is they are planning to lay-off up to 500 of their current 1,600 employees in an effort to “improve their overall financial strength,” (Reuters, 2009).
2. Social Media is big in Asian countries. A study by Synovate in march showed that 35% of Asian youth aged 8-24 “used the internet more” than a year ago and OgilvyOne found that “social networking and forums accounted or 10.2% of all internet visits by Singapore users,” (Katheyas, 2009). Seems as though a lot of the research we studies about this ethnic group in lesson 2 is still right on target!
3. Lamar Advertising (you know, the billboard company) has announced the placement of a new ‘green’ electronic billboard in the Bronx which uses less energy, emits no light to disturb the surroundings and can be changed quickly via remote from the home office in Baton Rouge, “allowing advertisers to hyper-target their messages,” (Otlacan, 2009).
Oh and by the way…THE PENS HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP!
(Retrieved from http://www.celebsportsignature.com/images/hockey/a7hocrosbyph.jpg)
References:
Katheyas, V. (2009, June 12). “Social Media Marketing Gaining Ground.” Retrieved June 12, 2009 from http://business.asiaone.com/Business/SME%2BCentral/eBiz%2BHub/Story/A1Story20090610-147579.html
Otlacan, O. (2009, June 12). “Lamar Advertising Company Introduces Greener Technology to New York.” Retrieved June 12, 2009 from http://www.adoperationsonline.com/2009/06/12/lamar-advertising-company-introduces-greener-technology-to-new-york/
Reuters. (2009, June 11). “MySpace Prepares for “Massive” Layoffs: Report.” Retrieved June 12, 2009 from http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE55A5NH20090611
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blogging, conversation, Dale Carnegie, IMC, Jeff James, marketing, Mythology, prezi, social networking, twitter, WVU
I attended the IMC Weekend Dinner on May 29th, and sadly my life has been very busy, so I have needed a little more time to get some notes down. Sorry! If you missed the dinner, it was fun and I felt the Keynote Speaker, Jeff James, was entertaining and his address was very relevant to what we are learning in class. Jeff James is a native West Virginian who founded Mythology, a company which focuses on market management and growth. He feels that in order for marketing to be effective and successful it has to “craft a compelling narrative” and that 95% of organizations of all sizes are “struggling on how to have a conversation” with their customers and clients, (James, 2009).
Here are some other highlights (some stated and some thoughts I took away):
1. He discussed that in the process of writing his speech, he consulted others in the field via Twitter. He asked these professionals about what he should speak on. He then created a PowerPoint presentation to emphasize his points, but somehow this was lost when he delivered to the IT people. However that wasn’t as important as the running joke of the lost slides and that a colleague told him that PowerPoint was yesterday’s news and that he should have done the presentation in Prezi, a new type of interactive presentation creator. For more info, go to , and if you click on ‘Learn Prezi in 4 minutes,’ you can actually play around while you watch the video. Very cool!
2. James also discussed a book, Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies by Li and Bernoff. In this book, the authors discuss the many roles of persons involved in marketing culture; (creators, critics, collectors, joiners, spectators and inactives) and the parts they play. Creators contribute, critics are evaluators and reviewers and collectors find and link things so they can be followed. This could be considered a ‘technographic ladder’ and James offered this question: “How do you empower people at all levels?” This is what many companies are trying to answer.
3. A discussion on news and its accessibility offered this thought from an associate at the Charleston Gazette: “social networking accelerates the news cycle.” This is because writing an article for print is time consuming and a tweet is immediate. Tweeting about your upcoming article allows others to be part of the creative process and creates demand for the article before it is completed or printed. This is preferable to the scenario of working on a great article and having no one read it because it’s buried on Page 9, Section B.
4. Twitter allows an organization to see the Everyman Point of View. It is the opportunity to get honest, real time feedback…whether you want it or not. However, it cannot be implicitly trusted. Just because anyone can post ‘news’ does not make it newsworthy. In a sense, social media can create a false reality. Just as the internet can be used to find up-to-the-minute news, it can also be a way for anyone to broadcast their views. These views can be illegal, immoral, slanderous, degrading, and hateful. We have become so dependent on this source for news that we may trust its content without thorough evaluation. The old adage was “let the buyer beware.” Now it seems more fitting to “let the searcher beware.” You can find any number of sources on the web to solidify your story so it is concrete and seems like immutable truth. Watch where you find your validity!
In the last several minutes of the address, James commented on Dale Carnegie’s book from 1936, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ And he mentioned several ideas that translate well into marketing any organization today.
Retrieved June 4, 2009 from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B001MBV64U/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
• Become genuinely interested in others-get to know your clients, and their customers. Nothing is as effective as doing your homework and finding out what theur needs are so you can ascertain how to fill them.
• Smile-the electronic version of this may be color, space, ease of reading and navigating (through a site), interactivity and fun, pleasant images, etc. The design of your site or other marketing materials are how you ‘smile’ at those who view it.
• Remember that a person’s name is the sweetest sound in any language-Don’t forget who you are talking to. Even though he or she may be different than you, don’t forget who the most important element is to your business’ success.
• Be a good listener-when you ask someone their needs, be sincere and listen to them. If you are asking the right questions and keeping an open mind then they will tell you what they want or need of you.
• If you’re wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically-Don’t wait to get ‘called out’ or caught in a bad situation. You are accountable for your actions and inevitably someone will find you out. Today, not only will one person find you out but they will broadcast your ill-judgment for the entire internet-connected world to see…on every possible portal…in every language.
• Let the other person believe it’s their idea-You can plant the seed and water it, but you can’t tell it to grow. If you want to reach agreement, then give people all the information they need to believe they should do what you want, whether that’s buying your product or quitting smoking or whatever you are marketing to them.
• Throw down a challenge-if you ask people to step up and you do it in such a way that they want to step up to meet it, they will.
A few final quotes from Jeff James that may keep you thinking:
“Individuals have the power, not institutions.”
“Social Media is the product development process.”
“Visibility is accountability.”
References:
James, J. (2009). “Keynote Address.” Observed May 29, 2009 at Milan Pushkar Stadium, Morgantown, WV.
Prezi. (2009). “Learn.” Retrieved June 7, 2009 from http://prezi.com/learn.
